LOVE LETTERS
US, 1998, 84 minutes, Colour.
Laura Linney, Steven Weber.
Directed by Stanley Donen.
Love Letters is a television version of the celebrated stage performance, Love Letters, by A.R. Gurney. Since the late 80s, the play has been performed by celebrated actors and actresses around the world. The play focuses on Melissa and Andy, childhood friends, with the possibility of marriage, but with hesitance on Andy's part, each of them marries someone else. Over many decades they correspond by letters.
Laura Linney shows once again what an excellent actress she is, her body language, facial expressions as well as her delivery of dialogue bring the character vividly to life. She is well matched by Steven Weber as Andy. The film uses many devices to dramatise the artificiality of the basic play: the characters appearing to one another, watching their past lives, interacting at particular stages of their life.
The film is directed by Stanley Donen, almost fifty years after he began a celebrated career, especially in its early years with Gene Kelly and On The Town and Singin' In The Rain.
1. The status of the play? Performed all over the world? Its success? A two-hander for the performers? Audiences who have seen the play and their response to a television version?
2. The television style, its focus, the use of close-ups? The importance of the verbal interchanges? The devices used for opening out the action, the passing of the decades?
3. The particular devices: Melissa after her death appearing to Andy in his office, she and Andy sitting on a ledge watching their schooldays, their talking with each other, the college days, the action and interaction? Dramatising events? The use of photos and postcards? The differences in clothes, hair styles? The ageing process? The range of Christmas greetings from Andy and his family?
4. The title, the importance of letters for communication instead of personal interactions, Melissa and her wanting to use the phone? The final letter written by Andy to exorcise himself of Melissa's presence? The love letters, the nature of the love, childish, puppy love, college and immature love, adult love, from afar, despite the commitments? The final falling in love? The affair? Its consequences?
5. The locations, the east coast, the sequences in Vietnam, college, New York City, Washington, California? The film as a piece of Americana?
6. The portrait of Melissa and Andy, the audience knowing that Melissa has died? Age, experience? The two as children, their families, Melissa's mother and her remarriages, Andy's father and his high expectations, their not liking Melissa? In class, Andy and his little-boy infatuation, wanting to work with her? Melissa and her poise, her being a flirt? In class, at work, fighting, especially Andy and his standing up for Melissa? Andy and his success at sport? His being bullied by other kids? The dance, Melissa's flirting, Gretchen and her attraction towards Andy? Their each being sent to their boarding schools, the letters talking about what it was like, separation, hardships? Melissa and her self-assertion, leaving? Andy going to college, the invitation to Melissa to come and watch him play, the hotel, seedy, his inability to consummate their love? Melissa and her rationalisations? Her attraction towards Darwin? Her going to Florence, her art? Developing her art over the decades? Andy going to Vietnam, her disbelief, his sense of duty, his work in Vietnam, the drama of his having to write letters to the parents of deceased veterans? His relationships in Vietnam, almost marrying, his father's disapproval? Melissa and her marrying Darwin, settling down, the two girls, the beginnings of her troubles, his affairs, her drinking? Her relying on Andy? Her wandering, art, giving it up, relationships, drinking, going to the institution - and Andy's visit, her embarrassment? Andy and his marriage, political, his work as a lawyer, with the Justices of the Supreme Court? The eventual decision to go to politics, her reaction? Her support, giving him the donation? Her ups and downs, the exhibitions, Andy coming to see her work? Her taunting him to take risks, his coming back? The beginning of the affair? The consequences? His decision to stay with his family? The election? The meeting in Central Park, being rude to the well-wisher? The separation, his landslide success? Melissa and her going to the institution, the collapse, her death? Andy and the funeral, its effect? His future career - and the final letter and the closure of the relationship with Melissa?
7. Strong character-drawing, the ups and downs of lives of ordinary people, audiences identifying with the personalities, with their crises?
