September (1987)
“September” is a film that follows the love life, and problems of six characters all in one house. Lane who is recovering from a breakdown is the owner of the house, only until her mother Diane shows up with her new husband Lloyd, and they decide to stay. Lane has become close to her neighbor Howard, but she had feelings for a writer named Peter. Lane invited her best friend Stephanie to her home. And that’s when Peter and Stephanie developed feelings for one another. The movie ends with everyone choosing separate paths in life.
In the opening scene, the first shot that the viewers see is the environment inside the house. The camera is moving periodically, showing the place and then it shows Stephanie and Howard speaking in French. In that scene, someone was playing the piano, however, the viewers don’t see who that person was. Then, Lane walks in, and she talks about her mother. Through her dialog, it was clear that they had issues. Although the movie doesn’t present much background information about what happened between Lane and her mother. The viewers gradually learn pieces of the story. Lane moved back to the house in attempt to improve few aspects of her personal life, after her latest suicide attempt. She could never overcome shooting Diane’s abusive lover. Her behavior, and facial expressions clearly show that she is still affected by what happened. Her mother on the other hand, is clearly not as concerned about what happened and is happy with Lloyd.
When Stephanie and Peter meet again. They both have feelings for each other. Although the viewers did not know at first the status of their relationship, it is obvious through their dialog and behavior that they share a history together, as well as the fact that Stephanie is a married woman. The camera never truly shows her with her husband, but periodically throughout the movie, viewers hear of him repeatedly, when Stephanie and Peter talk about their past and remember when they were together. Their dialog and acting were both completely convincing, and there were many moments of intensity. An example of that would be when Peter convinced Stephanie to join him and spend the night with him. While they were talking and touching each other, I thought they would be caught. Yet, they were not. Stephanie didn’t want to go with Peter, nevertheless her behavior indicated the opposite. She ended up leaving with him. The way the camera moved instantly from them talking outside the porch to Stephanie being home with Lane was quick. It was also clear from their behavior that they spent the night together. Another intense scene was when Lane caught Stephanie and Peter kissing. Her reaction clearly indicated that she was chocked. In a moment of anger, Lane confronted her mother about her ex-lover, and she revealed what really happened. It appears that Lane did not shoot her mother’s abusive lover, her mother did. Dianne then decides to leave with her husband and let her daughter leave in peace.
Although the film was filled with desperation and a bit of insanity, the camera captures some funny scenes as well. An example of that would be when Lane was showing her house for potential buyers, and when her mother tells her she can’t sell the house, Lane argues with her. Then the buyers walk in, and the mother yells at them and kicks them out. That scene was funny and took the viewers’ attention away from the drama for a moment. ( The scene starts 1:01:54 and lasts for a few seconds)
The characters in this movie are all quite believable. Their acting skills, dialogs and the overall story kept viewers interested until the end. Although the film lacked some background information, camera work showed details helping watchers understand the plot without words. The music in this movie was also consistent with the love story situation. Every time Stephanie and Peter were together or looked at each other with love, a romantic music would play. The place where the movie took place helped show that the story only focuses on those characters and no one else. All the characters’ facial expressions were priceless, as they truly reflected how they felt. These real and genuine emotions make viewers believe their story, their concerns and their sufferings.
In the end, I think that this movie is not only about Lane’s trauma, her love for Peter or the secret relationship between Peter and Stephanie. It is also about how Diane became a survivor. According to Roger Ebert, “The dominant person in the household is Diane, the middle-age but still charismatic movie star. Played by Elaine Stritch, she is a woman who has lived a great deal, compromised too often, and become what is known as a "survivor," which is to say, a person you are surprised is still functioning.” She is my favorite character in the film, as she seemed to possess a strong personality and was definitely more fun than all the other characters.
References:
-http://www.woodyallenpages.com/films/September/
-https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/september-1987
-http://www.woodyallenpages.com/films/September/
-https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/september-1987