THE WAR BETWEEN THE TATES

US, 1976, 90 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Ashley, Richard Crenna, Annette O'Toole, Anne Wedgworth.
Directed by Lee Philips.

The War Between the Tates is a '70s telemovie focusing on a marriage, infidelity, marriage break-up and the possibilities of reconciliation. Elizabeth Ashley is effective as the wife who is betrayed by her husband, is attached to his girlfriend and concerned about her children, is not able to manage her own children well, moves from home into a career and has to face all the demands made on a woman changing her lifestyle.
Richard Crenna gives a rather subdued performance as the college professor who is seduced by a student and who has to cope with the consequences. Annette O'Toole, in one of her earliest roles, is intense as the young student who is not malicious but who is naive in her relationships. Anne Wedgworth is good as Elizabeth Ashley's friend.

The film is based on a novel by Allison Lurie, dramatises the characters well, uses different cinema devices to show what is happening to each of the characters in reality and in their emotions and imagination.

The film might be compared to the much bleaker and blacker 1989 film, The Wars of the Roses.

1.Interesting telemovie about marriage, family? Relationships? Hurt and reconciliation?

2.The university town, affluent homes, colleges? Bookshops? Audiences identifying with the characters, their dilemmas? Sense of realism? The stylised sequences, the intercutting to highlight what was going on in the emotions of each of the characters?

3.The title and its tone? The inevitability of war? Peace and reconciliation?

4.The film's sympathy for Erica and her experiences? The opening, her exasperation, the insensitive children? Her love for her husband yet lack of sympathy for him, his career, treatment of her? The break-up of the marriage and her handling it? Her sympathy for Wendy, Wendy's visit, the child? Her insisting that Brian go and live with Wendy? The miscarriage and her concern? The reaction of the children to the break-up, to the announcement? The self-centredness, the change, the breakdown and the reconciliation? Erica's friendship with Danielle, their discussions, her understanding her own situation with Danielle's help? Helping Danielle with her relationship with the veterinarian? The growing clash, Brian moving out of the house, her job, her controlling the children? Her sense of purpose, job? The meeting of the bookseller, memories of the past, friendship, an ability to talk, the relationship, his leaving town, her inability to go with him? Wendy's decision to go to California, her supporting her? The meeting with Brian, her sense of peace within herself, her relationship with the children, her ability to tell Brian this - the possibility of reconciliation? Portrait of a middle-aged woman and the facing of a crisis?

5.Brian, the college professor, his relationship with his students, his relating to people as if he were lecturing them? The collage of his being pursued by Wendy, her persistence? His resistance, giving in? The affair? Her pregnancy, his colleagues observing him? The relationship with Erica, with his children? His wanting to come home, her insisting that he move out? His small apartment? Trying to make a life with Wendy? Yet her youthfulness, naivety? His facing the miscarriage - but chauvinist? Wendy and her growing up, decision to leave, argument about the child? His being left by himself? The encounter with Erica? How much had he changed, the possibility of reconciliation?

6.Wendy, the ingenuous student, her neurotic pursuit of Brian, the comic collage? Her sadness, manner in class, desperately wanting him, the relationship? Her pregnancy? The decision to go - the possibility of her killing herself? Going to Erica, the friendship between the two women, Erica looking after her? Brian moving out, the small apartment? Her idealising him, wanting something for her child, thinking that the child would be something because of Brian? The miscarriage? Changing, relationships, eventually deciding to go to California? How much would she learn by this experience?

7.Danielle, her friendship with Erica, talking things over, support in the house? Her own problems, the veterinarian? Relationship, decisions?

8.The bookseller, friendship with Erica, sympathetic? Going out, his ability to listen? Moving in, meeting the children? His decision to move, the invitation to Erica, her refusal?

9.The background of the college campus? Employment? Students? A comfortable world?

10.The perceptions of marriage, marriage breakdown, family, children and responsibility, affairs, friendships? Hurt and reconciliation?