SCATTERED DREAMS
US, 1993, 100 minutes, Colour.
Tyne Daly, Gerald Mc Raney, Alicia Silverstone.
Directed by Donald Wrye.
Scattered Dreams is a story of Florida in the 1950s, focusing on a very poor squatter family who refer to themselves as 'poor trash'. They are the victims of racial prejudice as well as social injustice and find themselves falsely accused and sent to jail. The younger children, three girls, are sent to an institution.
The film shows the struggle of the mother, played with strength by Tyne Daly, who, after a period of despair, takes her destiny into her own hands, learns some law, approaches a lawyer (Andrew Prine) and is able to get herself and her husband released. The struggle, then, is to get their daughters back - and again she faces the law. The film is a story of courage as well as a focus, unlike so many American telemovies, on really poor people.
Alicia Silverstone has a good role as the daughter - two years before she became a star in Clueless.
1. A moving American telemovie? A piece of Americana, the '50s, Florida, the poor, injustice? The impact for the home audience?
2. The period, the settings? The contrast with the present (and the similarities)? The musical score?
3. The title, its reference to the family and its hopes?
4. The situation: the family, the five children? The crops and their dependence on the crops for money? The older daughter, her husband, his building up an account with the food? His taking off? The daughter coming home? The older son and his support? The three daughters, the teenage girl and her assertiveness, clashing with her mother? The way of life, the lack of opportunity, the struggles? The integrity and the fairness? Yet, the angers? The background, parents and the tradition of poverty?
5. The contrast with the expansion of the estate, the wealthy people, the picnic by the sheriff? The racism and telling the family not to mix with the blacks? Their being targeted because of their farm and the expansion? The trumped-up charges, the storekeeper and his challenge, their not having the money? Their being arrested, Kitty and her putting up a struggle?
6. George and his support of Kitty? His going to jail? Kitty and her being sentenced? Life in the jail, with the other women, her sense of despair, trying to kill herself? Her walking in the yard, the routine of the prison? Her learning to read? The chance encounter with the lawyer? Going back to him and getting his help?
7. The nature of the appeal, the lawyer and his sense of justice? His supporting Kitty, their being released? Going back home, no opportunities? The reunion with George? The good man, always supportive of his wife?
8. Wanting to get their children back? The sequences showing what happened with the children? The younger girls in the institution? Phyllis, her work, being approached and molested by the guard? Her being sent on, his cover-up?
9. Kitty and her going to the papers, her being ignored, the young man and his interest, the challenge? His supporting her? Their going to court? The image in the court, her speeches, the testimony against her? The attitude of the judge?
10. George and Kitty finally being reunited with their children? The hesitation of the young girls? Phyllis and her return?
11. The importance of families not being broken up, no matter what the financial and emotional difficulties? The film as a strong portrait of injustice and the difficulties of the poor? Lack of opportunity, education, being exploited? And the value of a united family?
