MovieChat Forums > Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly (1970) Discussion > What's Up with SONNY?

What's Up with SONNY?

posted 13 years ago by movieperson113
7 replies | jump to latest

Now it seems Mumsy and Nanny have sexual relations with the "FRIENDS". Nanny makes claim that they always have the "NEW FRIENDS" together and not apart.

Girly is interested in "NEW FRIEND" who introduces her to the passions of an adult woman and man. This was obviously her first time GIRLY: "You knew this would happen eventually" she says to Mumsy late in the story.

But Sonny doesn't seem to get any action. It's hinted early on in the beginning park scene that Girly tries (possibly had tried in the past) to seduce Sonny in a way. But he has no reaction but to say he's supposed to be nice to his sister.

He could have been A-Sexual but it's not really stated. Though right before he kills with the bow and arrow "FRIEND NO. FIVE" looks as Sonny and smiles.
Could that be a hint that FIVE and SONNY had some kind of connection/relationship?

Any opinions??

[–] BartlebyScrivner 13 years ago

In the original play, Sonny is bisexual, and it's suggested he has his sights set on Chick (who fills the role of the New Friend character; for the movie they sort of split Chick into both Soldier and New Friend). I don't know how much of that trait, if any of it, Brian Comport had in mind to bring to the film. As Comport notes in the DVD commentary, the play really only "suggested" his screenplay, which is the superior product.

That being said there's definitely an incest vibe in the movie, though it remains only a vibe; it's talked about on the Goodbye Gemini DVD, and, IIRC, also briefly mentioned on the Girly DVD. Both films were up for consideration for television broadcasts at the same time and both got shot down on the grounds of their content relating to incest.

[–] Veronica65 9 years ago

Bartleby, do you have any idea where a copy of the original play could be found? I've searched for "Happy Family" by Maisie Mosco many times, with no results. Thanks!

[–] PurpleProseOfCairo 13 years ago

When I saw it again recently for the first time since its cinema release, I also thought there was a bit of a void where Sonny's character/traits should be. I wondered if they held back from showing him as gay, or being included in New Friend's power game of seduction. As a result, he sort of stands on the sidelines while the three women are seduced. The information above does seem to bear out that theory somewhat. It would have been interesting had FEMALE, as well as male, "friends" been depicted as potential playthings for Sonny, or all four.

I thought it was telling during the zoo sequence when Girly acts seductively with the sweet, but Sonny impatiently snatches it and unwraps it for her, as though he is oblivious to the sexual element in all this craziness.

Awight we're The Daamned we're a punk baand and this is called Carn't Be Appy T'day!

[–] BartlebyScrivner 13 years ago

Sonny's character got toned down from the source play, in which he is explicitly bisexual and spends the first part of the story waging war against Girly to get New Friend ("Chick") to himself. Looking at the special features for this movie, as well as for the vaguely-related "Goodbye Gemini," the creators were already pushing the envelope, and barely got the movie a wide release as it was; making Sonny gay/bi probably would have been the nail in the coffin.

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 8 years ago

I don't believe Sonny and Girly were actually related in the film because it's implied that they were once just normal teenagers lured into Mumsy's insanity. So, they could've had a thing going together, but I think Sonny was really creepy.

Canada, eh? 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 :)

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] nephihaha 8 years ago

I'm fairly convinced that they are related. The incest theme makes it creepier.

[–] BartlebyScrivner 7 years ago

FWIW, in the original stage play, Sonny and Girly ARE Mumsy's biological children. There WAS once a "Daddy," but his departure from the family was what started the craziness to begin with.

I never got the impression that the family wasn't biologically related, but several people to whom I've shown the movie got this idea, so maybe it's just something that goes over my head.

Knowing more now about England and British history, there's a definite allegory at play for English society and its' treatment of various classes of people. There are proper rules of conduct but only "polite" society knows them; they won't share them with you but they'll punish you if you don't abide by them. They keep a particular class in servitude with just enough bread to keep them docile (Nanny). They exploit and toss away the very people who help maintain their way of life (Soldier). But then the sexual revolution, the mods and the hippies, came along and broke the status quo (New Friend).

Within all of this, though, I still have no idea who Friend in Five is meant to be.