In Love and War (1996)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Richard Attenborough

Writers (WGA):

Henry S. Villard (book) and
James Nagel (book) ...

Release Date:

24 January 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

In war they found each other...In each other they found love...

Plot:

Reporter Ernest Hemingway is an ambulance driver in Italy during World War I. While bravely risking his life in the line of duty...

Plot Keywords:

Ernest Hemingway | Driver | Ambulance Driver | Nurse | Based On Diary

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Mackenzie Astin	...	Henry Villard
Chris O'Donnell	...	Ernest 'Ernie' Hemingway
Margot Steinberg	...	Mabel 'Rosie' Rose
Sandra Bullock	...	Agnes von Kurowsky
Alan Bennett	...	Porter
Ingrid Lacey	...	Elsie 'Mac' MacDonald
Terence Sach	...	Porter
Carlo Croccolo	...	Town Mayor
Tara Hugo	...	Katherine 'Gumshoe' De Long
Gigi Vivan	...	Italian Child
Giuseppe Bonato	...	Grandfather
Allegra Di Carpegna	...	Loretta Cavanaugh
Diane Witter	...	Adele Brown
Mindy Lee Raskin	...	Charlotte Anne Miller
Tracy Hostmyer	...	Ruth Harper

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Brazil:14 | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 (w) | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Bassano del Grappa, Vicenza, Veneto, Italy

Company:

Dimitri Villard Productions

Trivia:

Several scenes were filmed in or near the Italian village Vittorio Veneto, including the battle scenes. Many of the extras playing the soldiers in the movie were airmen from nearby Aviano Air Base that volunteered to star in the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: Ernie says his train leaves at 5:30 a.m., but when Agnes sees him off, it is bright daylight and the sun is nearly vertical.

Quotes:

Ernest Hemingway: It won't work. Take a look. He's ancient. He must be close to 40.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game-On: (#3.2)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Beer Barrel Polka

This was a fabulous war/ biography movie!

For those of you who have read Hemingway, you will be surprised and captivated by the boyishness of the pre-war Hemingway that O'Donnell gives us so beautifully. The episodes in the life of the author that are covered by In Love and War are for the most part, not pretty. However, they give an insight into the writing of America's greatest author that no other movie of his work has ever done. Those who expected a movie version of A Farewell to Arms did not receive it, because the autobiographical In Love and War does not tell the same story that the semi-autobiographical book, A Farewell to Arms did. In Love and War is far closer to the truth, as other Hemingway scholars will attest. In that way, this movie is a valuable historical and biographical resource for people interested in Hemingway and his experiences in WWII Italy.

If you are watching this movie just for fun, however, and not to gain insight into a book or an author's life, there is much here for you as well. Bullock and O'Donnell have a wonderful chemistry, and the lighthearted moments are weighed against a tale of great agony and suffering without being preachy or too painful. There are serious moments, when the reality of life and war come home to Ernest, and there are beautiful moments, when Catherine explores Italy. It's a wonderful mix of the dramatic and the light, without being overdone or showy. The realism is striking. I hope that everyone who watches this movie enjoys it as much as I did.