COUNTRY

US, 1984, 109 minutes, Colour.
Jessica Lange, Sam Shepard, Wilford Brimley, Matt Clark.
Directed by Richard Pearce.

Country was one of three films in 1984 that focused on life on the land in the United States: Places in the Heart `(which won Best Screenplay for Robert Benton and Actress for Sally Field), The River and Country. Both Sissy Spacek for River and Jessica Lang for Country were also nominated for Oscars. Country is the best of the three films.

It was made by the Touchstone Company, an extension of the Walt Disney empire, intending to make films for adult and family audiences. It portrays the plight of farmers in the American Heartland in the early 1980s. The film gives a very vigorous presentation of life on the land, strengths, hardships, tornadoes, bank pressures. It also highlights
the bonds in families. It is reminiscent of The Grapes of Wrath, set 50 years earlier - although the United States of the '80s is much more progressive and affluent. Nevertheless, the same oppression remains.

Jessica Lange leads an excellent cast. Sam Sheppard, who appeared with her in Frances, gives an excellent performance as the less strong man of the house. There is a good performance from Wilford Brimley as the patriarch of the household. The children act well and are particularly convincing. There is a fine group of minor characters. Direction is by Richard Pearce who directed a similar film, set earlier in the century, Heartland. A fine film about America, the land and about family tensions and relationships.

1. War on American farm life, the land? The quality of this film? Its acclaim? A piece of Americana? For universal audiences?

2. The focus of the title, the Mid-West?, the American Heartland, the American heritage? The ethos of the United States in the '80s? Social, political?

3. The fine location photography, the detail of the farm and the house, the town, the cornfields, the tornado, the passing of the seasons? A sense of place and environment? The musical score?

4. Impact for American audiences, universal audiences? Theme of families and their settling on the land, their inheritance? Work and struggle for survival? Obligations? Pressures? Courage and stands?

5. The comparisons with such stories as The Grapes of Wrath? The '30s to the '80s, a half-century in the history of the United States? A more comfortable life - yet much harshness? The plight of individuals, families? The pressures of corporations?

6. The Ivy family and its traditions: Dad and his inheriting the house, the size of the house and the property, the quality of the land, the possibility of crops and grazing, the detail of farming, management of farms, borrowing for equipment, the irregularity of success with the seasons? The focus on Cal and his trying to manage the farm, his sense of responsibility, inability to manage well? Jewel and her strength? Carlyle as the adolescent son, their concern about him, his work, schooling, growing up? Marlene and her place in the family, interfering, good nature? The baby? The attention to detail: meals etc.? The focusing on the crop, the harvesting, the tornado and the losses? The place of tradition? Audiences identifying with the Ivy family?

7. Corporations: the firm with its lists, giving it to the grain agents? The size of debts, the nature of credit? The ruthlessness of the bankers? McMullan? caught up in the corporations and their harsh administration of policy? The company and rules? Human and inhuman? The banks with their trying to persuade the farmers to sell out? Auctioning their equipment? The importance of grazing, the farmers trying to shift their lambs from one property to another? The taking of stock? Auctions and the farmers chanting 'no sale'? McMullan? and his stances the reaction of the Ivies, the suicide and McMullan's resignation, wanting to help the Ivies? The farmers grouping together to fight? The film's postscript about the firm and legislation to help the farmers?

8. The quality of Jessica Lange's presence and performance? Jewel as woman, wife, mother? Her strengths? Keeping the books? The tenderness of her love for Gil? For Carlyle and concern about his growing up, sex problems? Working, the experience of the tornado, rescuing Carlyle? The details of Gills and Jewel's life together, intimacy? Difficulties? The dance, the return home, the checking of the accounts, the interviews with McMullan? Her relationship to her father, his reaction, having to cope with his anger and disappointment? The discussions with Gil? The effects on the children and their overhearing? Carlyle's withdrawing? Marlene wanting them to kiss and make up? The growing tension, Gills going down, Dad's antagonism? The neighbour with his sheep? Gil drinking, fighting, antagonism towards McMullan?, interviewing other bankers? Slapping Carlyle while he was milking, his leaving home? In the background at the auction? The return, his humiliation, the need for reconciliation, his own needs, expressing his sorrow to Jewel, to his son? Praising his son for buying Dad's saddle? Jewel's strength bringing the family together? Her own strength in gathering the people together, the 'no sale' chant at the auction? Her helplessness with the neighbour's suicide? A nuanced performance indicating the hidden strengths of this strong woman?

9. Gil as a good man, at home, working, his intimacy with his wife, humour about his son and his sex problems, his inability to talk to his son, a good man but with weaknesses? The tornado, selling the corn, the money difficulties, the clash with McMullan?, interviews at the bank, allowing the lambs to be grazed for his friend, his giving up? The credibility of his giving up? Drinking, the clash with Carlyle, his hitting him and abusing him? Leaving home? The family ousting him? Hurt, the return, the reconciliation? The words, the gestures? The final intimate scene of husband and wife reunited?

10. Carlyle and his place in the family, his age, Marlene interfering, adolescent questions, the contraceptive, sex problems," The boy acting as a credible young adolescent? Buried in the corn at the tornado, clashes with his sister, the privacy of his room, school? overhearing the clash between Gil and Jewel in the barn? The fight with his father, his exasperation? Buying the saddle for his grandfather? His mother's persuading him to be reconciled to his father?

11. Marlene as the young daughter, interfering with her brother, antagonism, playing, not knowing what she was doing - a credible youngster? The baby in the household, the family's care for the baby? Jewel taking the baby when she went to rally support?

12. Dad and his help on the farm, his moods, pride in his heritage, disappointment with Gil, his silences, Jewel bringing him his meal? Carlyle buying the saddle? The reconciliation and his getting the family back to normal?

13. The neighbour and his retarded boy, the bond between the two, his wife? The pressure of the bankers? His grazing the lambs on the Ivy land? The men coming to take the sheep away and Jewel's protest, trying to scatter the sheep? The bond between father and son? The son defying the men taking the sheep away? Jewel's going over to the house, Louise's later help? Her talk with the man before his suicide?

14. McMullan?, friendship with the people in the town, the bank, the firm, the hard policy, the suicide and his having no stomach for the job, resigning?

15. The personalities from the bank, their impersonal attitudes, pressure? Friendly bankers but differing times? The men taking the sheep? The auctioneers?

16. The people of the land, their hard work, banding together, the auction? Sentiment, drama?

17. Political and social implications of the problems? The American spirit?