WINTER SOLSTICE
US, 2004, 95 minutes, Colour.
Anthony La Paglia, Alison Janney, Aaron Stanford, Mark Webber, Ron Livingstone.
Directed by Josh Sternfeld.
A small-budget feature screened at festivals and made with the assistance of the Sundance Festivals. Not essential viewing, but audiences who catch it and like family dramas may find it quite satisfying.
The winter solstice is the dead of winter, the deepest cold when we look forward to spring and new life.
The Winters family here are in a cold season in their lives. Jim, the father (Anthony La Paglia), works as a local gardener and landscaper. The older boy, Gabriel (Aaron Stanford) is restless. The younger boy, Peter (Mark Webber) is unsettled and not doing well at school. The reason for this is the death of their mother in a car accident five years earlier which Peter escaped.
1. Small-budget film, its impact, the intended audience?
2. The winter season, the trees and the streets, the town, the bleak weather, family life, homes, the streets, schools?
3. The title, the winter solstice being the deepest part of winter, leading to spring – death coming to life? The musical score?
4. The portrait of the family, the three men, the shared grief, the angers? Work, a sense of being losers? Hopes? Antagonisms, love, bonds, crises?
5. Jim as father, seeing him at work in the gardens, losing his wife (and his explaining the story to Molly)? The mementos and Gabriel’s wanting to keep them, his taking them? His relationship with his sons, the five years of bringing them up? Gabriel, his work, not communicating with his father, the sudden announcing of the decision, Jim’s anger, hitting his son? His concern about Pete, getting him up in the morning? The teacher-parent meeting and learning of Pete’s abilities and his lack of commitment? Ordering him to study? His helping Molly, the invitation to the dinner, the boys not going, his going alone, the talk with her, the attraction? His putting the mattresses out on the lawn in anger with the boys not turning up? Meeting Molly, the talk in the car, the kiss? The later visit, the plan for calling by? The birthday party, the bond with the boys, packing, letting Gabriel go?
6. Gabriel, his age, the effect of his mother’s death, seeing him at work, with his friends, fighting Pete, the ordinary way of life, his girlfriend? The decision, the suddenness, telling his girlfriend? His own angers? Packing, the mementos of his mother, the beds on the lawn? The final dinner together, the end and his going to establish a new life?
7. Pete, his age, grief, deafness, surviving the accident, his inner angers? Fighting Gabriel about the television? At school, lack of interest, talking with the teachers? The basketball and his friends? The class, his being reported to the principal, sitting and waiting? History, the teacher, the discussion about Genghis Khan, his answering the questions and getting the time off, his doing the test, passing? The confrontation with his father, meeting Molly, friendly with her, not going to the dinner? The scene in the dining room, exchanging the paper with the teacher? The final party, seeing Gabriel off?
8. Molly, her background, coming to the town, unpacking, the lazy boys not helping, even for money? Jim and the cart? Returning it, meeting Pete and his friend, the invitation to dinner, Jim going alone? The ease with which they could meet, talk? Molly and her hopes, a new life, paralegal, her artwork? Not enough to make a living? Making friends, riding the bike? Meeting Jim, the discussion in the car, the kiss? Her seeing him and his promise to call by?
9. The teachers, the sympathetic history teacher and her discussions with Jim? The history teacher, the class, exchanging the paper, the questions about Genghis Khan, giving Pete the day off, his doing the test, a successful teacher?
10. Jim’s work, the clients, the gardens, Gabe and his work? The teachers, the restaurant personnel, the glimpse of ordinary people and their ordinary way of life?
11. The moral of the film about relationships, communication, angers, decisions, hope?
