Plot: What’s it about?
Nickie (Cary Grant) and Terry (Deborah Kerr) are in quite similar situations in life. Both find themselves to be highly sophisticated, yet not deep in riches. They are both engaged to people who are deep in riches, and maybe their feelings are based more on that than anything. Finally, the two share location, they’re both aboard a luxury liner on route to getting married. Of course, these two eventually find themselves together, and a romance ensues. Not just any romance either, a strong and passionate romantic escapade. But as powerful as their new found feelings for each other are, the two realize to act hastily is to act poorly, so they make a pact. When the boat docks in New York, they will go their separate ways, continue their lives as they had previously planned. After six months have passed, if the feelings are still there, then they would meet at the Empire State Building. Alas, things don’t go as planned, and even though Terry still has those feelings, an accident keeps her from making the engagement. Will that brief romance haunt them forever, or will they be able to move on with their lives?
This is without a doubt one of the finest romantic movies ever made. Everything you hanky carrying readers could want from a tear jerker is here, including a powerful and chemistry filled performance by the leading couple. It treads the line of predictable romance movies well, as it has the usual conventions, but never seems too by the numbers. Still, I know this movie is funny, romantic, and sad all rolled into one, and it’s legendary for pulling tears from viewers, but I didn’t shed a single tear. Call me callous, but I didn’t find my emotions explored enough to cry over this movie. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the film, because I did, I just didn’t feel like the movie spoke to me. I found it to be an effective, well crafted movie, but I’m just kind of impervious to heartstring tuggers, I guess. Yeah, An Affair To Remember is a sappy movie, but damn it, it’s a classic. In Fox’s new Studio Classics release, we have a new transfer and a host of new supplements, so don’t miss out on this true classic. Even if you own the previous disc, the improvements are such that an upgrade is in order, even for the most casual of fans. I continue to be impressed by this Fox Studio Classics line, so let’s hope the high level treatments are the line’s trademarks.
One of the major factors in the success of An Affair To Remember is the casting, especially of the leading couple. Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr turn in splendid performances, and work together so well. This is some of the best romantic chemistry you’re gonna find on the silver screen, and the skillful work by these two alone warrants a viewing. Even with somewhat cookie cutter moments, these two bring real passion to the screen and of course, that helped create one of the screen’s classic romances. Grant (Charade, Notorious) is a legend of film, and he lives to his reputation here, with one of his most charming performances. The character is so likable and easy going, and many people consider this a defining role for Cary. Kerr (The King & I, King Solomon’s Mines) also gives a charming turn, and she plays right into Grant’s character. An Affair To Remember also features Richard Denning (Creature From The Black Lagoon), Cathleen Nesbitt (Nicholas Nickleby, Three Coins In The Fountain), Neva Patterson (The Solid Gold Cadillac, V), and Fortunio Bonanova (For Whom The Bell Tolls, Romance on the High Sea).
Video: How does it look?
An Affair to Remember is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. I was impressed by the previous disc’s transfer, but it turned out to be a laserdisc port and over time, its flaws became more evident. This time around, Fox has given us a brand new visual effort and the result is simply splendid. The print is just as clean as before, but now we have improvements across the board, so the image is much more pleasing. The colors have richness, a kind of bold presence the prior disc lacked, while black levels look accurate and well balanced. A couple of scenes are a little on the dark side, but on the whole, the contrast is on the mark. The image is also sharper than before, so detail is enhanced and that’s always welcome. A marked improvement, this new presentation alone is worth the price of the upgrade.
Audio: How does it sound?
The same stereo mix from the previous release is found here and while not bad, it isn’t too memorable. I mean, this track more than gets the sound across in passable fashion, but other releases from this time have offered a better, more well rounded experience. While I’m sure a more advanced surround track would have provided a fuller sound, I doubt it would have done all that much. I wasn’t let down here, as the elements come through in solid form, but I just found the whole track to be somewhat limited. I didn’t notice this as much on the first disc, but now that I’ve spun both editions a few times, it has become obvious. Even so, this is not a bad soundtrack per se, so no need for concern. This disc also includes French and Spanish language tracks, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary starts us off, as film historian Joseph McBride lends his knowledge of the film. McBride is joined by Marni Nixon, who supplied Deborah Kerr’s singing voice within the movie. Nixon provides a few nice comments, but McBride is excellent and has a lot of information to share here. He never becomes a bore however, which ensures the session’s success. A staple of Fox’s new Studio Classics, an episode of AMC’s Backstory is also included, which of course, focuses on this picture. The piece runs just under half an hour, with a look at how the movie was made, as well as assorted interviews. This disc also includes a newsreel from the film’s premiere, a selection of still photos, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
