EMERGING
Australia, 1985, 75 minutes, Colour.
Shane Connor, Sue Jones, Alan Hopgood. Monica Maughan.
Directed by Kathy Mueller.
Emerging is one of a series of Australian telemovies produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation during 1985. The series focused on some serious themes and gave them dramatic treatment. This film focuses on paraplegics, their rehabilitation at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, a human drama of coping with disability as well as ways of helping in rehabilitation.
Sue Jones and Shane Connor as excellent in the central roles. There is support from such Victorian actors as Monica Maughan and writer Alan Hopgood. The film was directed by Kathy Mueller, director of the award-winning short feature about Vietnam veterans, Every Day, Every Night, and of another ABC telemovie about a marriage, Breaking Up.
The film has an atmosphere of realism, although it focuses on theatre and its therapeutic effect. The film is serious but has the humane touch.
1. The quality of this ABC telemovie, its style, themes, the audience for which it was made? Impact of this kind of dram for the home audience?
2. The atmosphere of Melbourne, location photography: the Austin Hospital, homes, the bush? An authentic atmosphere?
3. The title and its focus on themes. people, disaster. rehabilitation and hope?
4. Cinema and the use of theatre, psycho-drama? The combination of realism and theatrical effect? The catharsis of theatre experience? Relief and anger? Haley and her performance, Steve and his response? Steve's moving to theatrical performance - and its role in his therapy and rehabilitation?
5. The credits and the collage about Steve, his life, activities, sport? The accident and its impact, psychological and physical? An injured young man in hospital, active and non-active, his parents' visit and their caution, his reaction, his anger with his girlfriend? The experience of frustration?
6. The film's focus on hospital routine, the wards, nurses, medication, psychologists, rehabilitation and therapy - basketball games etc? Theatre?
7. The focus on Haley and her preparation for the theatrical performance, her relationship with Torn, her daughter? Nervous? Her arrival? The quality of the performance and its themes - the actress in the wheelchair, impersonating the paraplegic, trying to wheel the chairs through the parking area, the jokes and the awkwardness, the verbal humour, the clowning, skits, the edge of bitterness?
8. The cathartic effect? Steve and the audience appreciating the performance, laughter, help to acknowledge the reality of their situation? Steve and his reaction to Haley when she stood up, her fears, his rage, his going through the glass window?
9. Haley and her husband, his work as a potter, his age, the bond between them, her worry, wanting to return to the hospital, meeting Steve again, his wanting to go out, the picnic, the rain, her exasperation, Steve manipulating his wheelchair to move the fallen tree? Steve following her, the theatre, proposing an affair? Her pity for him? The emotional demands? Her return to her husband? The sudden news of his death?
10. Haley and her grief, isolating herself, Steve and his visit, bringing her out of herself?
11. Steve and the effect of the performance, self-pity, going through the glass window, his injuries and recovery, his mother's visit, the visit of his friends and the reminiscences about old times his girlfriend and wishing that she would leave with the friends? Haley's visit, changing, coming alive, cheeky, brusque, following Haley at the theatre, proposing an affair? A man of moods? Haley's grief and its changing him, his compassion, consideration?
12. The impact of the ending and his working in theatre? His ability to perform the play, convincingly, an effect on his audiences, on himself?
13. Audience interest in the story, characterisation, a serious dramatic presentation of accidents, therapy and rehabilitation? A film of concern and hope?
