Review of Shoot the Moon (1982) by Erin W — 02 Mar 2008

The exquisite craftsmanship and stunning lead performances in Shoot the Moon prompt me to wonder why this film has gone unsung. This film explores, among many things, how the Sexual Revolution of the 70s encounters growing pains in the new decade; relationships may end at any time, but when you marry and add homes, children, and affairs to the mix, these relationships acquire a very destructive potential.

This is symbolized in the film through physical demolition of props and set pieces; plates are dashed to the kitchen floor in the midst of a screaming match, door glass is shattered with a typewriter case, and Faith's prized project, her tennis court, is destroyed by George, her egotistical and emotional husband who, despite having been at fault for the marriage's demise, can't bear to see that her life is continuing without him.

George also realizes that when he chooses to stop investing in his marriage, he has no choice but to put not only his home, but his children, up for collateral; he loses the trust of his eldest daughter, while he maintains his relationship with his other children by taking them on outings with the woman who destroyed their parents' marriage.

They are suddenly tossed into a world where both parents are sleeping with other people, and there is no good way to explain it to them. Any happiness he finds with his new lover is eroded further when he realizes that the relationship, on which he bet the rest of his life, is just as temporal as the last.

Faith, meanwhile, attempts to begin a fresh relationship, but encounters difficulty in making it seem normal to her children, especially to her eldest daughter who is growing increasingly disillusioned with romance before she has even had the chance to experience it.

Although Faith has been dealt a very raw deal, she reminds her husband that they must remain â??grown-upâ?? about all these things, a task which frustrates them both; the events between them would warrant anything but a calm, adult reaction.

Their decision to add new living beings into their family and retain ownership of them, however, has nullified their right to react in a natural manner, and this becomes incredibly difficult to bearâ??most of all for George, who fails in the most spectacular and frightening proportions.

The slow unfolding of the stark, brutal reality confronting the characters stings like poison, but the film remains ever watchable because the viewer never senses that they're being insultingly placated, and rightfully so; it is not an escapist film.

While it can be rankling, it is also refreshing. This relationship film is an attractive and nutritious alternative to the 2004 film "Closer," in which nothing is at stake for the characters except their capacity for self-pity and looking beautifully tortured enough to be in a fashion magazine.