GLUE
Script: Ate de Jong
Reader: Larissa Guerrini-Maraldi
Format: Feature, Original
Genre: Family drama, dark comedy, mystery
Setting: Contemporary, semi-historical (1999, about to be 2000), Wales (though writer specifies that it can take place if needed in Scotland or Ireland)
Budget/Casting
-According to the writer, a Raindance budget for this film would be around £500.000, with a serious UK budget being £1.4 million. There is also reportedly a commitment of 100.000 from an equity investor from Holland.
-As a relatively contemporary narrative, with the primary reoccurring location being the family home and farm, and specific locations including small town streets and shops, and a theatre for a comedy performance (in addition a limo), the budget for this feature appears to be manageable for the most part.
-The cast is majority white with the exception of Ria who is attributed as of Congolese descent. The leading parts, especially for the female characters, Angela and Betsan, who are in their 50s, is a refreshing and valuable opportunity for older actresses to get the chance to shine in the spotlight, which many mainstream film narratives almost never allow. Child actors for the younger versions of Angela and Ron (specified in the script as 3 and 6 years old respectively), and extras are needed for the people on the streets and in the theatre for Angela’s comedy performance.
-No licensed music listed
-VFX noted for the moment where the spoon merges with the image of a toy train (page 12), though not much elsewhere
Concept/Premise/Theme Exploration and Character Arcs
The title ‘Glue’ carries wonderful multiple meanings: the substance itself alludes to stickiness and unpleasant feeling. Glue is, as the audience discovers, the source of trauma for Ron and Angela, and can additionally refer to the familial bond between Angela and Betsan, and even to Ria, as well as how all three are tied or “glued” to Llion under his abusive tyranny.
The fact that the narrative is set just before the start of the new millennium already insinuates the notion of new beginnings, of abandoning the old and the past (which Llion represents as both a figure and in his behaviour and views) in order to embrace a better future, which the female characters of the narrative end up doing.
This is ultimately a story about memory and returning to or rediscovering the past, uncovering old wounds and traumas. The narrative is primarily focused through Angela’s POV, and as such the audience’s identification with her experience is reinforced. Angela’s reminder that while her mind may be blank, her body remembers – the smell of glue sensorily ingrained within her – is a powerful signifier of how trauma overhauls one’s system. Furthermore, Angela’s readiness at multiple points to directly confront and wittily challenge Llion, to not allow him to have his way, and feeling a strong sense of injustice in relation to his treatment of her family, creates a sense of admiration for her character, even as she is flawed. The attic is also effectively set up at the beginning as a site of possible trauma or bad memories when Angela says she’d rather go to the North Pole than visit (page 4).
While this is a narrative about complicated family relationships, to me in my reading, the heart of this narrative really emerges from and centres on the bond of sisters, specifically between Angela and Betsan. Their banter and support of one another through everything, even when disagreeing at points, is such a beautiful portrait of sibling and female solidarity. They recognise either the compassion or the bravery present in the other, and the reveal of Betsan’s sexual abuse under Llion’s control, out of a desire for her sister not to be touched by him (page 63), is incredibly moving. As for the portrayal of Angela’s relationship with and interactions with Llion, the audience is able to question for long enough why Angela has such animosity toward her half-brother Llion – his status as her ‘half-brother’ something she reminds anyone who mentions him as otherwise – without going on for too long as to make Angela appear merely needlessly cruel. Llion’s reasoning that he “had” to be harsh or violent in order to teach his siblings a lesson, so that they did not mess with his precious belongings (essentially valuing his interests, like trains, over the wellbeing of his siblings), all while claiming that he loved his siblings, is hauntingly realistic. The choice to have his musical instrument be a saxophone is a great reinforcement of the militaristic, tough, and overwhelming nature of his character. There is effective tension established regarding how far her cruelty, or her want to see him dead, going to go, with the scene where she deliberates with the meat knife (page 66) creating great suspense. And I love the detail that Betsan notices the meat knife but does nothing about it, suggesting a subconscious desire for Angela to do the deed before she ends up doing it.
