THE SHADOW BOX

US, 1980, 103 minutes, Colour.
Joanne Woodward, Christopher Plummer, Valerie Harper, James Broderick, Sylvia Sidney, Ben Masters, Melinda Dillon.
Directed by Paul Newman.

The Shadow Box, a play by Michael Christofer, won both Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award. It has been adapted by its author for television.

The film was directed with sensitivity by Paul Newman (who directed wife, Joanne Woodward, in Rachel Rachel, The Effects of the Gamma Rays, Harry and Son).

The film is about three terminally ill patients. It takes place over one day and shows them and the reaction of their families - reminiscent of various stages suggested by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross? about the denial and the acceptance of death. The screenplay is strong and powerful - talking explicitly about death. The performances are excellent.

Joanne Woodward does a gaudy and brassy role as Beverley, a goodtime girl growing old. Christopher Plummer gives dignity to the role of her husband, an intellectual who has opted to live with a young homosexual. Sylvia Sidney is gruff as the cancer-ridden mother and Melinda Dillon is excellent as her daughter. Her monologue on the television set is an excellent piece of acting. James Broderick is the terminally ill patient in the third family - and is matched well by Valerie Harper as his wife who refuses to believe that he will die. The three stories are well intercut and make very serious and powerful drama on the theme of death.

1. The impact of the film as a telemovie? For the home audience? The quality of the film-making, the seriousness of the issues, the strong style?

2. Paul Newman and his -reputation, audience expectations? His sensitivity, focusing strongly on the themes of death? The humanity of the film, its emotional impact, intellectual impact? Directing his wife, Joanne Woodward?

3. Location photography, the atmosphere of the institution, the residential homes? The intertwining of the three stories? Editing and pace? Dramatic intercutting? The score?

4. The title? The television camera and its use? An impersonal means? The focus on the interviewee? The anonymous interviewer? The use of the television interview for therapy? The picture of the viewers? Coming and going? The home audience experiencing the same thing through the television? Acting and reality? The impact of this kind of serious talk and self-revelation?

5. Themes of death? The reality of death? The reticence of people in the face of death? Willingness and unwillingness to talk about it, name it? Naming death and facing it? Coping? The contribution of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross? and other writers in understanding death, the denial, bargaining, acceptance? Audience attitudes to death and accepting the film?

6. The film as a play, acts, speeches, scenes? The characters as symbols? Adaptation for television viewing?

7. The three stories as illustrating aspects of death? Their comment on the human condition, the dying person, the family? The interviews with the principal characters through the television camera? Their voice-over final reflections? Seeing them over one day?

8. The film's opening with Joe and his talking to the interviewer, wanting to know whether the audience was there, pulling a face at them? The impersonal audience response? His memories of his life? His wife and his son coming to visit him? The cottage for them to live in and for him to die in? His seeming normal, his awareness of his illness, facing death? His joy in meeting his son, the son's expectations, holiday, the guitar etc.? Maggie and her reticence, lack of greeting, beginning to talk and continuing incessantly, refusing to go into the house? Her emotional response - but unable to touch? The two walking together, the son's reaction and his mother slapping him? Her unwillingness to face the truth, her unreality? The gradual sharing of details? Joe wanting to tell his son? His son already knowing? Maggie wanting him to tell her? The final reconciliation, her going into the house? The picnic the day after - and their eating the ham about which there had been the little melodrama? The ability to cope, the mystery of life and death? Stephen and his joy, the trees and the house? Maggie and her tension, emotional talk? Detail? The emotional reactions of the day? Their remembering details of their life together? Her outline of her memories of her life and not wanting to lose it? A symbol of the denial and acceptance of death?

9. Brian and his television interview? The intellectual, the academic talk, the Greek meaning of words, the delight in discovery? The nature of his illness? His relationship with Mark - and his being named as friend (in the Greek sense)? Beverley's melodramatic arrival: the tooting of the horn, drunk, the vodka, incessant talk, drugs? Her gaffes in conversation with Mark? Mark's rejection of her? Brian's talk about Beverley and her dancing during his interview? His memory of her? Audience's attitude towards Mark - as a person, friend of Brian, homosexual? Audience reaction to Beverley and her gaudy style? The clash of the two? The questions, the answers, the reactions? Brian returning, his walking, tiredness? His joy in seeing Beverley? The frank talking together about relationships, memories? Laughing and dancing? Mark's return and his animosity? The clowning around? Brian acknowledging Beverley's beauty? Brian's antagonism and the reaction about the wet coat? His collapse, resting? His humiliation in wetting the bed? Beverley and her care? Mark and his drinking, talking? The revelation about his life, his hustling in San Francisco, the encounter with Brian. the meal. the room, the growing friendship, getting interested in reading again? His life being changed? His outburst as regards his care - the dirt. the smell of death? His staying, Beverley going? Beverley saying Brian was making the same mistake twice? Seeing the two of them as two whores? Beverley leaving, finding her car, tooting? Mark staging to help? The next day and Brian's reading. Mark's laughter?

10. Felicity and her age. toughness? Her being supported by Agnes? The interview and her talk about Clare. seeing Clare, refusing to talk about the pain? Her thinking Agnes slow? Wanting the letters from Clare? Her demands? Drinking tea etc.? The impact of the interview? Her having to cope? Agnes being asked for an interview? Her long story. the explanation about Clare and her leaving. her death. her hoping her mother would die soon. her writing the letters in Clare's name - and the shock realisation that she was giving her mother something to hope for an live for? The dilemma as to whether to read the letters? Her decision to do it? Offering some hope?

11. The role of the anonymous interviewer? The impersonal style, his being glimpsed on the television screen? Personal probing? For the audience and the staff?

12. The glimpse of the staff?

13. Themes of honesty? Frank styles? Old age, illness, marriage, marriage breakdown, homosexual relationships?

14. A contribution to the cinema of death and dying?