LOVE AFFAIR

US, 1994, 108 minutes, Colour.
Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Katherine Hepburn, Garry Shandling, Ray Charles, Paul Mazursky, Brenda Vaccaro.
Directed by Glenn Gordon Carron.

Love Affair is a remake of an original screenplay for Leo Mc Carey’s 1937 film with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. It was remade, and is probably best remembered, in Mc Carey’s 1957 An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and also its theme song.

In plot, this remake is close to the original. However, Warren Beatty does not have the suave screen presence of Charles Boyer or Cary Grant. He is a former football star, on the media circuit. Annette Bening was beginning her screen career at this time. The film is notable for the last appearance of Katherine Hepburn on screen as Warren Beatty’s aunt. There are interesting character actors in support including Gary Shandling as Beatty’s agent and Paul Mazursky and Brenda Vaccaro as a traveling couple. There is a final theatre performance with Ray Charles’ playing the piano.

The film is now interesting, not as a remake of Love Affair or An Affair to Remember but rather as a portrait of Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, who married, had four children, and remained together for several decades, Beatty finally settling down in real life. A lot of the dialogue seems to mirror his experience with Annette Bening. It was co-written with Robert Towne who collaborated with Beatty on Heaven can Wait.

There is a gentility about the original film as well as the remake, the gravitas of the performers. However, this is a film of the media and tourist nineties.

1. The film and its nineties setting? Remake of the 1930s? The 1950s? The closeness of the plot and its details?

2. A star vehicle for Warren Beatty in the 1990s, his career over many decades, his reputation in real life, the screenplay capitalising on these? Annette Bening? At the beginning of her screen career? Her relationship with Beatty, marrying him, children, the family, many decades? A screenplay reflecting the relationship? The screenplay as a kind of love letter from Beatty to Annette Bening?

3. The atmosphere of the media, affluence? Los Angeles, the world of sport, agents? Celebrities and engagements? The scenes on the plane, on the boat? The atmosphere of the Pacific and the tropics? The visit to Michael’s aunt and her lavish home? The New York settings, the Empire State Building, taxis and the streets, theatre?

4. The musical score, the range of popular songs, especially on the boat? The theme of the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing?

5. Michael, Warren Beatty in his mid fifties, the former football champion, the celebrity, the media, his engagement, getting away from photographers? His friendship with his agent? Plans? On the plane to Sydney? Seeing Terry? The attraction, changing seats in the plane? Their discussions, her leading him on about a relationship? Turbulence, the landing in the Cook Islands? His plans? And the boat? Interactions with the tourists, especially the couple? Contriving to meet with Terry, breaking down her resistance, the truth? The photographer and avoiding him? The boat stopping, going to visit his aunt, the lyrical aspects of the bike, the boat, meeting his aunt, his love for her? The return to New York, the plan to meet in three months time, the Empire State Building? His return, his agent, getting the coaching job, the possibility of a better job, encountering his ex-fiancée, the theatre, seeing Terry, finding her, the visit, his being at the Empire State Building and her not coming, his talk with her, her covering, the painting and his giving it away, in her room, the realization that she was crippled? The future?

6. Terry, music, decoration of homes? On the plane, her fiancé? Avoiding Michael, talking with him, the attraction, her plans, on the boat, talking with Michael, drinking, the hangover? His taking her to see his aunt? The aunt’s reaction, critical or questioning? Their talking together, the friendship, the aunt’s being frank about Michael? Michael’s visiting her home and it being empty, her death? Terry, her friends, discussion about dates, her teaching music, with the children, hurrying to the Empire State Building, the accident, hospital, Ken and his support, her recovery, going to the concert, seeing Michael, his visit, her sitting on the lounge, pretending that she had gone to the Empire State, her unwillingness to tell him the truth? His discovery, her future?

7. Katherine Hepburn as the aunt, her last performance, her age, her screen presence? Her home, in the Pacific, the piano and her playing, her love for Michael, worry about him and commitment, her friendly talking with Terry, their becoming friends, sharing opinions, the farewell? The pathos of the news about her death?

8. Ken, banker, business-like, self-focused, relationship with Terry, outings, the break, the accident, supporting her in hospital, the theatre?

9. Michael’s fiancée, on television, celebrity, the communication, the breakup, meeting each other at the hotel?

10. The agent, his style, getting jobs, confusions, double takes?

11. The couple on the plane, their chatter, on the boat, his flirting, her reprimands? Tourists?

12. The basic ingredients for a romance, the comic touches, the sentiment?