Speaking of family though, I do somewhat question the point or need for the four other sisters in the story. The focus is and should be on the familial relationships between Angela, Llion, Betsan, and Ron. With the inclusion of the four other sisters, the viewer may likely want to learn their perspectives, to see a variety of responses to the abuse enacted in the family, but at the moment they are under-explored. They are used really only in one scene for the guessing game, and one of them is used to take care of Ria once she is injured by Llion. So maybe cutting them could work or be better, and the guessing game could still play out between Angela, Betsan and Llion, possibly even Ria.
How commonly comedy is linked to death or tragedy, how blurred the boundary can be between the two, and how humour acts as a way to cope, to fight loneliness and to forget is a fascinating subject that the story explores, something that is made explicit by Angela to Betsan (page 28). I love her line that ‘Listening isn’t the same as laughing’ (page 51) and her notion that without laughter, something doesn’t exist, and so her sadness needs to exist so that she can laugh at it.
Angela’s wants to get information from Llion that she can use for her next comedy show are clearly established, with the later fleshing out and reveal that what she really desires or personally needs is Llion’s apology for his violent actions toward her and Ron, as she blames him for his death, as well as answers to the gaps in her own memory. Llion’s wants to get the money to support his own artistic self-interest are effectively established and built up to. Interestingly, his attempt to use a family member for financial gain is somewhat parallel to Angela trying to use him for profit for her comedy show (as well as her missing their mother’s death due to a scheduled meeting with Bette Midler mentioned on page 56), though with the more sympathetic angle of trying to confront and process the abuse she endured in her family home and the loss of her twin brother Ron.
Fame is ever-present in the way that Angela, especially in her small-town, is treated like a celebrity, with the sunglasses for anonymity and people waving or approaching her in the street for an autograph. Yet despite all this love and acclaim, it is clear from Angela’s pessimistic tone that it does not actually bring much joy or fulfil her, even with the knowledge that she can make people laugh. Her worldview that happiness is a “luxury” and “vastly overrated” is effectively established, and while I’m not quite sure whether this worldview dramatically shifts, I do think she portrays a kinder, more open viewpoint of the world by the end of the narrative, as suggested by her recognition of the sacrifices Betsan and Ria made and honouring them in her comedy performance. She finds a way to make her fame mean something, beyond laughter.
The use of the “twin connection” for Angela and Ron, like when Angela doubles down in pain (page 48) during the presumed moment of Ron’s death, is effective without feeling too out of place from the grounded narrative.
I feel a little complicated regarding the portrayal, treatment, and development of Ria. Through most of the narrative, she is almost wordless, which while due to the language barrier, Angela’s condescending attitude toward her, alongside some arguably casual racism, make her appear insignificant, perhaps even a compliant, spineless joke. While there is the explanation of Ria’s age gap relationship with Llion making Angela view her as ‘sleeping with the enemy’, and the possibility of Angela envying her for the ease with which she can supposedly find happiness. because the narrative is largely contained to Angela’s POV, and a significant portion of time is dedicated to her interactions with Betsan, Ria is left somewhat of enigma until the final third as so. We learn that Ria lost her parents to murder, providing insight into why she depends on Llion for security and connection, though this information is introduced quite late toward the end of the narrative. Considering that she is the only main character of colour in the narrative, I think her perspective is deserving of attention. The language barrier is one thing, but then it seems to spontaneously disappear on page 88, with Ria being presented as holding the key to the answers and information Angela needs to fill in her memories. While this could be reflective of her finally finding her voice outside of Llion’s grasp, it feels perhaps a tad too outlandish for this grounded narrative, but I could be wrong. It’s just important that she does not fall victim to the tropes of the white saviour or even the magical negro narrative (it’s interesting that Angela really only appears to accept Ria as part of the family once she gives her the information she needs about her childhood, and when she starts speaking the same language as her). Moreover, following Llion’s physical abuse and harm to her, after she has been driven away for a bit to get cleaned up, she returns dressed as a ‘modern, independent woman’ (page 76). While I’m sure this is meant to show the kind of woman that Ria is and can be outside of the relationship and control that Llion exerts, I would have loved to have seen this transformation occur perhaps across the narrative or following her leaving the family home, rather than off-screen. That being said, the response she has to Llion’s death (page 76) is wonderfully complex, where her single tear, perhaps suggestive of distress, regret, or even love, is mixed with her removing and cutting up Llion’s socks for the trash. And her final scene where she removes the wallpaper to unveil the old, colourful, floral wallpaper (page 92) is suggests a note of renewal that is wonderful for her character to end on. Perhaps her desire to travel and see the world can also be foreshadowed or set up a little earlier in the narrative, though I do appreciate that she is the one who gets to make this decision for herself.
