Love Letters (1999 TV Movie) User Reviews (20)

wonderful made for TV movie- very rare

[sapphet · 8/10 · 23 July 2006]

I was staying in a hotel in Beijing and found only one English channel. This movie was on and I watched until the end.

My pillow was wet.

Most made for TV movies don't appeal to me. They are usually too dramatic. Especially the ones about someone with a terminal illness.They milk the sympathy as much as possible to the point where you can hardly wait for the sick person in question to hurry up and die. Sounds terrible, but they fill the entire three hours with as much sap as they possibly can.

Love Letters was NOT one of those movies. It was just a remarkably poignant movie about Love and friendship that pulls those heartstrings in a completely non-manipulative way.

It was surprisingly beautiful, but I never knew what it was called until now. I just remembered the guy from Wings.

I've searched for a few years and finally found it here.

Now if only I could see it again.

Romantic story about time and Love

[SUPERNOVA HEIGHTS · 8/10 · 12 September 2003]

I watch this film late at night and I discover a good television film by Stanley Donen (The director of the great Singing in the rain)

It tell us a romantic story about a man and a woman who are very friends but they follow different ways,so they use letters to communicate both.

sometimes Movies make for television show us bad quality productions,but this little film teaches us that there are good lost films in the video or television.

Love Letters:Delicious Film

It's like watching a play on TV

[laura-60 · 6/10 · 13 April 1999]

This film was adapted from a play, and they must not have changed too much the way the acting is set up it's like watching a play on stage from your living room. The actors spend most of the scene in one room talking to one another in dialog as if they're reading letters to one another. Overall it's a good story, but it seems rather long and dragged out.

this *is* one of the most beautiful films ever made

[rlmac · 29 September 2001]

I stumbled across Love Letters on TV one morning and was immediately struck by the clever way in which its done. Re-reading all their old letters, delving into their past, reliving their history. How many of us havent done that? I was spellbound and stayed glued to the screen to the end. The film is so clever. It does stay in one place, rarely straying from the room, and some will find this boring, but have we lost all imagination that we have to have endless action and moving about to stay entertained? The story and the way the two characters relate to one another, weaving in and out of each others lives, is a masterpiece; and I am disappointed it never made it to the big screens (too boring hah?);- I would like to have bought it on video. (and DVD) I suppose in a sense it is like Steel Magnolias, but whereas that *can* be slow, and certainly sentimental, Love Letters, is sharp and unfussy. I only wish the years didnt pass by so quickly. Laura Linney is now my favourite actress, and I leap to record Love Letters each time it appears on TV (just in case!);- even the most unemotional of viewers will find something to appreciate.

It was OK

[AuroraSinistra · 6/10 · 11 October 2005]

This is a story about two friends keeping in touch with each other throughout the years via writing letters. This is a very mild film, nothing really shocking, though not boring either. It is sort of interesting to see what happens to these people as they get older, but it's hard to relate with the high class problems they have. These two people's "problems" are problems that most of us wish we would have...meaning they go on and on about silly things (such as trying to decide whether to live in Florence or New York on a huge inheritance from her grandmother) and are self-absorbed.

What did keep me watching this was purely the fact that I went to a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas a few years ago, and Nana Visitor and Rene Auberjonois (from Deep Space Nine) did a live, shortened rendition of this movie (or a previous version of this movie since it seems to be a remake). They rocked and did a much better job of making the characters accessible.

Give this one a shot; you won't be sorry

[jadeacl · 7/10 · 23 August 2000]

That's the problem with cable tv, too many choices at one time and not enough television sets and eyes to go around.

I chose to watch Love Letters and I'm glad I did. Into the first couple of minutes when the characters began to talk to the camera I got a little scared because these type of shows tend to bore me after a bit. But I stuck it out and I was rewarded.

I last saw Steven Weber in a Hallmark production about the Gulf War but I remember him most as Brian on the sitcom Wings. I've always had problems placing him as a dramatic actor but now I have little doubt he can pull it off.

Laura Linney touched my heart with her portrayal of a woman scared to be in love.

Having gone back on the video and realizing that it was originally set on the stage, I'm so interested in seeing what that was like.

I give this movie a 7/10.

Excellent well acted and exquisitely produced movie

[pachecofamily · 10/10 · 18 January 2005]

My wife and I did not realize that this movie was made in 1999 since we had never seen it come to theaters. Because we are fans of Laura Linney, we had an interest in viewing it. We were not disappointed and thoroughly enjoyed the acting and the story line which proved to be very engaging. This is a movie for thinking adults who love the theater and do not need for a movie to have stunts, special effects and noise. The movie's message is timeless and realistically represents situations many of our age group have encountered. The actors work very hard to keep the viewers interest in a setting that is quite challenging. Hollywood rarely takes risks but I'm glad they did on this movie.

