The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

hyped garbage

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Anyone who has been struck by the lightning bolt of an affair that came out of nowhere will identify 100% with this one. I had read the book many years ago, but never seen the film until this year (2018). Eastwood really has produced a classic masterpiece. As others have said, the (over)acting by the son which really grates a bit, but after the 'flash forward ' shots of his the relief and enjoyment of getting back to the sensitivity and passion of the affair is all the more enjoyable. The fact this film is still fresh and grips one's attention after nearly 25 years speaks volumes.

An artfully made film about illicit,adulterous passion between middle-aged , bored , restless , small-town housewife , Mrs. Francesca Johnson / Meryl Streep & a National Geographic photographer, Robert Kincaid / Clint Eastwood ; a bachelor on assignment in Iowa for a week , to photograph its covered bridges in 1965.Although this film is portrayed as a great 'love' story- it is actually Francesca who takes the initiative to prey on an unsuspecting Robert and seduce him, with multiple offers to show him directions to a bridge he's searching for , later peeking at him through gaps in the wooden bridge , spying on him when he took off his shirt to wash up, invitations for lemonade at noon / dinner in the evening, when she's alone at home, going upstairs & tarting herself up with earrings for Kincaid's benefit.Each time the current activity runs out- Francesca ingeniously finds a new way to prolong her discourse with Kincaid by further plying him with fresh invitations.Robert appears genuine , friendly & genial and the two forge an instantaneous friendship. After a daytime encounter in a diner with Ms. Redfield , the town's 'bad woman', where Robert Kincaid sees how another adulterous woman is treated as an outcast by the townspeople , Kincaid contemplates putting the brakes on his new friendship with Mrs. Johnson. Being an out-of-towner, Kincaid had nothing to lose , yet he was not an opportunist & was empathetic enough to ernestly caution Francesca against going out on a friendly day trip with him while he worked , so that she wouldn't get 'compromised' around town .But Francesca was too unethical & determined in her pusuit of passion , excitement & her plans to see Kincaid , no matter what ( even loosely purchasing a new dress to go out with him ) Neither did having a 17 yr old son, a daughter & being married for two decades to a good & honest man, Richard Johnson & backstabbing him ( while he was away for 4 days at the Illinois state fair with their children ) weigh too heavily on Francesca - who was so determined to live vicariously through Robert Kincaid, questioning him closely about his travels / exotic destinations / romantic trysts which seemed exciting to her in contrast to her dull Iowa farm life.By the second evening Francesca manages to attain her goal & sleep with Kincaid experiencing passion in her dull life. They drive out of town on further day trips & jazz joints etc .When Francesca's 4 days of being alone are almost up ( before her family returned ) she , without provocation , lashes out at Robert ( who was consistently genial & gentlemanly - for a man who's sleeping with another's wife ) angry that she had reduced herself to just one of Kincaids romantic trysts from around the globe . Her anger didn't stem from any post-coital , adulterous regret or guilt about back-stabbing her poor husband ; but from her insecurity about being a plain , uninteresting farm wife who lived in the middle of nowhere and her longing to be special to someone exotic like Robert Kincaid.After her unkind ( & uncalled for ) attack, Robert Kincaid , always the gentleman , doesn't respond in kind , but shockingly rises to the occassion , assures her that his association with her is special to him and puts his money where his mouth is by asking her to leave with him , risking his own heart , instead of taking a more convenient ' wham,bam, thank you Ma'am ' exit . Mollified, Francesca packs up to elope with Robert, feeling validated & special. On their final dinner in the house, after getting whatever she wanted from Robert , Francesca hypocritically decides that now, her husband , Richard doesn't deserve to be treated so badly by her & neither do her children . Robert Kincaid who could've left unequivocally after a passionate 4 days tryst enjoyed by both sides, now has risked his heart after the admission of love & offer to elope forced out of him by Francesca's abusive tongue-lashing from before.He leaves the house broken-hearted, telling her that she may change her mind after her family arrives & that he will still be in town for a few more days - where she may see him & decide to leave with him after all. In the end we see Francesca out shopping with Richard who is clueless about his two-faced wife , when she runs into Robert who's very painfully & heartbreakingly , waiting in the rain without compromising her publicly , waiting to see if she'll leave with him. In the end , Francesca was neither true to Richard nor to Robert - she just used both men.She cheated on her husband and broke Kincaid's heart. Richard Johnson dies years later , never finding out the truth about how his wife abused his faith & Robert Kincaid dies being true to his illicit & misplaced 'love' thus never giving himself the chance to find real,clean love in a legitimate relationship with an honourable lady . Apparently this wasn't enough for Francesca who , after her death leaves journals for her middle aged children to catch up with their mother's thrilling indiscretion . Francesca claims she's being honest with them but like an exhibitionist , includes unnecessary erotic details .The only good outcome from the illicit passion was that after reading the journals & reflecting on the contents, Francesca's two children take a second look at their own lives & troubled marriages , with the son deciding to repair his relationship with his long suffering wife & the daughter deciding not to be a doormat to a philandering, weak husband.

The Bridges Of Madison County (1995)Plot In A Paragraph: Photographer Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson (An Oscar Nominated Meryl Streep) for four days in the 1960s.I can think of this movie without remembering a viscous fight with my childhood sweetheart!! As we got in to a heated argument just before we went in to see the movie!! I sat through the full movie in a foul mood, and I hated it!! I didn't rewatch it till last year!! It just goes to show how your mood can effect your enjoyment of a movie. I don't expect many here to have seen this movie, but I think it's wonderfully absorbing. The one nit pick I have is the scenes with Francesca's children in present day, slow it down and the movie is less interesting when they are on the screen.The Bridges Of Madison County grossed $71 million at the domestic box office to end 1995 as the 21st highest grossing movie of the year.

This is a film I'll never forget, especially after seeing it about a dozen times. But what makes this movie so unforgettable, aside from Meryl Streep's and Clint Eastwood's honest performances, is what it reveals about married life, especially mature relationships.Yes, this film is heartbreaking, but above all, it is an honest reflection about what the heart really wants, despite ones better judgment, and ultimately the compromises we all must face in our lifetime and the feelings we must suppress and deny, even at the expense of finding true happiness.This film is an absolute revelation about family, the sacrifices we make, and the circumstances we must settle for. Yet, it is also a story of loyalty and the difficult choices we face and live with, despite our deepest and most forbidden desires of the heart.