OVERLAY REPORT

In the 1963 film *The Courtship of Eddie's Father*, the primary conflict is a **clash of priorities and emotional needs between Tom Corbett (Glenn Ford) and his young son, Eddie (Ronny Howard)** regarding Tom's romantic life after the death of Eddie's mother. ### The Primary Conflict The conflict centers on a fundamental disagreement over who should become the new maternal figure in their home. * **Eddie’s Choice:** Eddie is deeply attached to their next-door neighbor, **Elizabeth Marten (Shirley Jones)**. She is a warm, maternal, and practical nurse who was a friend of his late mother. Eddie views her as the perfect replacement because she makes him feel safe and understands his grief. * **Tom’s Choice:** Tom, struggling to move on from his wife’s death, is initially resistant to Elizabeth because she reminds him too much of his past life. Instead, he becomes enamored with **Rita Behrens (Dina Merrill)**, a sophisticated, wealthy fashion consultant. The tension reaches a breaking point because Rita is portrayed as "the wrong kind of woman" for a child—she is cold, uncomfortable around children, and eventually suggests that after they marry, Eddie should be sent away to live with Tom's brother so they can enjoy their "freedom." ### How the Conflict Started The conflict is rooted in the **shared grief of losing a wife and mother**, but it is triggered by two specific elements: 1. **The "Skinny Eyes" Theory:** Early in the film, Eddie explains his system for judging women to his father. He claims he can tell a "bad lady" by her "skinny eyes" (which he associates with coldness or cattiness) and a "good lady" by her "big, round eyes." When Tom begins dating Rita, Eddie immediately identifies her as having "skinny eyes," setting the stage for his unwavering opposition to her. 2. **The Dead Goldfish Incident:** The emotional volatility of the conflict is established early on when one of Eddie's goldfish dies. Eddie suffers a hysterical, disproportionate emotional breakdown. Tom is initially frustrated and demands Eddie "get over it," but Elizabeth is the one who steps in to comfort the boy, recognizing that his grief isn't about the fish, but about his mother. This incident proves to Eddie that Elizabeth is the only one who truly understands him, while simultaneously showing Tom's initial inability to handle the "messy" emotional needs of a grieving child. ### The Turning Point The conflict escalates when Tom ignores Eddie's feelings and proposes to Rita. The "start" of the final resolution occurs when Eddie **runs away from summer camp** after learning about the engagement. Instead of returning to his father, he seeks refuge at Elizabeth’s apartment. This crisis finally forces Tom to realize that his pursuit of Rita was an attempt to escape his grief rather than build a family, leading him to break off the engagement and finally pursue a relationship with Elizabeth.