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7. Questions and discussion topics

  1. The film script gives us two examples of parental reactions to a child's revelation of his sexuality. Identify these reactions.
  2. Which one shows 'tolerance and understanding of our differences'?
  3. With which reaction does the script expect its audience to sympathise? Identify aspects of the script which lead you to make this decision.
  4. From the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper article published with these notes ('The Sum of Them', see below), identify one family relationship that most closely identifies with the family reactions in the script.
  5. Is Harry's reaction to Jeff's sexuality 'too good to be true' or is Harry a quite realistic character?
  6. To what extent does the material contained in the Sydney Morning Herald article support your view of the character of Harry?
  7. In the script, Harry after his stroke bemoans his need for nursing and says that he had feared it would be the other way round, that he'd be nursing Jeff with AIDS. How common would you say this fear is among parents?
  8. Discuss the importance of their families to young people, using evidence both from the script and the Sydney Morning Herald article.
  9. A pool player in the Prinny bar greets Jeff as 'Baxter', with its implications for his sexuality. This is meant and taken in a friendly manner, after all it is a gay pub. However, not all teasing is as harmless as that. Why do some people harass and vilify gays?
  10. Gran turned to Mary for love and companionship after the death of her husband and perhaps Jeff found this easier to accept than Harry. How easy would it be for young people to accept either of their parents turning to a homosexual relationship later in life?
  11. Should one differentiate between different kinds of love?
  12. The Sum of Us succeeds as a film script because it manages to be at the same time ordinary and surprising. Discuss.
  13. The Sum of Us was voted the best film at the 1994 Sydney Film Festival. What are the qualities of this film script that might have made the film so popular?
  14. Would you agree that the film resulting from the script The Sum of Us could be labelled a 'film of sentiment' in that it both instructs and entertains?
  15. After viewing the film The Sum of Us, discuss the way in which visual images are used to reinforce the main concerns of the script.
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