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 TV Adaptaion of a Popular Play Oct 25, 2008
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As presented on stage, A.R. Gurney's popular play features an actor and actress seated at a table, reading a series of letters that describe their lifelong relationship. In fact, during the height of its popularity back in the early 1990s, Los Angeles audiences were treated to an ever-changing cast of stars, each pair staying with the production for a week or so, then relinquishing the stage to another duo.
For this 1999 television adaptation, under the direction of Stanley Donen, Gurney opens up his play somewhat. True, most of it takes place in one room, with the two principals speaking the contents of their letters to each other, but this approach, surprisingly, works very well.
Steven Weber plays a U.S. Senator who has just attended the funeral of his friend, Laura Linney. Alone in his office, he begins to read the letters that they wrote to each other over the years, and Linney's spirit appears to deliver her half of the communications, thus the scenes play as a dialogue.
The two characters had met in grade school where they immediately fell in love. However, the fact that Linney was a rebellious, free-spirited girl, while Weber was more serious and down-to-earth, kept them from consummating their romance, except for a brief affair. Both married others, yet each was the great love of the other's life.
The actors are terrific in one of the most moving films I've ever seen. I can't recommend this one too highly.
© Michael B. Druxman, author of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 OMG are you serious? This was awful! Mar 19, 2008
I will go on record to say that this was positively awful. The correspondence between two lifelong friends, Melissa and Andy, was trite and ultimately boring beyond words. This 1999 Canadian television production could not have paired together two more unsuited actors in Laura Linney, a superior actress with the lifeless and untalented Steven Weber. Weber's performance was so stultifying that any hint of chemistry between the two was lost. After seeing this done live on stage in 1998 as a reading, this teleplay adapted by the playwright A.B.Gurney himself had all of the stage emotion and life choked from it with Weber's numbing performance and Lee Holdridge's sappy 1970-esque musical scoring. The stage play was average, but the teleplay is dreadful.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Haunting Sep 04, 2007
I echo all the comments of the 8 reviews here. I watched it last
evening. Woke up at 4 am thinking about this film. I rented it at
Movie Gallery just by chance. I have a feeling this one will be with
me for a long time. Haunting!!! I doubt I will buy as it's just too sad
to see a second time. My first review. This from a 68 year old male,
go figure.
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
OH MY GOSH! Mar 13, 2007
I saw this first as a play in Mpls. I was so blown away by it and how much it hit a part of me I didn't know I had. I found the play in writing and have enjoyed it time and time again. Now, I am so excited about the movie! It is one you just can't stop enjoying. My husband can never get enough "Top Gun" for me it's "Love Letters".
3 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Beautiful film! Jun 12, 2006
This is one of my favorite movies. It's a quiet little film, very different than anything else I've ever seen. It's beautiful, moves me to tears every single time. The story is beautiful and the actors portray their roles perfectly. I highly recommend it!
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