Betsan and Ria are portrayed imperfect victims, and the narrative sensitively highlights that just because they are not “perfect” they are no less deserving of empathy, and neither are deserving of guilt or shame. The reasons they stay with Llion are multi-layered, whether it be unconditional love, monetary gain to buy the house, having no one else to rely on (both have family members who are dead or left them in the case of Betsan), or fear ingrained from years of abuse (Betsan’s description of her nightmares as ‘friends’ you see in the supermarket really stands out in this respect on page 72). Each woman’s suffering is not a competition, something made explicit by Betsan (page 88).
The end with Angela commemorating essentially the two most important people in her life, creating a love letter to all the caregivers out there, with attention to the caregivers in the crowd watching and feeling recognised I think is a lovely and touching way to end this narrative that has been filled with much darkness up to this point. Ending this narrative with some light, while not being unrealistic or trying to shrug away what has happened in the past, presents a reassurance that people who have experienced trauma can move forward, when they can move forward not alone but together, whether it be with an individual who has shared your traumatic experience, or someone who is ready and willing to listen.
The use of Welsh names, and how Angela’s changing of her name from Alwyn, not only shows her need to build an image that a larger, average audience can latch onto, but brilliantly reflects her desire to forge an identity that is all the more distinct and separate from her past, to abandon the ‘Alwyn’ that was quiet and abused and embrace the Angela that is outspoken and determined. So when Betsan begins to refer to Angela by her name rather than Alwyn – this notably occurs when Angela tries to confront Llion regarding the sexual abuse he inflicted on Betsan (page 68) – it is a subtle recognition of how much her sister has both changed and that she has accepted her distancing from Llion, subtly suggesting that she too needs to allow herself to remove herself from Llion, even if she is his caregiver and family. Considering the Welsh nationalistic pride that Llion regularly displays, asserting his full Welsh identity and features (particularly on page 57 in which he comparing himself to his siblings who are ‘half breeds’, making him the most loved by their mother), this perhaps underlies Angela’s decision to distance herself from that identity, which she could potentially associate with him.
There are numerous instances of eating or mentions of food, whether it be Angela discussing how her weight as a comedian gives her an identity (page 20), or the frequent comfort foods that Betsan indulges in perhaps in order to provide her a sense of stability in the chaos. The way she encourages Angela to eat with her links food in this case with community and nourishment, and so Angela’s refusal at certain points in the narrative is perhaps reflective of her unwillingness to let her guard down.
Content warning likely needed for themes of sexual assault and domestic abuse.
