SCANDAL IN A SMALL TOWN

US, 1988, 90 minutes, Colour.
Raquel Welch, Ronny Cox.
Directed by Anthony Page.

Scandal in a Small Town is a telemovie, a Raquel Welch vehicle. It was directed by English Anthony Page, director of a number of distinguished telemovies: The Patricia Neal Story, Second Serve and such films as I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.

Raquel Welch plays a woman in a small town - with a reputation. She is trying to bring up her daughter and working in a roadhouse noted for its drinking and with an unsavoury reputation. She becomes concerned about the History curriculum and its anti-Semitic tone and decides then to take a stance against the teacher. Rejected by the school board, she approaches a professor at a college who offers a lawyer to defend her in a case against the school board. There is enormous pressure by the townspeople for her to drop the case, as well as a mocking of her because of her reputation. Needless to say, she stands her ground and wins. However, the film shows this unlikely character developing a strong sense of self-worth and self-esteem as she commits herself to the case about freedom of speech and fighting against prejudice. The film has a good cast, including Ronnie Cox as the rather smooth and conscientious teacher who is the spokesperson for right-wing, bigoted interpretations of history. A thoughtful film for a wide audience.

1. Interesting telemovie? Small American town and its problems, prejudices? The whole of the United States? World-wide?

2. The picture of the town, the roadhouse, the homes, school? The atmosphere of the small town? Editing and pace, score?

3. The title and its application to Leeda? Her reputation? Mr Baker and his teaching? The case, the school board, the court hearing? The verdict?

4. The detailing of the town, its isolation, whites, the citizens and their limited experience, difficulties at the mill, the tough clientele of the roadhouse and the men? The exploration of ideas and prejudices in the small town?

5. Leeda, her age and experience, the widow, the hostility of her father-in-law? The men in the town and their memories of her in high school? Her relationships with them? Her love for her daughter, concern about her work at school, buying the material for her graduation dress? Her hard work? Helping Julie with the studies, surprise at the ideas, the disagreement, her visiting Mr Baker and his rejection of her and humiliating her? Going to the professor and showing him the texts, getting some backing for her stance? The meeting of the school board, their irritation and impatience, not listening to her? Her meeting the lawyer and friendship with her? Gwen and the arrival, Julie's hostility? The anger against Leeda at the bar? Gwen helping her? Julie going to her father-in-law? Her decision to go to court despite hesitation? The testimonies about her? The professor and the cross-examination? The lawyer attacking her and her reputation? Her honesty, her straightforward statements, Julie supporting her, the other students? Winning the case - as something to support herself as a person and her self-worth?

6. Julie as a bright student, enthusiastic about Mr Baker, believing him, discussions with her mother? The experiences in the classroom? Baker and his support? Her research, discoveries of other ideas in the encyclopaedias, Baker's threats? Going to her grandfather? Her support for her mother, giving testimony in the court, its being denied - and then the other students coming to offer to give testimony?

7. Mr Baker, his skill as a teacher, reputation, the talk about the Jewish conspiracies, the Holocaust? Right-wing material circulating round the world from the '60s to the '80s? Inciting his students? Using his own texts? His reasonable manner? The school board supporting him? Going to court, the double-talk in his testimony and questions about freedom of research? Julie turning against him, the other students? His dismissal?

8. Gwen as a skilled lawyer, a cause, freedom of speech yet anti-prejudice, observing Leeda in the roadhouse, at home, with Julie? Her work at the trial, impatience? The cross-examinations? Winning?

9. The school board, the personnel, their jealousies of Leeda, memories of the past? Leeda's friend and her decision not to support her? The antagonism, the men at the roadhouse, the demonstrations? The threats to Leeda?
10. The issues of teachers' initiatives and freedoms, school boards, state authorities, the use of textbooks? The use of wider research material? Freedom for teachers yet standards? Accountability of teachers? The role of the law in interpreting school boards' behaviour and responsibilities?

11. The particular American tone of this film? Its application to other countries?