Mesmerizing

[lgibbs-1 · 10/10 · 11 February 2006]

This movie was so intriguing from the moment I began to watch it, as I lay in bed trying to fall asleep, that I could not close my eyes. The method used in telling this story was new and unusual and it grabbed me from the start, and I could not turn it off. I was captivated. I wanted to see how it all came about and where it would end. I began to wonder how many others would relate to this story especially with the advent of email letters. I know there are those who live by and are attached to another's consistent words. It certainly hit home to me as to how a love can be so far removed from our own daily life, and how easy we can eliminate those you probably should have loved. Who would have thought such diverse emotions would have accompanied this movie. I have always enjoyed Laura Linney, but this movie made her a favorite for me, as well as Steven Weber. Their acting was superb. To me the movie was intense, very touching, and so eloquently done that I did not want it to end.

Well, not much good to say...

[katied28 · 4/10 · 6 May 2005]

I have to say that this was a really disappointing film. The acting was wooden and stilted, and the story line was just odd. And what really got me was how out of character Andrew Ladd got- what happened to all his responsibility? Did he not think that having an affair with a mentally unstable woman, who by the way, was suppose to be his best friend, wouldn't hurt her immensely? What kind of friend was he to her to use her like that? That isn't romance, that's sick. I did like Laura Linneysomewhat at times, and their chemistry was okay. But to sit through it was dreadfully boring as I couldn't see anything but a male character who was so stereotyped, it was awful.

Romantic & Though Provoking

[catwoman · 9/10 · 14 May 1999]

This movie was very well done. The history of the life long affair and correspondence of Melissa and Andrew was involved and captured my attention from the start. The movie reminded me of the power of words in a relationship. It brought tears to my eyes by the end of movie. It was wonderful and I hope that it is released on video for purchase, as I forgot to start my VCR.

Not worth it

[marenuts · 3/10 · 15 June 2005]

This movie isn't that great kids, not even if you love sappy romantic movies. Why? Because it isn't romantic, just sappy. The entire plot was, to me, incredibly frustrating, because it all revolves around two people too selfish to admit they love each other, yet both have the time and patience to write letters to one another for their entire lives. The acting struggles, although it's not horrible when one thinks of the plot they have to work with. Anyway, their lives where unbelievable, not as in amazing, but as in "no way! that's lame," and not as in I have no imagination or cannot handle fiction, but as in, this movie's trying to be real, and this really is silly. Anyway, the simplicity of the shots and the fact that it feels like we're watching a play is about the only thing that saves this movie from being totally lame. However, there was potential in a story/movie/play like this and it disappoints me that the potential was left alone. Anyway, this is just my meager opinion and frankly, why would anybody care what I think?

Charming Love Story

[Aglaia000 · 9/10 · 14 June 2006]

This is a charming film. Rather than attempting to dazzle its audience with special effects, Love Letters chooses to delve into the intricate relationship between two life-long friends and lovers (Andy and Melissa). At the same time, the script allows for an analysis of interpersonal relationships. How do our parents shape us? What part do our circumstances ultimately play in how our lives proceed? How much should one sacrifice for love? And how strong can love be?

Stanley Donen did a beautiful job of making a movie that never leaves one room span an entire world of emotions. Although there are flashbacks into different parts of the characters' lives, the true action of the movie never leaves Andy's home library. Donen peppers his set with details that are revealed throughout the course of the film. Indeed, a library seems the only possible setting once one realizes the importance of words in this film. Witty and heart-wrenching, Love Letters is a fabulous text that has been well-rendered on the small screen.

On a less critical note, I adored this movie. Now I'm in search of a copy of the play. I'd like to compare how the screenplay differed from the original play.

A lovely story of friendship and love...

[eustfam · 9/10 · 28 August 2004]

Steven Weber's character and Laura Linney's character meet for the first time when they were both in 2nd grade...thus begins an enduring relationship which unfolds in the letters that have written to each other over the years...it is slow, but not boring at all...we see how their relationship progresses as they grow up...they have starkly contrasting personalities--he is solid, upright, sometimes stuffy but really kind at heart while she is a free spirit, unconventional and quirky at times...they would have made a great couple, one balancing the other out but their personality differences also led them to different paths which would converge every now and then but they just seemed to miss each other's path at crucial moments (!)...theirs was a love that wasn't meant to be. Sometimes I wish life were simpler than it really is, then it could have been "and they lived happily ever after..." I felt as if my heart was breaking but I still enjoyed it...the dialogue was great...the interaction between the lead actors was endearing... while it was heartbreaking, I will watch it again!

