TEARS IN THE RAIN
UK, 1988, 100 minutes, Colour.
Sharon Stone, Christopher Cazenove, Anna Massey, Maurice Denham, Leigh Lawson.
Directed by Don Sharp.
Tears in the Rain is one of the Harlequin romances made during the 80s by Yorkshire television. The production values were extraordinarily high, even lavish. The directors were prominent British directors for example Don Sharp for this film. The material is fairly perdictable and designed for tear jerking responses. They are highly emotional.
In the series, the heroine was usually a glamorous American. The here was a titled Englishman. The settings are the Continent and England. Money is no object - and the characters often have a predilection for training racehorses as well as succeeding in big business. They always have country estates. Sharon Stone (Total Recall, King Soloman's Mines) is the glamorous American heroine. Christopher Cazenove (Heat and Dust, Three Men and a Little Lady) is the romantic hero. The supporting cast includes Anna Massey, Maurice Denham and Paul Daneman as well as Leigh Lawson as a very anglofile Arab. The film pre-supposes the very conventially, romantic dream values of marriage, money and title, happy ever after.
1. An enjoyable romance? The Harlequin romance style - for the widest of popular audience, the "Womens" audience? The emotional response?
2. The title and its evication?
3. Introduction values: English settings, London, country estates? The world of wealth? The romantic score?
4. Casey, her presence in England, walking in the rain, scaling the wall, the encounter with Michael, her angry response? Her mission to give the letter to Lord Braydon? The friendship with Michael, his seeking her out in the hotel? Dining together? The meeting with his Arab friend? Information about Lord Bridon? Going to London, approaching his office, his hostile and accusation of blackmail? Her trying to work out what to do? Michael seeking her out, social and falling in love, the sexual encounter? The rivalry from the Arab friend? The hostility of Itibard at the banquet? Her being ousted? Michael's anger? Their meeting, discussions, her talking with her mother's friends? Piecing together the story of her mother and Richard? The friend finding out the information about her from America? Lord Braydon and the reading of the letter, his relenting? Lady Emily and her telling Casey the truth about his mother, Michael being her son? The suggestions of unwitting incest? Her grief? going back to America? The Arab friend and his looking at the documents, the discovery of her being adopted - and audiences guessing that this would be the ease for the happy ending? The final confrontation and the happy ending, wealth and a title as well?
5. Michael, English lord, the encounter with Cawey, infatuated with her, seeking her out, the meals, the outings? His friend? Clashes with his father? The outburst against Casey at the dinner? His own anger? Exploring the truth with her? The story of his mother? The romance, the seeming frustration of the romance? the truth about his relationship with his father, Jessie as his mother? The happy ending?
6. The friend, attracted to Casey, in the confidence of Lord Braydon? Finding the information? Suspicious, supportive, finding out the key element of Casey's being adopted?
7. Richard, his strained relationsip with Emily? The businessman? His relationship with his son? His anger towards Casey, the rejection of the letter, the outburst? The importance of the flashbacks and building up the story? The Air Force, meeting Jessie, her singing, the romance? Her husband killed in action? The outings, the bombing raids, the proposal? Her sudden disappearance? Emily and the flashbacks and the truth: the information about Frank being alive, the note from Richard, the message from Jessie and Emily cruelly not giving them to either? The truth about Jessie's return to america, care for her husband, the letter? The final truth about the adoption?
8. Emily, friendship, ambition for Richard, not giving the messages, her cruelty, cruelty to Casey?
9. The supporting characters - at Braydon Hall, the Arab chauffeur and his kindliness?
10. Themes of romance, wartime romances and perpetual fidelity, interventions, the finding out of truth after decades? Suggestion of impossible love - with the incest suggestions, yet the happy ending for this kind of Harlequin romance?
