Romance and starting over

Romance.  Ah I know for as many sighs of satisfaction, there are an equal number of groans and bah humbugs. Well I go in spurts for how I see it all. Right now with doing a lot of writing, romance is high on my list and that includes romantic films.

So being on a James Garner film festival kind of mood, I remembered Murphy's Romance. It came out in 1985 which means I was 42. Good Lord. That seems like a lifetime ago.

James Garner was 57 and I might add in prime condition. Oh I am being distracted. Sally Field was 39 and playing someone somewhat younger. I might add, she was in prime condition too.  Let's just say, she fit those jeans really really well.

Murphy's Romance is a sweet story that builds slowly about a woman who left a bad marriage taking her son and trying to build a new life for herself a long way from that old life.  With a lot of work, she settles into a small ranch on the edge of a small town in Arizona. Another reason for me to love the story. Old house, old ranch buildings and her desire to start a horse training business. I admit I did keep wondering when do they run into the scorpions or rattlesnakes... old deserted buildings and all, but I guess that was another distraction.

Murphy is the most successful man in town. He's gone through his own hell as a widower, pulled himself together, and has a pretty good life going. He knows himself well and soon goes about wooing Emma as we used to say our bull would do-- slow and steady. Then along comes the ex-husband.

It's hard to say how well the story would do in the romance genre today given  readers seem to want something that grabs them instantly while this story builds slowly without a lot of action unless you like stories about human nature.

From Netflix, we watched Larry Crowne, a nice story about a really nice guy who had recently been divorced, when he didn't want it, and then finds out he's being fired supposedly because he doesn't have any college. This is the kind of guy who goes out of his way to do everything right. Now he finds that doesn't count for anything. He has found the life he planned totally thrown up into the air. He has to figure out what he can salvage-- turns out more than he imagined.

Tom Hanks really does capture this man's soul as he goes back to school and slowly rebuilds his confidence. Boy, can Hanks use his body in ways about which other actors can only dream. He goes from an insecure dweeb to... well rent it and find out.

Julia Roberts is the disillusioned community college teacher who teaches speech, has a lousy marriage, and learns a few things herself. She is the only one who can make those puffy lips work-- because they are naturally hers!

Then came When Harry Met Sally which is an oldie with Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan before she ruined her lips.  Nora Ephron, Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal wrote it with a lot of improvisational ideas that they worked into the story which is really about male-female relationships. We thought it was funny but also a lot to think about. Interspersed in the plot are old couples discussing how they met. The words came from interviews Ephron did but the couples are played by actors. Divorce and starting over is a factor also in this film.

There are times when I can barely stand watching romances. I still don't like them when they are tragic. I need happy energy. Comedies are perfect. Laugh. Yep, we all need to laugh these days.