TENDERNESS
US, 2009, 101 minutes, Colour.
Russell Crowe, Jon Foster, Sophie Traub, Laura Dern, Alexis Dziena.
Directed by John Polson.
Tenderness is a psychological crime drama. It focuses on a teenager, played by Jon Foster, who has killed his parents and is coming out of jail. However, a semi-retired detective, played in world-weary fashion by Russell Crowe, believes he is guilty of other murders. He has befriended the young man although is in no doubts about his guilt. On his first days of release, the young man travels and the detective shadows him.
The third central character is Lori, a fifteen-year-old who had witnessed the young man with a woman by a river, amazed at the tenderness he showed, especially in a kiss – which is featured in the opening credits. In the intervening years, she has kept a scrapbook, has been abused by her mother’s boyfriends as well as a man at the store where she works, decides to leave home, gets in the young man’s car and travels with him. He doesn’t remember her, but she keeps reminding him and the audience sees the episode in flashback, ending with a chilling scene of death which she also witnessed. However, this hasn’t stopped her infatuation with him.
At the end, the young man is entrapped because of a young woman who worked at the jail whom he may have been intending to kill. The young girl is suicidal. In the meantime, the detective returns to his wife who is paralysed in hospital. There are comments about chasing pain and fleeing from pain. There are also comments about the meaning of the title, tenderness in relationships as seen in each of the characters, but a special meaning of tenderness where it applies to the effect of the murder on the murderer, the tender affection for the victim and the feeling during the murder.
The film was directed by John Polson, actor in many Australian films including The Sum of Us with Russell Crowe, founder of Tropfest, director of Siam Sunset and of several films in the United States including Hide and Seek and Swim Fan.
The film is based on a book by a writer who specialised in books for teenagers which raised questions (and often banning in some libraries). He is best known for The Chocolate War which was filmed by Keith Gordon.
1. A psychological drama? Based on a Robert Cormier book?
2. New York state, Buffalo, the police, life in Buffalo, families, stores, hospitals? On the road, motels, the fun park? The river? The realism? The beauty? The contrast with drab lives? The musical score?
3. The title and tenderness in the killing, the kiss and the caress? Lori watching? Her fascination? The ending and the truth?
4. Lori and tenderness, with her mother, the lack of tenderness in her mother’s boyfriends? Eric, his relationship with his aunt, her spirituality and being tender towards him? Eric and Maria? John and his wife?
5. The three central characters, the introduction to each, the development of the characters, the stories, interconnections?
6. John, hovering in the background through the film, with his wife, her illness and paralysis, watching her in bed, the staff at the hospital, her watching the movies when she swam and was full of vitality? His visit to Eric, the gift? Eric’s release? His warnings to Eric, care for him, knowing the truth about him, following him, wanting to prevent any more killings? The diner, the cat-and-mouse pursuit, the car and missing Eric, in the countryside, the fun fair, the beach, the confrontation and arrest, Maria and the entrapment? His doing his duty, saving a life, pain and the chasing and fleeing of pain?
7. Lori, in the shop, the man in the shop and his ogling her? At home, her mother, the chat, agreeing that her mother could have the boyfriend move in? The boyfriend and his character, his attitude towards them, the background of abuse from boyfriends? The effect of Eric, the opening credits, her witnessing the kiss, his tenderness with the girl at the river? The revelation of the scene, that she had watched it all, drawing the kisses, actually realising that it was a murder and Eric floating the body down the river? Her hiding in the car, running away from home, her being with Eric, the motel, the intimacy, her coming across him and his sexual behaviour? The confusion? At the diner, out in the countryside, her asking him about the girl, probing, the effect on Eric, her remembering the truth? At the fun fair, Eric going to meet Maria, on the roller coaster and her screams? His arrest, her depression, her death?
8. Eric, in himself, his age, the introduction and the tenderness of the kiss, the river? His being released, his friend in the jail, his attraction towards Maria? Being pleasant? Going to his aunt’s house, comfortable with her, grace at meals? The detective and his warnings, the gift? His going out, driving, planning to see Maria, discovering Lori in the car, getting a fright, the travel, his seeming to fight his impulses? The memories of his parents, the death of his mother, his father? The aunt and her explanation about the drugs and his not being in his right mind? The detective finally revealing that his parents knew the truth about his killings and his murdering them? Lori and her responses, his sexual behaviour and being caught? The truth? At the fun fair, Maria, whether he intended to kill her or not, his being arrested? Taken away? The final encounter with John?
9. The portrait of the aunt, her looking after Eric? Her interview with John? Her story of the parents, the visualising of the parents, their concern about their son, keeping him tranquillised? The reasons for his murderous behaviour? Psychopath or not?
10. Lori’s mother, her confiding in her daughter, her boyfriends? The character of the boyfriend?
11. The police, John’s role, semi-retired, their working with him, the arrest?
