A QUESTION OF LOVE

US, 1978, 100 minutes, Colour.
Gena Rowlands, Jane Alexander, Ned Beatty, Clu Gulager, Bonnie Bedelia, Jocelyn Brando.
Directed by Jerry Thorpe.

A Question of Love is a significant telemovie. Both Gena Rowlands and Jane Alexander are excellent in the leading roles. Ned Beatty is also very good as the lawyer. The film is a piece of Americana, a portrait of aspects of domestic life and a look at the administration of American justice.

What makes the film different is that it concerns two lesbians. Gena Rowlands plays a mother who wants the custody of her younger son. Jane Alexander is her companion. The film portrays emotionally and intellectually the various facets of the question. The film takes emotional sides with the women, but shows, fairly, the arguments from the point of view of the general public, the husband and the lawyer.

Films like this, made for home audiences, are valuable opportunities for entering into the complexities of such issues rather than abstract reasoning about them, one way or the other.

1. The impact of this telemovie, interest, enjoyment, questions raised?

2. A piece of Americana, the American town, families, the courts? The American way of life and the challenge of the lesbian couple?

3. Audience presuppositions about families, lesbianism, the question of custody of children? The home audience like the jury - facing the situation, personalities, issues presented in legal way? The facts, moral issues and perspectives, law? Personal feelings? Feelings colouring decisions made?

4. The stance of the film - sympathy for the two women, but not omitting the points of view of the other characters?

5. The Gettners and their lifestyle: typical Americans, Mike and his role as husband and father, Laura Mae and her role as wife and mother, the boys? The aspects of their ordinary day by day life? Laura Mae's decision and the disruption, its effect on all? Emotional reaction? Puzzle and hurt? Mike and the American male? Reaction to his wife? Two the unusual issues, moral stances? David and his change? Reasons, the bribe of the car, his alleged disgust with his mother? Billy and his wanting to stay? The drama of the film as a divorce story and custody story - plus?

6. Laura Mae, her place in her family, relationship with her mother? Experience? Relationship with Barbara? The self-admission of lesbianism? Her explanation of meeting Barbara, keeping her company, moving in with her? The effect on her life, decisions? The change and the consequences for the family? The appropriateness of the lawyer asking her to make either-or choices?

7. The new home with Barbara and her daughter Susan? A girl living in this kind of household? A boy? Laura Mae and her love for her boys, David's turning away from her, Billy's love for her? A home full of love? The questions raised about patterning and modelling for male and female roles? The testimonies of the lawyers, the varying views of the psychologists? The future in such a household for Billy?

8. Gena Rowlands' strength as Laura Mae: credible woman, strong, relationship with her family, the clash with her mother and her mother making up? The going to see various lawyers and their reasons for refusal? The lawyer couple and their testing Laura Mae, accepting her case? Her understanding of her life, lesbian attitudes, behaviour? New lifestyle? A religious woman? Her capacity for loving? Her relationship with Mike? Clash with him, his stances in the court? Her experience of David's attack on her? The verdict, her having to cope, explaining the situation quietly to Billy? Future court appeals?

9. Barbara: an ordinary woman, her relationship with her husband, Susan? Her experiences, her explanation of herself in the court, her five-year relationship with another woman, her religious attitudes, her quoting John's Gospel 3:16? The support of the daughters of Bilitis? The importance of her testimony? Her support of Laura Mae, Laura Mae's initial exasperation with the situation and with her? Supporting her in her loss?

10. Mike as an ordinary man, work, not understanding his wife's behaviour, relationship with his sons? The testimony - and the part that went against him: his breaking Laura Mae's jaw, his drinking, paying for the abortion of the 18-year-old pregnant girl? His comeback with his conversion to church statement, his gaining the custody?

17. David, clash with his mother, turning against her, the car, bribe or not? His testimony in the court? Hurting his mother? Billy and his not wanting to leave?

12. The visits to the psychiatrist, the tests? The stances of the man, of the woman? Pros and cons of lesbian modelling for children? The woman favourable to Laura Mae - but her having to answer questions directly about her choices for her own children, where they would be brought up?

13. The various legal stances, the lawyers and their views, fears? The reasons for the couple taking on the case?

14. The lawyers and their help, conducting of the court, raising of objections, finding of evidence? Sympathy?

15. The prosecuting lawyer and his skill, presence, the ordinary man, wanting to win, the tenacity of his questions, insinuations, his being fair in arguing the questions? His expressing the person in the street's point of view? Intellectual and emotional presentation of issues?

16. The judge, his impartiality, clarifying issues? The jury? Their decision?

17. An appropriate way of raising social and moral issues? Legal issues? The need for this kind of film to help audiences understand questions of contemporary society?