Much more innovative than your usual TV crap

[day-of-drama · 27 August 2002]

I saw this movie as a morning feature on private cable, and to inform myself I read the comments on IMDB, which do not serve the movie well. True, it is a bit quirky at times, which one can obviously trace back to it being made for cable, but all in all it was damn capturing and very innovative. The way the whole love- and life story of the two very different characters unfolds in the single room of a private office, is quite unusual and striking at times. Laura Linney, one of the best and most subtle actresses working at the moment, portrays all the guilt and shame and anger of a life gone awry, of pain drenched in alcohol, while Steven Weber, a little pale next to her boosting energy, does quite well in showing a man who has to keep his life in control, even though his heart cries out for his life-long best friend and the love of his life. I mean, this really is not a waste of time! And its not like watching a play on TV, its like watching a relationship, unfolding in all its little twists and turns and complications, changing and dwindling in time. Absolutely recommendable.

one of the most poignant movies I have ever seen. ?

[SS5841 · 1/10 · 28 February 2004]

I want to purchase a copy of this movie. Who can help me find a source for the purchase ? I will appreciate your help. The acting was superb and the story line unique and touching. I am hoping that it will be aired again but certainly will buy a copy the moment it becomes available. Providing ten lines for comment is easy but it would be repetition. I could just repeat how much I liked the film and how anxious I am to own a copy.

Sweet and Sentimental - Keep Tissues Handy For Tears

[jayraskin1 · 10/10 · 6 April 2010]

This movie was Stanley Donen's swan song. He made a lot of great movies like "Singing in the Rain," "Damn Yankees," and "Charades". This isn't quite as good, but it does show his terrific cinematic craftsmanship. The movie that this most resembles is Donen's "Two for the Road," which starred Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. There Donen also showed a long time romance through lots of wonderful short scenes. This one is more linear and easier to follow than "Two for the Road," however this one is also more predictable and has a bit less passion.

Laura Linney really stands out. I know her from her excellent work in the movie "Kinsey" She's much younger here, but really is delightful to watch. Steven Weber is okay and turns in an interesting performance as man who rises in the world, but doesn't end up that satisfied.

The movie raises an interesting question which it never really answers: how much do we owe to the people who love us? The male character, Andrew, would apparently answer, "Not Much," and the female character, Melissa, would answer "A lot". I love the way Laura Linney just hints at the end that Andrew is more responsible for Melissa's condition than he cares to admit.

One can defend Andrew. He did not deceive Melissa at any time and he only chose what was best for himself. He never abandoned his comfort zone. From Melissa's point of view, he chose her when she was 7 years old and then abandoned her as an adult. He was cruel and irresponsible towards her.

It is nice that the movie lets each character have their own point of view and doesn't judge anybody. It is up to each of us to do that.

The author and Donen have done an excellent job of opening out the stage play. Only occasionally does it feel stage bound. For the most part, due to the excellent editing, it is quite cinematic and well paced.

Not like the stage play

[bnicholls · 19 August 2001]

If you have seen the live stage play, the movie version has no resemblance to it whatsoever in terms of overall concept, other than the basic plot. The stage play, or reading might be a better description, forces the audience to listen, and use their imagination. It is a unique and fascinating production. If you liked the movie, there is no guarantee that the stage version would be your cup of tea.

Engaging and Romantic

[Sarah-19 · 10/10 · 18 April 1999]

Translating a play to television is difficult, but in this version, the transition is seamless. Kudos to Laura Linney for her ability to play both carefree and hopeless. And Steven Weber is irresistible. I hope this will be available for purchase soon. It will definitely be part of my library.

Bravo on Excellent Production!

[Tim-198 · 10/10 · 27 April 1999]

One of the hardest things is taking a play and make it watchable on television. Love Letters accomplished this with little variance from the actual play. Up and coming future star, Richard Anselmo, gave an " Oliver Type" of performance in only his second dramatic role on television. The overall acting by the leads was fantastic to say the least. Bravo on a job done well!

Moving

[timawa · 14 December 1999]

I work at home with the TV on. I usually just listen to whatever movie is playing but when this movie started, I tried to work at first glancing once in a while on the screen. But as the movie wore on, I just had to stop work and just sit in front of the TV so as not to miss anything. By the end if it I was shedding tears. I found this to be a truly moving movie and I can't wait to see it again. Steve Weber and Laura Linney put in tremendously subtle yet passionate performances that I've put them in my mental list of actors/actresses to watch from now on.