RABBIT RUN

US, 1970, 94 minutes, Colour.
James Caan, Carrie Snodgress, Anjanette Comer, Jack Albertson, Melodie Johnson, Henry Jones, Arthur Hill.
Directed by Jack Smight.

John Updike is considered one of the great American novelists of the second half of the 20th century. However, not many of his stories have made their way to the screen, especially the series with his central character, Rabbit. Rabbit Run of 1970 is the only one of these to reach the screen. However, other stories like that of The Christian Roommate (made as The Roommate in 1985) and, especially, The Witches of Eastwick were on the big screen.

Updike is the observer of ordinary middle-class people in middle America, their values and lack of values, their understanding of relationships and commitment, infidelity, their fears of commitment. He also is able to sketch the life of middle-class affluence in the United States. James Caan portrays Rabbit, his central character, and Carrie Snodgress gives a very good performance as his wife (in the same year as her performance in Diary of a Mad Housewife). The tagline for the film was, 'Three months ago Rabbit Angstrom ran out to buy his wife cigarettes. He hasn't come home yet.'

The film was directed by Jack Smight who had a longer career in television than in cinema. However, he made several popular films for cinema in the 1960s: I'd Rather Be Rich, The Third Day, Harper with Paul Newman, Kaleidoscope, The Secret War of Harry Frigg also with Paul Newman, No Way to Treat a Lady and The Illustrated Man, both with Rod Steiger.

The film offers an opportunity for audiences to get some insight into the perspectives of John Updike.

1. The reputation of John Updike as a novelist? Expectations of the film adaptation of his novel? The importance of the quotation from Pascal at the beginning indicating its themes?

2. The quality of the production? The film has a bad reputation. It was recut by its co-writer producer against the wishes of the director. Is this in any way evident? Critics were hostile on the casting suggesting that James Caan was too solid for the role, Anjanette Comer too attractive and intelligent for her role. Is this evident? Does it alter the impact of the film? Does it matter?

3. The film as a piece of Americana? Portraying the America of the sixties, seventies? For a contemporary American audience, for non-American audiences?

4. The contribution of colour, Panavision, the atmosphere, authenticity of the reading of the novel? Music, the accompaniment of the songs, the importance of their lyrics highlighting themes? Music on the radio, contemporary music as a back ground for our way of life?

5. The qualities that James Caan brought to his portrayal of Howie Angstrom? His genial presence at the start, playing ball, the background of being a sportsman? His giving away cigarettes? The significance of his running, reference to the title? His nickname of Rabbit and its implications? His exuberance and the transition to his arrival home fighting with his wife? His attitude towards her drinking, pregnancy, slovenliness, watching television?

6. The build-up to his running away? How credible was it? Janice and her inability to cope, the pressures of her family and marriage? His not being able to cope with her, communicate with her, his exasperation? Was his running away credible? The modern American man running away from responsibility, things that he can't manage? The visual presentation of his running away, passing through the various states, listening to the radio stations? Running away in the night? The reason for his turning back?

7. The encounter with the coach, his reliance on the coach? The bonds of the past, friendship? His wanting to sleep? The coach and his varying attitudes, for example, helping Janice, then turning against her? The irony of his own failed marriage? The importance of his taking her out to meet the girls? Margaret and her slovenliness? Ruth and her attractiveness? The bonds between the two? Expectations? The coach and his way of talking ? The memories of past glories with sport?

8. The portrayal of Janice as the American housewife? The background of her family, her marriage to Rabbit and its failure, the child? Her parents and their hostile attitude? The film not giving reasons for her drinking and her decline? Attitude towards pregnancy? Attitude towards her son, watching television, smoking, the reels? Audience sharing some sympathy with Rabbit in his running away? Seeing her in the hospital after Rabbit's running away from her? Any more sympathy with her at the birth? The pathos of the child, bathing the child and its death? The impact on her? The funeral and her behaviour there? Rabbit and the bond with her - how much did he love her? Was she a credible harassed American housewife? The film's presentation, critique, eliciting sympathy for her situation?

9. The contrast with Ruth and her background? simple girl, prostitute? Companion with Margaret? The style of talk, manner, her home? Attitude towards Rabbit with regards to living with her, sexuality, sympathy for him? Why did she fall in love with him? The bonds between the two? Her capacity for listening, compassion? Her wanting to hold on to him and his inability to be held? From ultimately being hurt? Her ultimatum to him at the end? Did he run away from it? Would he come back to her? How credible a simple girl with the desire to settle down and marry?

10. Rabbit as a personality, the people that he met in his interactions? A certain simplicity? His lack of background for work, working for the lady as a gardener? The attractiveness towards women? seeing him within his own family? In Janice's family? His reaction to his sister?

11. How well delineated was the character of Jack Eckles? As a man, minister of religion? His talk, his manner, interest in Rabbit, interest in Janice and her parents? His friendliness? Golf, the fact that he had got the appointment? The revelation about him in seeing his wife, the talk about sexuality and freedom? His supporting Rabbit? The job, the funeral? A man of integrity or double talk? The critique, presentation of American religion?

12. The making of comparisons between Rabbit's sister and Ruth, her dress, manner, going out, attitude of the parents? Seeing her in the dive and the fight? Rabbit living with Ruth and criticising his sister? Double standards? An American failing?

13. The two sets of parents and their expectations of Janice, of Rabbit? Janice's parents and their hostility? The Angstrom's and their tolerance?

14. Much of the film was given over to talk. How important were the subjects? Expectations of people, values? Which sequences best illustrated this and explored themes, for example, Jack and Rabbit at golf, Rabbit's talking with Mrs Smith about her garden, the sequence in the night club? The talking about sport in the past?

15. The particularly American outlook, views on modern America? Rabbit and his confrontation with reality, inability to face reality? how strong a character, how weak? The significance of his final run - so far, from what, towards what?