Griffin has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Instead of quietly facing his death, he decides to have fun in the time remaining. At a college class on death, he meets Phoenix, who has terminal leukemia.
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At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.
The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Griffin and Phoenix is directed by Daryl Duke and is written by John Hill. The film stars Peter Falk and Jill Clayburgh.Geoffrey Griffin(Peter Falk)and Sarah Phoenix(Jill Clayburgh)meet at a lecture, they enjoy each others company; after getting talking they realise they want to spend more time together. Their friendship turns into love. Tragedy lies just around the corner though, because they are both dying.Neither wants to tell the other the truth, they just want to enjoy the time left to them. They are forced to face the truth when Phoenix discovers Griffin has a book about coping with terminal illness; she thinks he has been snooping around in her life and has found out about her illness, the book was actually for him to read for himself. During an emotional confrontation and argument on the beach, they confront and discuss the truth.We see how they deal with their illnesses and how they work on their relationship.This is one of the saddest films I have ever seen. Falk and Clayburgh are both excellent, their performances are so honest; you feel their pain and fear and you want both characters to be happy, even though we know that is only possible for a short time. The argument on the beach is a highlight for me, so powerfully acted. The scene where Falk takes his anger and grief out on his car really got me too. The hospital room sequence completely tore my heart out, beautifully acted by both Falk and Clayburgh.A moving film about love and loss. There is a remake, which is good but doesn't come close to this version.
It has been too many years since I last saw this film, but both Jill Clayburgh and Peter Falk are, in my opinion, perfectly cast as the two friends dying. I can barely remember any of the details, but the heart rending part at the end really stuck and even now, after all of this time, still moves me. If I recall correctly, Peter Falk returns to his car after Phoenix (Jill Clayburgh) dies and discovers he has a flat tyre. He proceeds to get the car jack out of the boot and something, I cannot remember what just makes him flip and he smashes all of the car windows. If I were in his shoes under those conditions, I would probably do the same thing. I hope someone will correct me if I am wrong about the ending, but that is the way I remember it. If you ever get the chance to see it, do so and if possible, try to record it. I hope I get the chance to see it again someday.
When I first saw this film on TV I was going through a bad time because of an expanding personal catastrophe. Although in no way really similar to the situation in "Griffin and Phoenix," my own problems -- and my somewhat romantic nature -- made me sympathetic to the situation realistically and lovingly created by Peter Falk and Jill Clayburgh.It has become one of my favorite films of the kind. If it is in some respects not always happy, it is thus more true to life. Love is in some aspect always tragic, even when it ends happily in marriage; but love, if it is truly that, is unending and undying. I feel this motion picture should share that fate.
... that is a love story with a very grown-up attitude toward death. Falk and Clayburg are excellent together. A TV movie classic that has been repeated a number of times--but, alas, not lately (to my limited knowledge)Both are dying, but neither knows the other is, and some dramatic misunderstandings are the result. I won't say any more--except to note that the ending is a classic.