{"id":30622,"date":"2013-04-08T10:47:24","date_gmt":"2013-04-08T17:47:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30622"},"modified":"2020-11-26T02:14:16","modified_gmt":"2020-11-26T09:14:16","slug":"affair-to-remember-an-1957","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30622","title":{"rendered":"Affair to Remember, An (1957)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Poster-195x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"195\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-30625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Poster-195x300.jpg 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Poster-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Poster-666x1024.jpg 666w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Poster.jpg 1301w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a playboy (Cary Grant) engaged to an heiress (Neva Patterson) falls in love with a beautiful singer (Deborah Kerr), they decide to test their romance by meeting in six months at the top of the Empire State Building &#8212; but a tragic accident puts a kink in their plans.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Blindness<\/li>\n<li>Cary Grant Films<\/li>\n<li>Deborah Kerr Films<\/li>\n<li>Disabilities<\/li>\n<li>Leo McCarey Films<\/li>\n<li>Romance<\/li>\n<li>Star-Crossed Lovers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis cult romance &#8212; which received renewed interest when it was referenced in Nora Ephron&#8217;s 1993 romantic comedy <em>Sleepless in Seattle<\/em> &#8212; was actually the second iteration of <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30613\">a story written and directed by Leo McCarey 18 years earlier, starring Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne<\/a>. This later version &#8212; in many instances a word-for-word recreation of the original, down to McCarey&#8217;s choice of camera placements &#8212; is primarily notable for taking advantage of Cinemascope and Technicolor cinematography to expand the visual palette of the story, and to that end, it succeeds quite well (see stills below). However, in every other regard it pales in comparison with its predecessor: it&#8217;s poorly paced (scenes are needlessly drawn out), about half an hour too long, and chock-full of hopelessly contrived dialogue (like the following), played with completely straight faces: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Kerr:<\/strong> &#8220;We&#8217;re headed into a rough sea, Nickie.&#8221;<br \/>\n<strong>Grant:<\/strong> &#8220;I know. We changed our course today.&#8221; <\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The first line actually exists in the original film as well, but as spoken by Dunne (without the pun-worthy retort by her lover), it works &#8212; unlike here, where (despite valiant attempts by Kerr and Grant to &#8220;keep it real&#8221;) it&#8217;s simply groan-worthy. Indeed, much about <em>An Affair to Remember<\/em> reminds one of Douglas Sirk&#8217;s similarly overblown &#8217;50s melodramas, but without the sassy heat; McCarey&#8217;s sentimental tendencies completely overwhelm this &#8220;affair&#8221;, as epitomized by the inclusion of two utterly gratuitous musical numbers involving a diverse group of moppets (er, children), both of which feel like they were taken straight out of McCarey&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=12180\"><em>Going My Way<\/em> (1944)<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=28909\"><em>The Bells of St. Mary&#8217;s<\/em> (1945)<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>With that said, there&#8217;s a reason why this film remains such an enduring favorite: Kerr (always a consummate actress) and Grant have decent chemistry together, and one can&#8217;t help getting caught up in their romance simply given how neatly it represents one of our most entrenched fantasy scenarios &#8212; giving up &#8220;everything&#8221; (in this case, a current &#8220;good enough&#8221; lover, as well as easy wealth) for the sake of true love. I&#8217;m recommending <em>AATR<\/em> as must-see one-time viewing simply given its cult status, but it will only be of enduring interest to those who don&#8217;t mind their romances served with a heavy dose of manipulation. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Deborah Kerr as Terry<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Kerr.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Kerr.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"624\" height=\"256\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30631\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Kerr.png 624w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Kerr-128x52.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Kerr-300x123.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine use of Cinemascope and Technicolor cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Cinemascope.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Cinemascope.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"624\" height=\"256\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Cinemascope.png 624w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Cinemascope-128x52.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Cinemascope-300x123.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Billboard.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Billboard.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"624\" height=\"256\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Billboard.png 624w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Billboard-128x52.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Billboard-300x123.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Technicolor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Technicolor.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"624\" height=\"256\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Technicolor.png 624w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Technicolor-128x52.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Technicolor-300x123.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Eiffel-Tower.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Eiffel-Tower.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"624\" height=\"256\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-30630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Eiffel-Tower.png 624w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Eiffel-Tower-128x52.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/04\/Affair-to-Remember-Eiffel-Tower-300x123.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, once, simply for its cult status. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0050105\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.nytimes.com\/movie\/review?res=9902E4D91431E63ABC4851DFB166838C649EDE\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.combustiblecelluloid.com\/classic\/affairrem.shtml\">Combustible Celluloid Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li>\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/66847\/an-affair-to-remember#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories.&#8221; Synopsis: When a playboy (Cary Grant) engaged to an heiress (Neva Patterson) falls in love with a beautiful singer (Deborah Kerr), they decide to test their romance by meeting in six months at the top of the Empire State Building &#8212; but a tragic accident puts a kink in their plans. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Blindness Cary Grant Films Deborah Kerr Films Disabilities Leo McCarey Films Romance Star-Crossed Lovers&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=30622\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30622"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54978,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30622\/revisions\/54978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}