Murphy's Romance
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Movie Reviews of Murphy's Romance
Movie Review: Romantic, funny, wonderful
Summary: 5 Stars
I probably wouldn't be too off base to assume that I'm one of the youngest, if not the youngest, person to submit a review for "Murphy's Romance". Not too many people under 20 years of age have heard of it, and that is a shame. It's probably one of the ten best love stories of all time. And it's not spectacular in its scale, not bogged down with style, and not given to flights of fancy that promote Oscar bait monologues. "Murphy's Romance" is, on the other hand, simply... simple, realistic, loving of its characters, and full of wit that gives the film a sense of style not encased in camera work. It also has one of my favorite characters in any movie ever: Murphy Jones, played with the kind of wit, charm, and life you see expressed by very few actors by James Garner. Murphy is not just the title character, but he is the delicate string that holds the entire movie together. His expressions in every scene display the wisdom and slyness of his character, and the way he looks at the Sally Field character should be an acting template for any actor playing in a love story: He gazes at her; he doesn't stare. He doesn't search her eyes for answers to corny questions. There is nothing cliched about this character. He's just real.The plot of the film is a simple one. Movies like this are never really about their plots so much as they are about their characters. Emma Moriarty is a single mom who grew up on a farm, knows horses and hard work, and who moves out to the country to fix up a ramshackle old house and barn to start a business of boarding and training horses. Her son Jake is played by 80s child star Corey Haim, who plays his role somberly as a boy who misses his dad and is kind of clueless as to the workings of this new life. He's just a normal kid who grew up in the city and finds it odd that his new school doesn't have a single computer. This role could have been a thankless one if Haim didn't play it so well. His eyes express the weight of his small world on his shoulders, and we can see that weight lifted in the presence of his dad (Brian Kerwin) and when talking to Murphy. Emma happens across Murphy Jones' drug store when advertising her business. Murphy is all for free enterprise, so she posts her sign in his window and walks in. In this first conversation, we already know that these two are destined to fall in love by the film's end. That's how these movies work: 1) We introduce the main characters to each other and know from the start they are compatible. Step 2) We watch as a series of wrenchs are thrown in the works to put off this revelation between the characters themselves. In the case of "Murphy's Romance", we are given a simple wrench, not a series of ridiculously over the top occurrences that scatter our radar of reality. The arrival of Emma's ex-husband Bobby Jack (Kerwin) makes for enough realistic encounters and quick dialogue exchanges for every implausible moment in today's teen dramas.
That's enough about the plot. As I said, love stories are not about their plots. The few smart love stories that have come out of Hollywood over the years recognize this and treat their characters with intelligence. "Murphy's Romance" has a main cast of wonderful performers who embody their roles with an almost improvisational realism. Sally Field is terrific as Emma, who we can see from the start has tenacity and a good work ethic ("I've worked hard for all these callouses!"), but also has an unwillingness to separate the men from the boys, which blinds her to the possibilities of loving someone new after her failed marriage. Kerwin has one of the tougher jobs in the film: He has to maintain the image of a scumbag ex-husband while still coming across as the kind of man we could see as charming. It's a difficult balancing act, but it's one that he pulls off nicely. Haim, with the eyes of a soulful man trapped in a boy's body, is very good. But James Garner, who earned a Oscar nomination (he should've won) for this role, owns this movie from beginning to end.
"Murphy's Romance" is one of my favorite films for all the reasons I've mentioned: Great performances, wit, and most of all, love. Garner and Field play their characters with just the right pitch in every scene, and when we finally do come to the closing scenes of the movie, everything rides on them. The last scene, brilliantly photographed, is written in such a way that it would make or break the film. As it stands, it is probably one of the most loving scenes in film history, with the two leads nailing every note. It reaches out of the screen and makes us grin from ear to ear; it touches our heart in a way that few films do, and it's a testament to the true power of film: It makes us want to fall in love for the first and last time in our lives.
Movie Review: Murphy's Romance - Great Movie - Great Actors
Summary: 5 Stars
I enjoyed this movie when it first came out, and I am very happy to be able to get it on DVD. Sally Field And James Garner star in this 1980's May-December romance. Sally's character is a 33 year old single mother of a 12 year old boy who moves from California to a small town in Arizona. James Garner is her love interest. Both Sally and James are great actors, which is one reason why I loved this movie. I also enjoy the setting - a dusty small town where she tries to make a go of a horse boarding/training business on her rented property. I grew up in a small town and also with horses. The ex-husband of Sally's character is the movie's antagonist. His immaturity, lack of ambition, and other undesirable traits make Murphy (James Garner) that much more appealing. I was about 13 when I first saw this movie, and now I am 32 and love it even more. There's a lot of truth in this movie. In my life, older men have been much like Murphy - wiser, more grounded, all in all a much better catch than a young, flighty man - like the ex-husband. All in all, a great film. Wish they still made them like this - simple, with a great story, and good humor. When you have a good story, you don't need all of the "extras" like special effects, lots of explicit sex, etc. A good movie for the whole family.Movie Review: A favorite for years
Summary: 5 Stars
I watch old movies frequently, many of them classics from the 30s. This is one of the recent ones. As another review put it, James Garner makes this movie. My favorite scene is the one in which Emma (Sally Fields) is eating an ice cream cone with her son (Corey Haim before he got into all the trouble), and sees Murphy (James Garner) playing the fiddle at a Saturday night dance in town. As the band takes a break (to let everyone go to the bathroom, he tells Emma), he steps outside for a brief visit. She has already met him when she leaves a poster in his drug store. A lot of the back story is effortlessly provided in that short scene. We learn he is a widower, he is popular with the ladies and he is a fixture in the town. We learn his age (I'm a grand daddy) and a lot of the plot gets going right there. Eventually, they get together and I agree with another reviewer that Brian Kerwin does a wonderful job with the role of the shiftless but likable ex-husband. This is a classic and I've probably watched it 100 times.Movie Review: Garner Meets A Field Of Dreams
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, nobody got shot, nothing got blown up, there's no nudity or excessive swearing. Then how could this be one of the greatest sleeper movies of the late 20th century? Nobody seems to know, but it is.
What is known is that charming James Garner (Maverick) meets sweet Sally Field (Gidget), and all heaven breaks loose. Together these two seasoned pros are pure magic, and every precious moment has thankfully been preserved on widescreen DVD.
So if you and your significant other want to take a break from the currrent crop of bad buddy pictures, boring biographies, slasher sludge, chick flicks about rich guys picking up poor women, or those endless prom films where 27-year-olds regularly play 17-year-olds, then this one is the ticket.
Murphy's Romance is the kind of stuff that pleasant (movie) dreams are made of.
Movie Review: Murphy's Romance Review and Music Question
Summary: 5 Stars
I actually went to the movies to see this folks! I enjoyed it throughly. At first I said here we go again... older man,younger woman but as I watched the movie and got into the plot, I could understand how something like that happens. I have always liked Sally Field and James Garner. It is a wonderful movie, a good love story, and well acted. One night last week, I happened to catch the end of this movie on TV and was reminded of how much I like the music. Not just the song sung by Carol King, but the instrumental part too. I will never understand why this kind of music is so hard to find. I am also having a hard time finding the instrumental piece used in Gumpy Old Men. Why is this so difficult? If anyone knows where I could get the music outside of copying it from the movie I would be so greatful.