work, he fires Ted.
11. Why does Joanna come back to New York? Where has she been? What has
she been doing?
She wants to take Billy back to her. She has been in California, working and enjoying her life.
12. How does Ted react when Joanna brings up the problem of the custody
of Billy? Why does Ted disagree to give the custody to Joanna?
He feels very angry and firmly refuses her request because he believes Joanna has no right to take Billy away from him because it’s she who leaves the boy in the first place, and he cannot afford to lose Billy for he loves the boy so much.
13. According to the family law attorney, what are the things that Ted
should get prepared for if he decides to retain the custody? What kind of a pros-and-cons list does Ted work out?
The attorney warns Ted that in the court they need to prove Joanna is an unfit mother, and both sides can get really tough. He also reminds him that he needs to pay five thousand dollars for it and if he loses he has to pay Joanna's court costs as well. Besides, he tells Ted that when such a young kid is involved, the court in most cases will side with the mother. So, he suggests Ted write down the pros and cons before he decides whether he'd like to retain the custody.
In the pros-and-cons list worked out by Ted, there is a long list of the drawbacks involved in keeping Billy: sex life, money, possibility of remarriage, sleep, emotional dependence, and on the \the list, it is empty. But still, he decides to keep Ted with him because he loves his son.
14. How does Joanna explain to the court why she wants to leave her husband
and son in the first place?
She explains that after the first couple of years, her marriage life becomes very difficult. She has always wanted a job but Ted never takes her point seriously for he doesn't think she can hold a well-paid job at all. So, she becomes very unhappy and frustrated. When she turns to Ted for help, Ted takes it as personal attack and thus they become more and more separate. Ted's unwillingness to deal with her feelings makes Joanna feel she has almost no self-esteem. She leaves the son behind because at that time, she believes she has some problem within herself and the son should be better off without her.
15. In what way does Joanna believe that her experience in California
helps to regain her self-esteem?
She works as a sportswear designer in California and gets a payment of 31,000 dollars a year. She works hard and feels like a whole human being. The job makes her feel that she has the ability to do wonderful things and she is not a terrible person at all. Now she understands she just needs to have some creative and emotional outlet other than her son, and that does not make her an unfit mother.
16. At the court, how does Ted argue for his right in his son's life?
Ted argues that a good parent should have the qualities of constancy, patience, understanding and love. He says these qualities are not only possessed by a woman, for a man can also be such a good parent. He admits that he is not a perfect parent, but he loves his son more than anything in this world.
17. Has Ted really changed as Margaret says?
Yes. Ted has fully realized that he has treated Joanna in an unfair way and it's in a way out of his fault that their marriage turns out to be a failure. After Joanna leaves, he starts to learn to be a good parent: getting to know details of Billy's life, playing with him, taking care of him everyday, and spending a lot of time staying together with him, reading stories for him, answering his questions and talking with him patiently. Ted has become a loving and responsible father.
18. In what way does the legal battle make things rather tough and bitter
for both Joanna and Ted?
They are both cross-questioned by the attorney on the other side who will raise tough questions concerning personal life. The attorney on the other side is always trying to convince the court that they are irresponsible parents and they are losers both in life and career. 19. What is the final verdict? Why doesn't Ted appeal?
The court rules that Joanna be awarded custody of Billy, and Ted should pay for the maintenance and support of Billy, 400 dollars each month. It rules that Ted shall have the following rights of visitation: every other weekend, one night each week to be mutually agreed upon and one half of the child's vacation period.
On hearing the verdict, Ted wants to appeal no matter how much money it will cost. But when the attorney says this time he has to question Billy in the court, he finds he has no choice but to give up the idea because he doesn't want to have his son get hurt in such a way. 20. How does Ted explain the court's decision to Billy? How does the boy
take it?
He tries to explain the verdict in an easily comprehensible way, and he pretends to be very excited about the idea of Billy living with his mom. The boy cannot fully understand this. Obviously he feels happy and more at ease living with Ted, and doesn't want to move to a new place.
21. Why does Joanna change her idea of taking Billy away from Ted?
Joanna demands the custody of Billy because she loves him and she wants to take better care of him. But in the court, after hearing what Ted and Billy have gone through after she leaves, she realizes that it doesn't matter how much Ted and herself love Billy and the only important thing is what is best for the boy himself. She believes Ted has become a wonderful dad and it's best for Billy to stay with Ted. 22. What does the director intend to convey in the movie?
Answers to this question may vary. V. Research Activities
Four Basic Aspects of the Movie Background: historical background, social background, the novel
which the movie bases on, the author of the novel, production of the movie, etc. Themes: the main ideas that the movie intends to convey to the
audience. Conflicts: conflicts within oneself, conflicts with others,
conflicts with the society, conflicts between events, conflicts of ideas, etc. Performances: actor and actress, director, playwright, song, music,
Academy Awards, etc. These four aspects, however, can never be clear-cut; they are often interrelated. The information provided below serves as some supplementary material only. The students are free to present any material relevant to the four aspects. Their presentations should include both factual information and their own opinions or comments. Background:
a. Kramer vs. Kramer is based on Avery Corman's 1977 novel. He has written novels, essays, reviews, light verse and articles, including pieces for the Arts and Leisure section of the New York Times on film and theater. His novels include Kramer vs. Kramer, Oh, God!, The Old Neighborhood, 50 and Prized Possessions.
b. In the American society, divorce is more the norm than ever before. There are as many causes for divorce as there are people who divorce. Divorce itself is both a cause and an effect. There are many factors that contribute to divorce, such as awakening of feminism, gender role shifting, immaturity of one or both parties, sexual indiscretion, the ease of getting a divorce, and various others. Divorce is the effect of a marriage that is faced with difficulties that seem insurmountable, an inability to get along, one or both partner's growing apart, substance abuse, a culture that condones divorce, legal ease of getting a divorce, the inexpensiveness of getting a divorce and other factors. Divorce has become popular throughout the many years it has existed, and divorce rates keep increasing. There are many different factors that go into divorce that make it a tricky and time-consuming process, but divorce with those who have children is the most difficult. The process of divorce is complex and confusing. c. There has been a dramatic shift in the dynamics of the roles of the members within the American family. Whereas the majority of American families still consist of the traditional make up of a father, a mother and children, there are now an increasing amount of variations upon this theme which have become accepted as recognizable family units. Even in traditional families comprised of father, mother, and siblings, the roles of these individuals have changed with the invention of new technologies and the emergence of new ideas about the female member in the family. With these new roles come different relationships the family unit has between their greater communities and political entities they are interdependent with. All of these changes have been well documented by the media in the form of art as well as academic writings. Television, music, magazines, novels and the Internet all record and promote this acceleration of change. Themes:
a. Divorce: In the movie Kramer vs. Kramer, divorce plays an important role in the life of a child and his father. The film looks at a different aspect of divorce from what society normally would see by showing the father's point of view throughout the custody hearing. The film tells about a wife who leaves her unhappy marriage to fulfill her goal of making it on her own and having a career of her own. It is about the failure of marriage and the shift of parent roles. Self-involvement is just one of the film's underlying themes, along with the search for identity that prompts Joanna to leave Ted with their first-grade son, who now finds himself living with a workaholic parent he barely knows. We may well see how eager Joanna is searching for her own identity and