UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

US, 1996, 124 minutes, Colour.
Robert Redford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Stockard Channing, Joe Mantegna, Kate Nelligan.
Directed by Jon Avnet.

Up Close and Personal is the kind of film that audiences love and critics loathe. Critics want their movies to meet rigorous standards. Audiences say they just want to be entertained. Many a time the wishes coincide. Most times, movies aim for the popular response. And does Up Close.

It is a romantic drama with big stars. And they do their thing, Redford, at almost sixty, with his seemingly effortless charm and Michelle Pfeiffer showing she can act as well as be a screen personality. The film is about being a screen personality, this time on TV and being an anchor and a reporter. Nicole Kidman offered a satiric alternative in the recent black comedy, To Die For.

When the film stays with the TV news theme, it keeps everyone's attention, especially with a riot in a Pennsylvania prison. When the film goes to the drama, it is a bit of a mixture of Pygmalion (he training her) and A Star is Born (she succeeding as he goes down). When the film goes to romantic interludes, it is more like a TV commercial.

The film has a very strong supporting cast. It was written by husband and wife author team, Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne - which gives the theme of how professional partners maintain a marriage a stronger edge.

1. The world of television? Romantic comedies? Serious drama? '90s style?

2. The Miami settings, Reno, Philadelphia? Musical score, final song?

3. The world of the television station? The studio, the editing room, live television and reports, executives, the world of awards?

4. The title, personal, the language of television and media?

5. The stars and their working together, star power, style?

6. The introduction to Tally: looking after her sister, her aims for success, at home, the video cassette and promotion, her faking the footage? Sending it to the television stations, the Miami response, her hopes?

7. Her arrival at the studio, gawky behaviour? Meeting Warren? Given the jobs, collecting the dry-cleaning etc? Her wanting to do the weather? Her being allowed, her nervousness and feeling sick, her failure - looking at Warren, not looking at the camera, gawky? Warren seeing her potential, his visit to her apartment, her suspicions (and also for the lift home)?

8. Robert Redford as Warren, his charm, his skill at his job, television news skills, his chauvinist attitudes? His clashes with the station boss, the discussions about commerce and commercial ideas? Rob as anchor and his blandness? The decision about the weather and the comic style? Seeing the potential in Tally, watching her as she did the weather and her failure?

9. The variation on the Pygmalion story? Warren shaping Tally? His insight into television interviews and commentary, his incisive questions, continually being demanding on her, so that she gave the best commentary? Her ambition and going with the cameraman to the Miami Beach drowning? Her ambition, interview, success with Warren's help? Developing her skills? Her various reports and growing success? The importance of her appearance and style? Rob and his sexual advance and her reaction? Her bond with her cameraman? The clash with Rob on air about the New Year's baby?

10. Tally and her learning, Warren and his coaching? Her meeting his ex-wife and their discussions? Her meeting Bucky, her discussions with him, impressing him? Her falling in love with Warren, the sexual relationship, the romantic collage (cigarette commercial style)?

11. The possibility for Philadelphia, her decision to go, wanting Warren to go? Her meeting Marsha, studying her style? Her showing off, her awkwardness at the meetings, the question about statistics, her reports and Marsha's reaction? The studio boss and his reaction - and his focus on commercial success?

12. Warren, wanting to help, Bucky appealing to him? His going to Philadelphia? His improving her style, the better reports? Marsha and her decision to go? Marsha and her final conversation with Tally?

13. Warren and his clash with the boss in Miami, staying in Philadelphia? The influence on Tally, their bonds? The decision to get married? The small ceremony and those present? His friendship with Bucky, the possibility of getting a job, going to New York, the interviews with the former network managers and his friends? The parallel with A Star Is Born - Tally's face going up on the hoardings, his lack of success?

14. The plan to do the specials as a team? Discussion about the prison? His going to Washington to discuss the Panama situation? Her going to the prison? His listening to the information and returning to the prison? Tally and the interview, the criminal - and the past interview about his New Year's baby? Tally and the photographer as hostages, their filming the riots? Warren and his going to the caravan, getting her through live? The networks wanting her footage? Her showing her skills? The tension of the riot, the tension for Tally and her career, Warren and his producing the program? Her coming out and giving the successful interview, his congratulations? Her going to the network, her success there, her being transformed into a national personality? The farewell party and the joy, watching the television - and the news of Warren's death?

15. Warren and his ambitions for the Panama story? His happy‑go-lucky attitude, his skills? Wanting fun in his work, the link-up and his talking to Tally? The farewell at the airport, the boots, his death and her seeing the boots on television? The appropriateness of getting the news of his death on television?

16. The ending and the award, the background of her life, her sister present, Bucky and Warren's ex-wife and their support? Her speech? Her achievement?

17. Warren's ex-wife, her skill at television reporting, the past relationship, the marriage, her being the source of his story, his believing her when she thought he would not? Their separation, remaining friends? (Warren's memories of his first wife and the death of their child?)

18. The background characters in the television world: Dan and his management of the Miami station, pressures for commercial success? Rob and his bland appearance - and Warren feeding him his lines? Marsha and her tougher attitude in Philadelphia, her antagonism towards Tally, Tally's imitating her in look and style, her admitting that Tally had improved in her work? John and his focus on commercial success, not wanting to ruffle audiences, giving the audiences what they wanted - and the clash about the specials on the prison and the governor? The New York executives and their style? The TV world?

19. The prison riot - as an action piece?

20. The film as a star vehicle, romantic drama, drama about the media?