MARRIAGE: JUST A PIECE OF PAPER? {COKIE ROBERTS} (TV)
Summary
This documentary focuses on the state of marriage, looking back on its history, addressing present-day changes, and speculating on its future. Cokie Roberts, who states that she has been married for 35 years, serves as host and narrator. The program begins by citing that a typical American wedding has 185 guests and costs upward of $20,000. However, statistics cite that one-third of all couples experience divorce, and that one-third of children are currently born to unmarried women. The narrative then flashes back to the 1960s, when marriage was at its peak of popularity. Causes cited for the changes include: the feminist revolution (women became less economically dependent on a husband); the sexual revolution (women and men had more freedom to have sexual relations outside of their marriage); the psychological revolution (during which more emphasis was put on self-fulfillment than family obligations); and California's no-fault divorce law from 1969, which eliminated either party taking responsibility for the divorce. William H. Doherty, marriage and family therapy director at the University of Minnesota, talks about "starter marriages," which aren't expected to last longer than a "starter house." The effects of divorce on children, such as feelings of guilt and abandonment, are also addressed. The program then looks back at the religious origins of marriage, and how it evolved from a contract between two families to the introduction of voluntary consent. A married couple of 38 years discuss why their union has proven successful, leading to an exploration of where marriage is headed in the 21st century. Sen. Joseph Lieberman suggests that the government should get involved in marriage, citing the importance of a two-parent, mother-father family. Gov. Frank Keating of Oklahoma adds that divorce leads to poverty, thus recommending that pre-marital counseling should be required. The program concludes by questioning if gays have the right to marry and wondering about the future of the first generation of children that grew up in "the divorce years."
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: February 14, 2002 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:56:48
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:75009
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Cokie Roberts); Marriage
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV, 2002
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bryan Zises … Senior Producer
- Kathleen Anderson … Producer
- Bruce Boyer … Producer, Director
- Barbara Dafoe Whitehead … Writer
- Steve Samler … Music by
- Cokie Roberts … Host
- William H. Doherty
- Frank Keating
- Joseph Lieberman