THE EFFECTS OF THE GAMMA RAYS ON THE MAN IN THE MOON MARIGOLDS

US, 1973, 101 minutes, Colour.
Joanne Woodward, Nell Potts, Roberta Wallach.
Directed by Paul Newman.

The Effects... was the play which won dramatist and screenwriter (Mame) Paul Zindel the Pulitzer Prize. Paul Newman acquired the film rights and directs his wife, Joanne Woodward, (he also directed her in the memorable Rachel, Rachel) in their ninth film collaboration. He also directs his daughter, Nell Potts, in an excellent performance as Matilda, the withdrawn, intelligent daughter.

The film itself is rather a harrowing experience. Its chief qualities are its realism and its sensitivity. The situation of a slatternly mother trying, quite unsuccessfully, to bring up her daughters is presented in its everyday harshness and sadness. But it is presented with telling dialogue and with an attention to detail of feeling which raises the film well above the ordinary. This is a tribute to Paul Newman's direction. The other main area of the film's action is the school (and the film's title refers to one of Matilda's science experiments). It means that the film should be seen both by parents and by teachers.

Unfortunately the film was not a commercial success.

1. The significance of the title? What tone did it give to the film? What emphasis did it give to our appreciation of the film? The nature of mutations? Whom did the marigolds symbolise in this film?

2. How impressive was the style of the film? Its sense of realism in settings and in acting? What response did this elicit from the audience?

3. Comment on the style of the sets, the squalor of the house, the rooms, clothing, the school, the city itself, etc.

4. What picture of family life and suffering did the film give? Did it explain the background well enough? The abandonment by the husband? Beatrice's relationship to him? To the in-laws? The relationship between Beatrice and her daughters? The type of life they lived? The love and the absence of love? Which sequences illustrated this best?

5. Did the film explain in its dialogue the nature of the young Beatrice? At school? Beatrice "the loon"? Her relationship to those at school with her? The influence of her youth on the older Beatrice? Was this good or bad?

6. How do you explain Beatrice's character? As a woman, as a wife, as a mother? Her way of surviving? Her shortcomings? What virtues did she have?

7. How well did you understand Beatrice in relation to her children? Did she love them? Which one more? Beatrice and Ruth and her idolising her? Pampering her? Ruth's sickness? Beatrice's seeming ignoring of Matilda? Did she understand Matilda? The effect on Beatrice of Matilda's success at the end? How did Beatrice see herself as a mother? Beatrice in her life at home? Her dreams? Her hopes for money and success? Her taking in lodgers?

8. How well was the character of Ruth delineated? As a cheer-leader, glamour-type? As sick with her dreams and fits? The fact that she was a younger Beatrice? Would she grow into another Beatrice? The irony of her imitating her mother at school? Why did she do this? The effect of this on Beatrice? Ruth's relationship to Matilda? Did she love her? Her pride for Matilda at the end? Even though she was petulant before the ceremony? What good qualities did Ruth have? Would they be exploited?

9. How attractive a girl was Matilda? Why was she so withdrawn? How loving was she - her helping of her mother and Ruth and Nanny? Was she loved by Beatrice and Ruth? The fact that she was clever? How did this compensate?

10. How involved was Matilda with her projects? The importance of the sequence at school? Her work with the rabbit and the marigolds? Her pride in her work? Her prize? Her presentation of her project? (In contrast with Janice's smug presentation of her project?). Her hoping that her mother would be there? Her response to the embarrassing scene with her mother? The fact that the film ended with her?

11. What did the film have to say about relationships between old and young? Mothers and daughters? Nanny and her daughter (and Ruth)?

12. What was the main function of Nanny in the film? Your response to Nanny? Authentic? Her treatment by her daughter? Nanny on the footpath? Ruth's repugnance for Nanny? Matilda's looking after her? The sequences with Nanny in the house, her deafness, lameness, going to the bathroom? Beatrice looking after Nanny? Beatrice trying to get rid of Nanny at the end? But she did not.

13. What insight into school and education did the film give? The encouragement of the science teacher? His inability to communicate with Beatrice? The gossip of the teacher who was at school with Beatrice? The function at the end and Beatrice embarrassing everyone?

14. The importance of the sequence with the policeman? Memories of the past and the changes that time brings? Beatrice relating to him? This in contrast with her brother-in-law with the flu, his refusal to lend money, accept responsibilities? The concern of his wife for Beatrice? (Her dressing up for this visit? Her car?).

15. How important was the theme of dreams and reality in this film? Beatrice's dreams and the possibility of their fulfilment? The theme of poverty and Beatrice's poverty? The fact that she was so slatternly and dirty? The house? The fact that she wanted to clean-up at the end? A sigh of hope?

16. How important was the theme of disillusionment in life? For Beatrice? For the daughters? For Nanny? Was the film too pessimistic?

17. How important for the film was the attention to detail? In situations? In their life at home? The details of the room and the house and the dirt? The precision of the dialogue and its forcefulness especially regarding human relationships?

18. What future did mother and daughters have? What lessons had they learnt in this period of their lives? What message do they have for families?