Wow!!!! I bought this a couple of years ago but never had the chance to watch it. I am glad I did.
I believe the characters, I believe the story. Then again, when it is two superb craftsmen as Mary Tyler Moore and Robert Preston, it is quite easy. Incredible nuance in both of their performances, never a false note.
And Sam Waterston is a hoot!!! My wife and I are Law & Order addicts and to see him in this role was hysterical.
I wish Hollywood still made movies like this! This movie was released in 1985 direct to cable TV on HBO.
Romantic-Drama. It's really not a comedy. There are some humorous moments, just as in real life, but the overall tone of the movie is serious.
This movie does not have an MPAA rating. I would rate it as PG-13 because of mild violence, adult content and adult dialog.
Mike Finnegan (Robert Preston) is a newspaperman. When he turned 65 and was forced to retire, the Managing Editor kept him on to write the lonely-hearts column as "Felicity Hope." Mike is not a good fit for the job. His replies are filled with bitterness and morality, which is causing a drastic drop in the number of letters received. His attitude may be because of his own marital situation. His wife, Margaret (Silvia Sydney), is 75 years old and suffers from senile dementia. Despite his personal troubles, he's always a public symbol of cheer when he takes the bus to and from work every day. He greets everyone who boards with a smile and a compliment.
Liz DeHaan (Mary Tyler Moore) is a teacher in her mid-forties. She's widowed and having an affair with a married man, Paul Broadbent (Sam Waterston). Liz keeps up hope that Paul will eventually leave his wife, so she continues to meet him once a week in a run-down apartment on the bad side of town. She takes the bus to their rendezvous so their cars won't be seen together on the street.
On the bus is where Mike and Liz meet. Mike notices Liz is troubled and, because he is an observant newspaperman, deduces this is caused by her present relationship. When he tries to help her by explaining what he has determined by observing her, he actually scares her because he is 100% correct and she thinks that what he knows may cause trouble for her and Paul. Mike allays her fear by confiding some of his own history that relates to her present situation, which also explains why he hasn't left his wife and why he isn't such a good fit as the newspaper's advice columnist.
So now Liz and Mike are friends, although Mike is not quite sure what to make of it all. Liz likes him because what he tells her is what she tells herself. She easily denies the truth when it's herself talking, but she listens when Mike says it. She doesn't understand why; maybe it's because he's completely blunt about it. Whatever it is, she likes it.
A distressing situation occurs and their friendship deepens, but neither of them notices because of their other troubled relationships. Eventually the strength of their friendship is tested.
Watch this movie to see how it all turns out. You won't regret it.
This movie is an A+ across the board.
Story: A+ The character development is excellent, true-to-life and very believable. The dialog is also real and believable. There's nothing corny or glamorous here. No hidden messages. No sugar sweetening.
Acting: A+ How can it be anything but A+ from this cast?
Robert Preston was one of this country's most under-appreciated performers. He was much more than just The Music Man. Sure, when you see him strut down the street with the boom box guy, you might think Harold Hill, and that's okay. It put a smile on my face.☺ He always covers all of the emotions with perfection. With Mike, he gets the chance to cover everything; happy, sad, love, pain.
Mary Tyler Moore is just plain perfect, as usual. She takes Liz from being completely tangled up in her affair that she can't see how wrong it is, then is confused yet intrigued by this strange but honest and concerned man until finally she's able to break free from her troubles.
Sam Waterston surprised me. He's very comical here and I'd never seen him in this type of role. He fits it well and he's very believable and actually makes me like Paul even though Paul is a louse.
Another part of why the main cast works is that their real ages are close to their character's ages. They look the part; they act the part.
Direction: A+ Another great job from Joan Micklin Silver. Full of emotions, evenly flowed.
Visuals: A+ Again, very real and nothing fancy. You don't feel like you're watching this story through a camera.
Great quotes: "If only flesh and spirit could grow at the same pace." "I did your ironing."
Other movies like this: Murphy's Romance (1985) Starring: Sally Field, James Garner
Duped Again! When I finally got the time to view this video, one of my all-time favorite movies, I discovered that it cut off near the end and begins again with the credits. What a disappointment! It was my understanding that I had ordered and paid for a new video -- apparently I've been duped again!
Shallow Love; Deep Love What a nice story! Truly one of those that you'll watch more than once. The evolution by Mary Tyler Moore's character with a rather "make-do" romance with Sam Waterston's character, a scheduled "weekly appointment", bland romance affair, to liking and truly gently loving an older, warmer, tender, and dry sense of humor Robert Preston character, is so delightful!! There are many funny scenes such as Mary and Sam in that muddy grave, and Robert Preston announcing in an awkward moment that "I did your ironing". So Finnigan learns to write his advice column with new vigor and finds true love too. The kind of fluffy story that romantics love, like me! We bought this video because we're collecting Sam Waterston movies. We think he's always excellent in his roles, and this one fits the bill again. Mary is the main character, and she's delightful and the attractive widow who found comfy love. Ah-h-h-h!!
Great movie... I saw this movie when it first came out and ran on cable TV. I went out of my way staying up late to see it as many times as it ran. Robert Preston and Mary Tyler Moore are both wonderful in their roles. Though I love the Music Man, I have to say this is my favorite Preston role. I loved this movie when I was 22 and love it more at 38. It means even more now that I'm married and have children. "Love isn't what you feel, it is what you do for each other." (*Maybe you won't believe it before you're married, married for 15 years and you'll know it!*) "I did your ironing." "I love you for doing my ironing." Rent it or buy it but watch it and love it... Finnegan Begin Again will become one of your favorite movies after the first viewing and gets better each time after.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
