WHEN EVERY DAY WAS THE FOURTH OF JULY

US, 1978, 100 minutes, Colour.
Katy Kurzman, Dean Jones, Louise Sorel, Henry Wilcoxon, Scott Brady, Harris Yulin, Geoffrey Lewis.
Directed by Dan Curtis.

When Every Day Was The Fourth Of July is a particularly American title for a very entertaining telemovie of high quality. It is based on writer director Dan Curtis's memory of his growing up. Curtis has co-written and directed this telemovie. (Curtis is usually noted for his horror films and television series and for his remakes of horror classics ranging from The House of Dark Shadows to, Dracula, The Turn of the Screw, Dead of Night.)

The film is reminiscent of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, focusing on the '30s, the trial of an innocent unable to defend himself as well as the focus on children and their lawyer father. The films do not suffer by the similarities and comparisons. The film opens with a joyful memoir of childhood in the '30s, moves to something more sinister and the drama of the courtroom. It is an engrossing story. The film is also very well acted with Dean Jones as the lawyer father, Harris Yulin as his lawyer opponent and Henry Wilcoxon as the judge. A very interesting and thought provoking film, especially with Geoffrey Lewis's performance as Albert Cavanaugh, the Snowman.

1. An interesting and entertaining telemovie? Its quality? Story, style, characterisation, situations, themes and insight?

2. The film as a telemovie: for the home audience? Adaptation of treatment for the broad audience? Its ability to touch the American heart? Its more universal appeal?

3. The importance of the sense of period, the '30s in a Connecticut town, sets and decor, atmosphere? The children's lives, home life, the police? The political background? The aftermath of the Depression? Courtroom? The film creating its atmosphere? musical score?

4. The significance of the title? Its American tone? The point of view of the children?

5. The film from the children's point of view? School, holidays, home life? Friendships? Life of the town? The selling of the 'Saturday Evening Post' subscriptions? Bullies? The police? The change in tone with the murder, the accusation of the Snowman, the trial, the involvement of the children? The blend of the children's point of view with the adult point of view?

6. The focus on Sara and Daniel? Family, friends, the clashes with Red Doyle and his bullying them? Daniel and his strength? Sara and her selling of the subscriptions? her sensitivity to Albert? her going to his room, her being seen by the neighbour? Their devotion to Albert? Their pressurising their parents about the trial? Their comments on the trial? Their presence? Sara and her going to the stand? The bullying tactics and the harshness of Antonelli? Her response, her father's anger, the treatment by the judge? The sinister tones given to her relationship with the Snowman? The children and their planning to get the documents, going to the house, being caught, the danger? Red Doyle saving them? The effect of these experiences on their after life? Their saving the Snowman?

7. Geoffrey Lewis's portrayal of Albert Cavanagh: his presence, inability to speak, his ways of communicating, simplicity, white hair and nickname? The shock of the war experience? His psychological state? The butt of jokes in the town? Red Doyle's attitude? The friendship with Sara and Daniel? His buying the subscription? His inviting Dara to his room, showing her his treasures? Her love for him? The murder situation and the implications? His presence, Doyle arresting him? Imprisonment and treatment? trial and his need for defence? Ed and his taking on the case, standing up for Albert? The prosecution and the discussion about war records, capacity tor violence? The background of the Sacco and Vanzetti case, anarchists and socialists, communism? The unions? Albert's joining - under pressure? His not knowing what was going on in full? His friendship with the dead man? His violent outburst to save Sara from the prosecution's attack? The 'guilty' verdict? The pathos of the verdict? His being vindicated, the help by the victim's wife? His gentleness and suffering? The bonds of friendship? Innocent sufferer?

8. Ed and his bringing up his children, the happy home scenes? Mother? The possibility of defending Albert? Public opinion in the town? The pressure of the children? His wife? His interviews with Albert? The quality of his defence? The encounters with Antonelli? With the judge? His personal involvement? The decision about Sara? His anger? The visit of the victim's wife, the need for the discovery of the documents? A fine portrait of a devoted father? Professional lawyer?

9. Antonelli and his skills, investigation, his team? The suspicions against Albert, the Sacco and Vanzetti case, the circumstantial evidence? The implications? The insinuating cross-examination of Sara - appropriate or not?

10. The judge and his patience, understanding, applications of law, treatment of Sara?

11. Doyle and the bully policeman? His bigoted attitudes? The cross examination by Ed and his fierceness? Antonelli's embarrassment? The judge's severity? His place in the town, his cruelty towards his son, his drinking, ordering him out? The revelation about the gambling? The trapping of the children in the house? Red killing his father? A portrait of a brutish policeman? Red and his bullying, attacks on the children, his trying to win his father's approval, his being kicked out, his return, saving the children, killing his father, disappearing? The final tribute to his war efforts on Iwo Jima?

12. The citizens of the town, gossip, prejudice? The neighbour and his seeing Sara come out of Albert's place? The tension with the family next door? The victim, his wife? her presence at the court case, her visit after the trial to give the information? The importance of the ledgers?

13. The quality of the trial sequences and their dynamic? The mystery of the murder?

14. American themes and their universal application: childhood, innocence, experience, victimisation, integrity, heroism?