Dialogue Notes and Suggestions
The use of flashbacks into the past (occurs pages 12, 26, 31, 48, 58, 89) are employed in a manner that does not overwhelm or overstuff the narrative, rather revealing key information when needed, and providing intrigue or answers that serve to enrich the present scenes unfolding. The first flashback involving the creative visual transition from the ‘choo-choo’ spoon to the train in the attic, alerts the audience that this scene will carry importance for later, and is vividly striking in its own right. Perhaps another instance or two could occur of this merging of objects to further illustrate the intricacies of Angela’s memory and POV. The structuring of the flashbacks so as to reveal how Ron died by a motorbike crash and drowning, to showing Llion making Ron and Angela go on a motorbike as kids to the former’s excitement, to Ron riding the motor bike with his arms spread (leaving up to the viewer’s debate whether he is letting himself go or just having fun, though the line ‘like a crucifix’ suggests a kind of sacrifice of self) is effective. I will note as well that the flashbacks themselves do occur outside Angela’s POV or subjective memory, with scenes featuring her mother talking with a customer (page 32) and Ron riding the bicycle (page 48). I was curious about the consistency of this, as while I see the point in giving an impression of what Angela’s mother was like, and making the viewer question whether Ron did kill himself or if it was an ‘accident’, I think with the fact that this story is about filling in the gaps in one’s memory means that these moments could be altered or cut. Young Angela could just overhear/spot her mother talking with the customer before leaving, and I think the audience could still question the nature of Ron’s death without having to see him ride the bike on the road.
Perhaps cutting the line ‘I hope they talk to me; I haven’t been home in years’ (page 21) could be more effective, as it then leaves us with the line ‘My family won’t let skeletons out of the closet if a stranger is around’, which feels like more of a stinger, creating a sense of intrigue as to how dark and deep Angela’s family history goes.
A correction is needed (page 37) where Arthur’s name is listed for dialogue that should be Angela’s.
‘Ron needed an accident to escape from Llion’ (page 38) is a line first said by Angela to Betsan, and is later repeated by Betsan to Dr Kaye (page 46). I was curious whether this either too early for her to say or admit, or if this line was meant to be Angela’s, as I noted that Betsan doesn’t say anything else for the duration of this scene. I feel like the fact that she is meant to say this much later is when she does so to Dr Kaye toward the end after Llion being dead/killed, which is meant to sting, and seemingly ensure Dr Kaye does not report them to the police (page 85).
I’m not sure whether this is deliberate or not, but on page 27, as Angela and Betsan recall their brother Ron’s death, Angela suggests ‘Imagine if Ron still existed and his soul was drifting’ there among the mud and the frogs. And he wants to send us a sign of love… Prrrtttt. Yuh know, just like in the swimmin’ pool. Beautiful bubbles’. And then toward the very end, on page 92, when Angela throws Llion’s saxophone (his most prized possession, notably his first line is yelling at Angela to not touch his saxophone on page 14) into the ditch where Ron died, the directions state ‘The instrument sinks quickly. Suddenly, BLUB, a few large air bubbles bubble up’. It may not be intentional, but to me this visually read as Ron sending the final message of love that Angela mentioned before, and if it is the case, I find it a lovely, moving call-back, as emblematic of perhaps Ron, and in turn his siblings, finding peace at last, and is perhaps something that could be further emphasised.
Conclusion and Verdict
Overall, there is much to appreciate in this darkly comic yet emotional narrative, with a difficult but important subject matter, quite a few rewarding reveals or payoffs, and complicated characters to connect to. Viewers who want to see stories about the complexities of sibling relationships specifically will find a lot to love, particularly in the sisterhood between Angela and Betsan, and eventually Ria. The way fame is less of a form of happiness and more an escape from one’s shame or past is also an element I think many would either resonate with or find engaging. Trauma is effectively portrayed as something that is not “cute” and affects everyone person who experiences it differently. As a narrative about family trauma, abuse, death, sacrifice in the name of love, and the difficulty of finding happiness, I believe this film works for recommendation, though I think further development would be beneficial in areas like the character of Ria. She feels like the third ‘sister’ in this narrative, arguably more so than the other four sisters who are present for only one scene, and I think getting to see her voice and development will make the conclusion of the narrative all the more impactful.
