Eunice

Eunice

Year: 1982

Runtime: 75 mins

Language: English

Director: Roger Beatty

ComedyTV Movie

The film follows the Harper family across four years. In 1955 Eunice prepares for a party as her brother Phillip heads to New York. By 1963 married Eunice and husband Ed welcome novelist Phillip visiting Mama. In 1973 a divorced Eunice lives with Mama. In 1978, after Mama’s funeral, Eunice returns with Ellen and Phillip, confronting a truth.

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Timeline & Setting – Eunice (1982)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Eunice (1982). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1955, 1963, 1973, 1978

Spanning 23 years, the narrative follows Eunice from the mid-1950s through the late 1970s. It traces shifts in social norms and the evolving role of women as they chase artistic dreams while navigating family obligations. The chronology highlights key milestones—marriage and divorce, Pulitzer prize success, a funeral, and a life-changing move to Los Angeles—that shape Eunice’s path.

Location

New York City, Thelma Harper's house, Los Angeles

Set across New York City in the 1950s, the family home of Thelma Harper anchors a large portion of the story, while Los Angeles later becomes the backdrop for Eunice and Phillip’s film ambitions. Thelma’s house serves as the central hub for family life across the years, highlighting intimate moments and conflicts. New York City introduces opportunity and aspiration, whereas Los Angeles embodies dreams of fame and the risks that come with pursuing them.

🏙️ City 🏠 Home 🎬 Film industry

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:47

Main Characters – Eunice (1982)

Meet the key characters of Eunice (1982), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Eunice Higgins (Carol Burnett)

An aspiring actress who longs to break free from the life her family has planned for her. She battles between loyalty to her relatives and the pull of personal ambition. Across the four acts, she moves from dependence toward independence, with a pivotal decision to join Phillip in Los Angeles.

🎭 Dreamer ❤️ Determined 🧭 Conflicted

Ellen (Betty White)

Eunice’s sister who participates in the family dynamic and its tensions. She demonstrates a sharp, outspoken presence within the family and complicates the sisters’ relationship, especially during confrontations in later acts.

🎭 Sister 🗣️ Expressive 🕊️ Family

Ed (Harvey Korman)

Eunice’s former partner, who marries and later appears with mixed motives. He is at once pragmatic and opportunistic, seeking reconciliation while pursuing a new hardware venture.

🎭 Partner 💼 Opportunist 🧔 Husband

Phillip Higgins (Ken Berry)

Eunice’s brother who becomes a bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner. He embodies the success that both inspires and complicates Eunice’s ambitions, and later urges her toward a life in film.

🎭 Writer 🏆 Accomplished 🧭 Ambitious

Mama Harper (Vicki Lawrence)

The family’s matriarch whose anxiety and care shape the household. Her presence keeps the family tied to tradition even as the family’s fortunes shift, culminating in her funeral that frames the late-arc reflections.

🧶 Maternal 🗨️ Talkative 🏠 Family anchor

Carl Higgins (Dick Clair)

The patriarch who has died before the main events unfold; his memory and the visit to his grave influence the family's sense of history and duty.

🕯️ Absent 🧔 Patriarch 🧭 Memory

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:47

Major Themes – Eunice (1982)

Explore the central themes of Eunice (1982), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🌟 Dreams

An aspiring actress, Eunice wrestles with the pull between family duty and personal ambition. The pursuit of fame collides with the expectations of relatives, leading to tense choices and emotional confrontations. The theme centers on whether personal dreams can coexist with family obligations.

🗺️ Family

Family bonds anchor the narrative, even as they constrain and complicate personal desires. Thelma’s anxious care, Ed’s exit and return, and Phillip’s success all test loyalty and forgiveness. Reunions, conflicts, and eventual reconciliations reveal the persistent pull of kinship.

⏳ Change

Across decades, characters evolve as circumstances shift: marriages form and end, careers rise and shift, and hopes are redefined. The story foregrounds how time pushes Eunice toward new possibilities, yet leaves her with the question of what she is willing to sacrifice for change.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:47

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Eunice Summary

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Eunice Summary

Eunice Timeline

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Eunice Timeline

More About Eunice

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