LET'S HOPE IT'S A GIRL

Italy, 1985, 119 minutes, Colour.
Liv Ulmann, Catherine Deneuve, Philippe Noiret, Stefania Sandrelli, Bertrand Blier, Giuliano Gemma.
Directed by Mario Monicelli.

Let's Hope It's a Girl is a comedy drama from Veteran Italian director, Mario Monicelli (I Soliti Ignoti, Mortedella). The film focuses on a household, mainly women, in a northern Italian country town. The film is a conventional piece of storytelling - with an extraordinary cast, far too strong for the ordinariness of the story and the characters. Liv Ullman is the mother of the household, Catherine Deneuve her glamorous T.V. star sister. Philippe Noiret is her estranged husband. Stefania Sandrelli is his mistress. Veteran French actor Bertrand Blier is the senile uncle and Giuliano Gemma is the local lawyer. The film focuses on the family, the relationships, money deals, accidental deaths, decisions being made about family and relationships.

1. Interesting and entertaining Italian comedy drama? The focus on family, relationships, crisis? Themes?

2. The Italian countryside, the house and the property? The contrast with Rome? Musical Score?

3. The title, the focus on the women? The resolution of the problems?

4. The focus on the family? Their wealth, making ends meet? The estranged husband and his arrival? His money schemes, plans? The resistance of his wife? His reaction about his daughter's relationship? Dealing with his elderly uncle? His desperation for the money? His character, separating from family, not knowing his nieces well, reliance on money from his mistress? The irony of his accidental death? Its effect on each?

5. Eleanor, the matriarch, holding the family together? Her tolerance of her estranged husband? Not giving him the money and support? Her relationship with the local lawyer, his advice? Her relationship with her own daughters? With her sister and her daughter? The housekeeper and her daughter? The old uncle? Managing, tolerant? The funeral? The crisis, her wanting to sell? Discussions with the mistress? Her daughter and the musicologist, the plan for marriage? The clash with~ sister, her taking her daughter away? The housekeeper and the husband in Australia? Everything going wrong, wanting to sell the property? The final resolution - everybody coming home, her not wanting to sell? Her coping with family?

6. The daughters, training the in the same room, her father's pregnancy? Walking out on the

7. Claudia, on television, her death, the funeral, her return the television lighter, his chauvinism? Her return?

8. The housekeeper, helping everyone, her own daughter? The teenagers going to the rock concert? The anxiety of the family? The husband in Australia, his writing to the priest and the photo of his family? Their decision not to go to join him?

9. The lawyer, his relationship with Eleanor, helping her with the property? Trying to raise the money? Eleanor's change of heart and his walking out?

10. The mistress, eccentric, wealthy, supporting Leonardo? The money deals? Her gymnasium, buying new equipment? Her confronting the family - but their welcoming her and her feeling at home with them?

11. The eccentric uncle, his absentmindedness, meals, tooting the horn of the car? His being with Leonardo at the time of his death? People not noticing him? Eleanor and Nardoni taking him to the old peoples home, his reaction, the wool and Nardoni's mother, the priests advice in making the break? His escape, getting a lift home? His staying with the family?

12. The eccentric musicologist, his manner, the folk songs, relationship with Franca, the engagement, her walking out on him?

13. The gallery of characters, their strengths and weaknesses, typical, relationships, family difficulties, coping, reconciliation? horses? The musicologist, the eccentric fiance reaction? Her decision to get married? Her fiance, returning home? glamour? Leaving her daughter with Alla? The home? Taking her daughter away, the ex-lover?