FEAST OF LOVE
US, 2007, 101 minutes, Colour.
Morgan Freeman, Greg Kinnear, Radha Mitchell, Billy Burke, Selma Blair, Alexa Davalos, Fred Ward, Jane Alexander.
Directed by Robert Benton.
Feast of Love could pass for a very old-fashioned kind of serious romantic comedy were it not for the frequent sex scenes which might surprise an older audience attracted by the plot and by Morgan Freeman.
This is a small town story with Morgan Freeman as Harry, a retired University professor still grieving at the unanticipated death of his doctor son from a drug overdose. Jane Alexander is his strong and supportive wife. The screenplay provides for a voiceover narrator and Freeman’s resonant voice and delivery are a pleasure to listen to (whether it be for The Shawshank Redemption or The March of the Penguins).
Harry spends a great deal of his spare time at a coffee shop owned by Greg Kinnear as Bradley, an amiable man who does not recognise the deeper feelings of people, and suffers the loss of his wife (Selma Blair) to a lesbian athlete, who marries an attractive estate agent (Radha Mitchell) who admires him but does not love him. Harry is a good supportive friend though he does not make decisions for people. Rather, he tries to enable them to make decisions themselves. This is especially true of the young man who works at the coffee shop and the young woman (Alexa Davalos is particularly glowing) who applies for a job – the two falling in love.
There is plenty of talk about love – and we see much of the sexual side of it. We also see sex without love, so that we are continually wondering what love is and making comparisons between the various couples: the elderly devoted couple, the youngsters who are in love and committed, the middle aged adults who are confused and move in and out of relationships.
The title rather inflates the plot and the relationships. Not a feast, not a famine, but somewhere rather ordinary in between.
1.The impact of the film? Its title and its relationship to the principal characters? Feast as too strong a word?
2.The locations, the town, homes, streets…? The focus of the coffee shop for people meeting? The musical score?
3.The characters and relationships? Love? Sexuality, affection? Commitment? The duration of commitment? Contrast between young and old? Midlife crises? Moving in and out of relationships?
4.The voice-over, Morgan Freeman’s style, obserevations, wise advice?
5.Harry, in the café, friendship with Bradley? The coffee with Kathryn and Jenny? His observing Jenny moving in on Kathryn? His talking to his wife? The background of their son’s death, his being in his mid-30s, his being a doctor, their not knowing he was addicted? Shock, grief? On leave from the university? His continuing to stay away? His observing the young, walking with his wife and discussing matters with her? Tender affection? Next door and the house with a curse? Observing Bradley and Diana moving into the house, discussions? The social visits? His life, with Chloe and Oscar, Chloe talking about adoption, his advice about having two babies? The wedding, dancing? Oscar’s death, grief? His going to support Chloe and adopting her?
6.Esther, her age, experience, love for her husband? The mixed-race marriage?
7.Bradley, his life, the coffee shop, his love for Kathryn, watching her at the softball, the encounter with Jenny? The coffee, not observing Jenny’s mood? The birthday party, taking her to the dog pound, to overcome her fear, her naming the dogs, his getting the gift, giving it to his family to mind? Kathryn’s reaction, walking out on him? His sadness, his having Oscar work, Harry’s advice to employ Chloe? The chance encounter with Diana, the rain, talking? Going out with her, the house, buying it, the proposal, the wedding? Life and the possibilities of happiness for him? Her leaving him? His sadness, suicidal? The curse of the house? Going to the hospital, the doctor, discussions with her, going out with her – a future?
8.Kathy and her life, softball, the attraction to Jenny, the pick-up, the flirting, the sexual encounter, Bradley taking her to the dogs, her naming them? Her fears, the card with the dog, walking out?
9.Diana and David, their affair, Diana meeting Bradley, the rain, telling a lie to David, showing him the house? David and his anger? The separation? Diana marrying Bradley, life, her kissing David and Oscar and Chloe seeing her? Leaving, the divorce? Their later being seen together after David’s divorce? Diana’s encounter with his wife?
10.Diana, a character, the affair, the wife, her demands, David and his furtiveness, the separation, marrying Bradley, her hesitation at the wedding ceremony, together with David again?
11.Oscar, the background of his life, drugs, his father and his brutality, mother leaving? Staying with his father? Bringing Chloe home and his father’s violent reaction? Chloe’s arrival, getting the job, the attraction, together, love? Harry’s advice, the wedding, Chloe going to the palm reader, her foreseeing death? Giving her part refund? Pregnancy, the game, Oscar’s collapse, death? The funeral – and his father at the background? His going to the house, prepared to attack Chloe? Harry, his confronting the father, rescuing Chloe?
12.The ending, the impact of the death, everyone helping, the traffic jam, the hospital? Everybody seen together?
13.Oscar’s father, brutality, a coward?
14.The palm reader, sympathy, the cards, fate, death?
15.Themes of love, sexuality, commitment?
