The Only Thrill
January. 04,1997 RA small-town store owner with a comatose wife shares a long-term relationship with his seamstress.
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Reviews
Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.
Redundant and unnecessary.
Best movie of this year hands down!
It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.
Diane Keaton plays herself, hitch script where she speaks the same way she does in movies over most recent years, except not funny! The story shows a love that can't get going - one can feel why. No sparks even when they are seemingly clicking along. Set in a time when an unusual relationship coiled flourish, these two bore each other and the viewer. Diane Lane looks beautiful, but is equally unable to get going. Disappointing flick with terrific actors wasting their time and mine! No wonder film never took off - the story doesn't. I love Sam Shepard but he too asks little of himself here, no fire until the very end, but he'd already lost me!
Reece (Sam Shepard) is a used clothing store owner who meets up with Carol (Diane Keaton) when she asks for his help. She would like his referrals for potential sewing jobs, as she is a widow supporting her young daughter. Reece's wife is in a vegetative state, with no chance for improvement. Yet, despite the attraction between Carol and himself, Reece keeps Carol at arm's length and does not acknowledge his feelings. This goes on for years and years. Meanwhile, Carol's daughter falls for Reece's son but they, too, play a cat and mouse game for more than a decade. Seems Catherine, the daughter, wants her freedom and moves about the country, returning to connect with the son from time to time. Will anyone of these people wake up and smell the roses? This love story, with an only an undercurrent of emotion, might leave the viewer cold. The principal actors are all very fine but the story is a total downer, despite a bit of hope at the finish. The Texas setting is nicely realized and the costumes quite lovely, if that counts for much. If you love Keaton or Shepard, you might want to take a chance with this film. But, anyone who sits down to view the movie, beware. You will not be watching a typical love story, only a long drawn out look at the possibilities of romance.
I watched this with a very good female friend of mine and we saw many similar points with our relationship to the relationship in this movie. The film traces an almost 30 year love between a man and woman who should be able to marry and connect but because of certain circumstances cannot go the distance. I find this a very, very, believable movie and does not try to place blame or either the man nor woman. This film rather try to teach us about the consequences to reaching out and falling in love and how consequences can arise. Both Diane Keaton and Sam Sheppard deserve Oscars with Robert Patrick bringing in an excellent performance of the son. This movie really moves me when I watch it and I want to use this as a learning tool to not repeat my own mistakes. Actually, I feel the lesson here is to take a risk with ones life and go the distance. Please watch this movie and don't be too judgemental. This is a winner!!!! Mark Lockwood Lubbock, Texas
I love this film. It's quiet, it's moving, and it boasts great acting all the way around, with special kudos to Diane Keaton (one of my absolute favorites) and Sam Shepard (another one of my favorites)...they should make more films together, because they have great chemistry. I feel so bad for their characters....basically good, honest souls who found each other under bad circumstances. I don't want to give much more away. I only wish that this film were available on DVD. I did manage to find a copy on Amazon in VHS format. However, it's a shame that it never made it to the theatre...I don't even know if it was made for television, or, was originally made for theatres, but only went straight to video. It's a charming little gem.