Product Description: In Nashville, there are 10,000 singer-songwriters chasing success... with one chance in a million of getting it. For Miranda "no relation to Elvis" Presley (Samantha Mathis), that's one chance worth taking. Fresh from New York City, Miranda befriends three fellow hopefuls: shy Connecticut cowboy Kyle Davidson (Dermot Mulroney); Southern belle Linda Lue Linden (Sandra Bullock); and James Wright (River Phoenix), a cocky Texan with brooding good looks and a honeyed voice. Together they begin a rocky ride down Music City's well-worn highway, finding hope, heartbreak, happiness... and The Thing Called Love. Featuring songs and appearances by country music's hottest stars, The Thing Called Love will grab you like a great melody.
Amazon.com: If there was a universal collective, albeit repressed, dream, it would probably be to become a successful singer. People would take that singing in the car, singing in the shower, and even singing in the rain, and have it be their life's love and work. The Thing Called Love uses this popular aspiration as its setting and examines the lives of four young people hoping to make it in the country music universe. At the center is earnest Miranda Presley--no relation--(Samantha Mathis), the pretty but untalented Linda Lue (Sandra Bullock), the intense and talented James (River Phoenix), and the sweet and prolific Kyle (Dermont Mulroney). Popular country stars make appearances: K.T. Oslin (as Lucy, the owner of the Bluebell, where open-mike auditions are held), Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Katy Moffatt, Jo-El Sonnier, Pam Tillis, Kevin Welch, and even Trisha Yearwood. The film's not merely focused on the rich musical milieu and its talented cast. It also carefully examines the dynamic between friends who are also competitors, as well as a realistic love triangle between the leads. The Thing Called Love is primarily known as one of River Phoenix's last performances, but even if curiosity alone brings audiences to the movie, they'll soon be drawn into the fresh tale of four young people pursuing their dreams. --N.F. Mendoza
Absolutely love this movie This has been one of my favorite movies for years. Getting the extended version on DVD was wonderful. I think the loss of River Phoenix was devastating as he was such a great talent. The music and the stars in this movie work wonderfully together.
the thing called love I really enjoyed watching this movie again. I was unsure whether my DVD player would support the copy from Canada, but it was fine. The dvd was delivered quickly once the purchase had been completed, really happy about the customer service.
Love the cast and music I had seen this movie earlier on tv and loved it. I am glad that Amazon had it. To me it was an enjoyable film with country music (that I heard Phoenix helped with) and also had a love triangle. I just love River Phoenix and Dermot Mulroney and thought they did a great job, as well as Sandra Bullock and Samantha Mathis. There is very small nudity and a couple of swear words. All in all great film.
The Thing Called Love When playing the DVD, the movie gets to a certain scene, freezes, then skips the next scene and proceeds with the rest of the movie w/o incident. I have tried it on more than one DVD player and it does the same thing. The movie, itself, is a good movie.
Gorgeous actors...and a worthy near miss. This movie should have made Samantha Mathis a star. She is so beautiful in it you can barely take your eyes off her. Her face lights up almost every shot. I guess her performance must owe a lot to the direction of Peter Bogdanovich, who is pretty good with making his leading ladies appealing.
River Phoenix is fabulous inhabiting the role of a cocky young singer with a way with women. I was interested to learn on this site that he had actually cut some records before his death. I didn't love his voice, but his band sounded good and he moved his body the way you wish male country singers would. He is the anti-Dermot Mulrooney, who plays the passive, ineffectual male in just about every film he makes, and a worthy successor to the James Dean legend.
The story is cute, but slight, and somehow just misses greatness. There is a love triangle which seems a bit too pat, a best friend who seems stuck in there to prop up the leading lady...It just all misses somehow. But still...a worthy film about young people pursuing their dreams and experimenting with love, and a nice introduction to 1990's Nashville.
I apologize for commenting before I've seen the Director's cut. I hope there are enough extra scenes and director's information to make it worth buying the DVD. I'll come back and edit my review if I do decide to purchase it.
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