EVERY WOMAN'S DREAM
US, 1996, 91 minutes, Colour.
Jeff Fahey, Kim Cattrall, De Lane Matthews.
Directed by Steven Schachter.
Every Woman's Dream is a story of the seemingly charming bigamist who gets in far deeper than he ever anticipated. Jeff Fahey is the ambitious young man who marries for love and inherits two children. However, he is a conman, advising politicians, doing business on the side, involved in some kind of financial blackmail. When he is attracted towards another woman, he sets up two houses, marries her and enjoys a high life, moving from Los Angeles to Florida to the two households. Eventually, he finds an ingenious way of having the two families within the one city. However, he extends himself, it is discovered that he is not employed by the Disney company as he claimed, he fabricates an office, uses up all the money on his first wife's credit card and bank account. This leads to an ultimate confrontation - with a touch of violence.
Jeff Fahey is good in the central role and De Lane Matthews as his first wife and Kim Cattrall as his second wife do very well. It is nothing particularly startling. There have been other films about bigamists. However, in its quiet way it portrays characters, raises issues very well. The screenplay is by Martin Davidson with director Steven Schachter and actor William H. Macy. Schacter and Macy have collaborated on a number of screenplays.
1. Portrait of a conman? Plausible conman? The two women that he deceived? Business partners, politicians?
2. The Los Angeles settings, the Florida settings? World of affluence, politics, business? Musical score?
3. Mitch as a young boy, the voice-over commentary throughout the film? His ambitions, achievement? Setting himself up in Los Angeles, the Washington connections?
4. The title, its reference to Mitch, Candy and Liz and their dreams, his fulfilment of them? Becoming a nightmare?
5. Mitch, the good life, his political influence, money deals? Having power over people? The meeting with Candy, the attraction, the wedding? Setting up the household? His relationship with his two stepchildren? Financial support and the management of the household?
6. His meeting with Liz, the attraction, the proposal, her mother and father, the wedding? The cruise to the Bahamas and the high life? His having to borrow the credit card?
7. The character of Candy, a good woman, her children, love for Mitch? His explanation that he was CIA, his continued absences from home, secrecy, the phone calls, the background of the Gulf War and other involvements? Candy believing this? The plan for evacuation, his putting it into practice, her going with her children suddenly to Pennsylvania? Her ringing the CIA, their claiming that they had no-one of that name?
8. Liz, her work, her love for Mitch, their lifestyle? His absences on business? The Disney decision, her supporting him and moving to Florida? Her father's investigation and her not believing it? Going to his office?
9. Mitch, the pressures, the raising money under false pretences, pretending to have heart disease? (And his contact later taking his paintings and willing to give them back for $10,000?) His lies, his believing them? His ever-faithful secretary and her hard work? The decision to take up the Disney position, assuming his older namesake's office for deceiving Liz? The Bahamas, the high style?
10. The discovery of the truth, Liz's reaction, the neighbour at the house, their being evicted, her parents telling her that this was the case? Her friend and her support? The meeting with Mitch, their clashes, his ringing her in the night? The car, getting her possessions, his coming with the gun, the shooting? The credibility of this violence and his desperation?
11. Candy, the discovery of the truth, the credit card and his explanations, emptying her bank account? The discussions with Liz? Their decision to bring him down? The reconciliation with her daughter?
12. The comedy aspects of the film, the harsh realities underlying the superficial gloss of Mitch's life? The love of the two women, his credibility? His deception, his mental collapse? The psychological definition of his case, especially the narcissism?
13. The supporting characters, the world of business, of politics, private detectives, psychiatrists?
