LOVE IS STRANGE

US, 1999, 90 minutes, Colour.
Kate Nelligan, Ron Silver, Julie Harris, Kevin Patrick Wells, Janine Jackson, Joseph Kell, Chris Stack.
Directed by Annette Haywood- Carter.

Love is Strange is a film for a middle-aged audience. It focuses on the youthful follies of a couple played by Ron Silver and Kate Nelligan. Time passes in their marriage. Then two decades pass and they have been divorced for ten years. He is a lawyer, she is a judge.

What emerges, however, is that she has terminal cancer and is experiencing chemotherapy. She is a very strong-minded woman but finally decides that she must leave the bench and try to fix the family problems. She has always clashed with her dominating mother, Julie Harris, and wants to reconcile her son to his alienated father. There is a subplot, not much emphasised, that the son is gay and lives with his partner.

The film is quite moving because Nelligan and Silver are very strong screen presences. It is not highly emotional in the obvious sense. There are a lot of close-ups and long pauses, scenes without much dialogue where the acting is important as well as audiences responding to this.

There have been many films about terminal illness. This one is quite moving for an older audience who would identify with the characters.

1.The impact of the film? Romance? Illness? Coming to terms with life? The title and its evocation?

2.The locations, the town, homes, the law courts? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score – and emotion?

3.The initial focus on the graduation ceremony, Sylvia and her husband, her impatience, embarrassment? Kathryn and Tom on the boat, their encounter, rushing to the graduation? The transition to nine months later, the wedding, Tom’s hesitation, Kathryn and her self-giving? Her pregnancy? Her mother and father witnessing it? The transition to four years later, Michael and his growing up, Tom being busy with his work, clients, forgetting the birthday cake? Kathryn and her impatience? Her mother’s arriving and taking over?

4.This prologue to: twenty years later? Tom and his practice, the young man, the discussions, his defence work? His deciding to go to Kathryn’s court? The confrontation between the two, his motions, her reactions?

5.Kathryn as a judge, in court, her friends, Marion and the others and their support? Confronting Tom, refusing his motions? Her relationship with her mother, not improved? Her relationship with her son? The Thanksgiving Dinner, the jollity, Michael’s arrival with Bruce?

6.The issue of Kathryn’s illness, the discussions with the doctor, her frankness? Decision to go to Houston for experimentation? Her telling Michael and getting him to look after the house? Tom and his realisation that something was wrong? Her relationship with Daniel? The tension between the two men? Her going away, the return? Both men at the airport to meet her? Her reaction? Her relationship with Daniel?

7.Michael and his life, alienation from his father since he was a boy, misunderstanding him? His relationship with Bruce? The underplaying of the gay theme? His going to the dinner, relationship with his grandmother? His minding the house? His antagonism towards his father, not speaking to him, walking out? His being forced to be with him with his mother’s illness, his resistance? His practising his shooting, his father coming to him? His watching his mother and father together, helping them out of the hospital, watching them on the park bench as she died, taking her back to the hospital in the car? His grief, reconciliation with his father?

8.Kathryn, her wanting to get the promotion, people discovering she had cancer? Her decision to retire from the bench? Her breaking with Tom and the effect on him? Her clashes with her mother, especially at Christmas? Her discussions with Tom, the mellowing, going to see him? Wanting him to come for Christmas? Her singing in the choir and the family watching? The celebration of Christmas, her telling off her mother? Her wanting to reconcile Michael with his father? Their knowing what she was doing? Her going to hospital, gradual deterioration? The support of her friends – and her apology to Marion? Gradually dying, the vigils, her going out of the hospital, on the park bench, her death?

9.Tom, always loving Kathryn, giving himself to his work? Living in the same house – and the impact of Kathryn’s visit, the marks for Michael’s height as he grew? His supporting her, being with her, still in love with her? His attempts to reach out to Michael? Lying on the bed with Kathryn, sneaking her out of the hospital, on the park bench, his proposal, her death? The offhand joking manner in taking her back to hospital in the back of the car?

10.Sylvia, strong character, love for her husband, impact of his death? Her dominating her daughter, expectations? The issue of tagging all her goods for posterity? Her interfering, her being upset at not knowing about Kathryn’s illness? The Thanksgiving Dinner, the Christmas celebrations? Her gradual mellowing, reconciliation with Tom? The vigils?

11.The background of doctors, lawyers, the courts, clients? Giving this story of illness a realistic context?