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The love letter

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

In a sleepy New England, USA, town, a letter has arrived that is going to wake things up. It is a love letter - ardent, sensual... and unsigned. No-one knows who sent it. No-one knows who it's for. As the letter falls into different hands, some residents start to eye one another with renewed interest.

Determined to find the letter's author, Helen Macfarquhar (Kate Capshaw) begins a quest that will open her life to a new chapter involving two decidedly different men: George (Tom Selleck), an old friend from her past, and Johnny (Tom Everett Scott), a young man very much in her present. Will one of them decide her future?

Unexpectedly, one mysterious love note has the power to unlock some startling secrets, changing the lives of everyone it touches.

Also starring Blythe Danner as Lillian, Ellen Degeneres as Janet, Geraldine McEwan as Miss Scattergoods, Julianne Nicholson as Jennifer and Gloria Stuart as Eleanor.

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Sleepless in Loblolly.

Loblolly, by the way, is the name of the picturesque New England, USA, seaside town where everybody knows your name. In-breeding is an amazing thing, isn't it?

Anyhoo, you probably want to know whether to see this movie or not. Well, sure, if you wanna. It's a quite humourous romantic comedy drama with a twist (no, the twist is not that Ellen Degeneres plays a straight woman), but that's all. It's nothing special, it's nothing bad.

Everyone acts well, especially Tom Everett Scott, who is doing better and better work as time goes by. I've seen him in a whole bunch of films over the past three or four years, each one better than the last. Despite being very good-looking (and having a knack for taking his shirt off), he manages to do character rôles as well: no small achievement in Hollywood. Kate is a very sexy older woman, and you will have no trouble believing that Tom (both of him) is hot for her. Geraldine does a great turn as the slightly strange Miss Scattergoods, subtle yet deep.

What else? Oh yes, the story is interesting, never quite letting you decide what's going to happen (which is a good thing for a mystery!) and the plot twists enough to keep your interest but not so much that you can't keep up. I was very well medicated the day I saw The love letter and I had no trouble.

This film is funny, sexy, intriguing and dramatic... just not hugely so. If you're a chick or a mature man, then see it by all means. Maybe even take a handkerchief. But Titanic it ain't.

Security censorship classification

Not for public release in Australia before date

10 February 2000