SLEEPING DOGS (STAY)
US, 2006, 87 minutes, Colour.
Melinda Page, Hamilton Bryce Johnson, Geoffrey Pierson, Colby French, Jack Plotnick.
Directed by Bob Goldthwaite.
This is a film which needs careful reviewing. The conclusion would be that anyone interested in moral issues and moral cases could well see the film and find matter for a great deal of worthwhile discussion on moral responsibility, choices and consequences, the proportion between mistakes that seem gross but isolated and really evil decisions. Understanding and forgiveness are also themes which would emerge.
How could this come from a brief, serious comedy by a writer-director best-known for some raucous performances, especially in three films of the Police Academy series?
The opening sequence, where an 18 year old girl, bored and immature, contemplates some aberrant sexual behaviour (not graphically shown but suggested) and acts on her impulse, tells us where we stand. We, like the girl, are disgusted. But, the film asks whether that should be the end of the story and whether this be held against her forever. Is regret enough? Is revealing this secret a helpful therapy? How does one cope with the reaction of loved ones? How important is reticence and confidentiality? Does this disgusting one-off immature act mar a person’s life from then on? What about proportion, understanding and, where needed, forgiveness.
The story itself is rather simple. Amy and John don’t want to have any secrets between them as they prepare to marry. Should Amy tell John her secret? He tells her some from his boyhood and sexual activity. It is clear that she is eventually going to tell him and we are kept wondering when and how, especially as we have seen how John has lewdly reacted to a story Amy made up to get her out of a situation. And what if others know about it?
As the film goes on, we find ourselves more and more identifying with Amy. This is where the film, although it has the light touch and some comic moments, is really a moral case study. What would we do? What would be our regrets for similar behaviour – or lesser behaviour of which we are ashamed? Can we confide – but, in whom? And what if people act in a condemnatory and judgmental way? Is this merited? Who forgives – and who is entitled to forgive?
Maybe Bob Goldthwait was not thinking all these thoughts and simply wanted to make an offbeat comedy about truth, family and relationships (and there are plenty of funny and bizarre episodes with Amy’s parents and her jealous addict brother, with her fiance and with a co-teacher). But, given the issues his characters keep raising, it would seem he really did.
1.The impact of the film? As comedy, serious, moral issues?
2.The urban Californian settings, homes and schools, authentic atmosphere? Score – and the range of songs, ‘Boum’?
3.The prologue and the focus on Amy, her looking at the dog, her decision, her behaviour, the aftermath, washing? The impact for audiences? The importance of disgust – and the influence on perspectives on Amy throughout the film?
4.Her explanation, her being young, idle, a student, curious? Seeing it as a mistake, not personal behaviour? Guilt, a secret? The pressure for honesty? A mistake – yet a burden?
5.Telling the truth – and the truth setting people free – or not?
6.Issues of honesty, total honesty? The contrast with confidentiality? The effect of telling the whole truth on the person who tells it, on those hearing it? People pushing others to reveal – and then the reactions and consequences? Reactions of disgust, repulsion? Further curiosity? A vindictive defensiveness?
7.Amy and John and their idyllic relationship, Amy as a teacher, her friendship with Ed, discussions with him? John as a writer, would-be? The proposal and the ring? Their discussions, their openness about their sexual relationship? The proposal and the visit to the parents? John and his apprehensiveness? Amy and her smoking? Her warnings about her parents?
8.The awkwardness of the visit, the dog doing its business and the reaction? Amy’s parents and their bluntness? The strict attitude – smoking, swearing? Yet the mother’s truth, confiding her secrets of her past, Elvis and the wrestling, Roy Orbison? The father knowing about Doug’s drug-taking? The encounter with Doug, racist comments, offensive, jealousy of Amy? John sharing the room, the drugs, the keyboard and his keeping him awake all night? The father and mother saying goodnight and their strictness?
9.Amy and the conversation with her mother, watching John and his request for Amy’s hand? The father and the conversation and warnings to Doug about jobs, his not liking teaching? Urging him to write? Amy’s telling John the story about Linda – John’s reaction, approval, curiosity, hugging Linda excessively? His double standards when Amy told her story? His confiding his own stories, the masturbation stories? Amy and the pressure from her mother, finally telling John in the car, her laughing, his reaction, his revulsion? Doug overhearing, telling the family, his vindictive attitude? The parents and their very strict reaction and cutting off Amy, harshness and the phone calls?
10.The return home, the bond being broken, attempts to communicate again, John and his hurtful comments, his vindictiveness?
11.Amy and Ed, their talking at school, Ed and his relationship with Beth, her affair, his talking about her feet …? The sexual liaison, pressurising Amy for the secret? Amy’s reaction, not telling him? The news of her mother’s death, the drive?
12.The death, the father and his reaction, the funeral and her grief? Going to tell Doug the truth, in prison, his outburst and blaming Amy for his mother’s death?
13.Amy and her friendship with Linda, getting her advice? Ed and his going back to Beth? The father’s visit, reconciliation with Amy, the grace of bringing the letter from her mother, her mother’s affirming her?
14.Amy going to see Ed, the secrets, his saying that he knew what it was, the story of the abortion, and her letting him believe this? Their happiness together?
15.The issues of what is evil, what is disgusting, what are mistakes, what are stupidities? How they affect people’s lives? People listening, double standards? Sense of proportion? Forgiveness?
