An Affair to Remember: Leo McCarey

I first heard about An Affair to Remember when I watched Sleepless in Seattle. One of the film's running jokes is that not only has every single woman in the state of Washington SEEN An Affair to Remember, but it has the power to instantly make them weep upon mere recollection of its famous ending. And now...many, MANY years later, having seen An Affair to Remember, I can understand why. This is a classic piece of Hollywood melodrama where beautiful people have beautiful affairs in front of beautiful sets and locations. This is the kind of film that Douglas Sirk made his name directing. Leo McCarey does an admirable job keeping this overblown piece of kitsch working. The film follows Cary Grant, a rich playboy with a talent for painting, and Deborah Kerr, a music teacher and singer, who meet aboard a Mediterranean cruise. They are initially amused and put off by each other, but it isn't too long before they are deeply in love. The big problem is that both are in relationships with other people. They make a promise upon returning to New York City that if they truly love each other, they will break up with their partners and meet each other on top of the Empire State Building in six months. And just like any melodrama worth its salt, something gets in their way...or in this case, it's Deborah Kerr who gets in the way...of a speeding car. Yes, Kerr is tragically struck down and crippled by a car, preventing her from her romantic Empire State Building rendezvous. So, naturally Grant believes that she hates him. So now both characters can't help but avoid each other. Of course, the ending scene justifies the tears and homage given by the women in Sleepless in Seattle. An Affair to Remember is a charming little melodrama that has a smart, snappy screenplay to boot. This film came from a time when the stars talked as beautifully as they looked. And they don't look much more beautiful than they do in this film.

7/10