The Love Letter (1999)

Don't Believe the Hype

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

If you rated male, marital indiscretions on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being forgetting to take out the trash, and 10 being adultery, being forced to watch this movie is the punishment you'll get for level 9.Any woman can probably watch and enjoy this with no problem. The stars, crew and production values are fine. But for me it's like you distilled all the worst horrors of Bridges of Madison County and anything from a Tori Spelling TV movie and injected them straight into my pain center.If you tried to make a movie a straight man couldn't watch without being repelled, you could not do better. I can only hope there is a movie out there somewhere that affects women equally. Probably something starring Robert Z'Dar, or maybe a Godzilla flick. Perhaps Monster a-Go Go (No, that's an equal opportunity nightmare).My mission is clear. I must avoid all level 9 indiscretions.

Ellen DeGeneres is always funny, but Blythe Danner plays Kate Capshaw's mother in this film...Blythe Danner is only 10 years older than Kate Capshaw.. Don't flatter yourself Kate, just because your husband is a billionaire, doesn't mean you'll never age. In a out east way this movie has some charm. If it weren't for the clear gay support of the film, you'd think the homosexual references were a little much. The script has "Sundance" written all over it, but the filming is a weak attempt. If you're ready for a movie that's purely entertaining with no actual meaning or moral point, A.K.A a date movie, this is it."The Love letter" is simple and not hardly as mysterious as it would aim to be.

So well done. The photography, sound, music and the performances were the best. It's also an amusing story line that brings a smile to your face with each scene--I loved it and I'm a 60 year old heterosexual guy. Each character seemed to fit their part to a tee. It's the best performance that I've seen from Ms. Capshaw--she's been in more movies than I thought, but this was a wonderful achievement. I suppose it's a plus to have Spielberg money behind you allowing for a fat budget and all the best that money can buy technically. Two of the cast have successful T.V. shows of their own now--it's easy to see why. Tom Selleck does his usual good job.

We avoided watching this movie when it was released commercially, even though we had read Cathleen Schine's novel in which this movie is based on. Director Peter Chan's take on the story looks good on the screen; what with the picturesque setting of Rockford, Ma., as the background and all the cute houses where the story takes place. The result is a film that is easy on the eye, but alas, like eating a Chinese dinner, it leaves us hungry for more.Helen, the owner of a book store, finds a letter between the cushions of the couch of the shop. She reads it, and it sounds intriguing, because the writer goes to express how deeply he feels for the person the letter has been sent to. Since it has no name, Helen assumes it has been intended for her alone. She believes Johnny, the young assistant, has sent it to her. The young man, who likes the older Helen, is only too happy to tell her how he feels about her.Basically, "The Love Letter" is a story about missed opportunities. Helen who was in love with George, the local chief firefighter, married someone else, but her marriage failed. George also is getting a divorce. George confesses he had gone away to New York when he was younger to get away from Helen and his life in town and he had also sent her a postcard from New York, which Helen had kept, but had not read the message inserted within the card. It's at this moment when Helen comes to her senses when she realizes her affair with Johnny is only a summer fling.The film will be liked by the audience for which it was targeted. Kate Capshaw, who produced the movie, is fine as Helen. Tom Everett Scott plays Johnny. Blythe Danner, Geraldine McEwen, Julianne Nicholson, Tom Selleck, Ellen DeGeneres, and the rest of the cast do good work also.The film has an ironic twist at the end when the real recipient of this letter is revealed.