The Love Letter (TV 1998)

Scotty Corrigan buys an antique desk and finds a Civil War-era letter inside it, written by a woman who died over a hundred years ago. Fancifully, he writes and mails a reply...only to have... See full summary »

Director:

Dan Curtis

Writers:

Jack Finney (short story), James S. Henerson (television story),

Stars:

Campbell Scott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, David Dukes

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Campbell Scott	...	Scott Corrigan
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Elizabeth Whitcomb
David Dukes	...	Everett Reagle
Estelle Parsons	...	Beatrice Corrigan
Daphne Ashbrook	...	Debra Zabriskie
Myra Carter	...	Clarice Whitcomb
Gerrit Graham	...	Warren Whitcomb
Irma P. Hall	...	Mae Mullen
Richard Woods	...	Jacob Campbell
Kali Rocha	...	Flossy Whitcomb
Laurie Kennedy	...	Lavinia Whitcomb
Edgar Smith	...	Potts the Postman
Cara Stoner	...	Maggie the Maid
George Gaffney	...	Bike Rider
Tom Riis Farrell	...	Scott's Boss

Storyline

Scotty Corrigan buys an antique desk and finds a Civil War-era letter inside it, written by a woman who died over a hundred years ago. Fancifully, he writes and mails a reply...only to have it reach its destination in the past. As Elizabeth and Scotty continue their remarkable correspondence, they find themselves falling in love, and more than restless about their impending, respective, marriages.

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Plot Keywords:

letter | antique | desk | love | poet | 

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Taglines:

A love story that touches two lives....a century apart.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Romance

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Hallmark Hall of Fame page.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: The Love Letter (#47.3)

Filming Locations:

Petersburg, Virginia, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hallmark Entertainment, Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Based on a short story of the same name by Jack Finney. The story was first published in "The Saturday Evening Post" on August 1, 1959, and reprinted in the same magazine on January/February 1988.

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Goofs

In the video game Scottie is working on, General Stuart (as in JEB) is misspelled as Stewart.

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Connections

Edited into Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951)

User Reviews

Time-Travel Fantasy...No Space Ship Needed ! One of the Best !!

"The Love Letter" was written by Jack Finney. If you are familiar with his classic time-travel novel "Time And Again", you will definitely love this TV version of his short-story "The Love Letter".

The leads are very competent. Campbell Scott, for those who don't know, is the son of the late George C. Scott...one of America's Greatest Actor's. Campbell has come into his own, and does very well. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Daphne Ashbrook are perfect as the female time-travel counterparts.

Remember: this IS a fantasy. But a beautifully constructed one at that. If you've ever wanted to reach back into the past for a long-lost love, this story will surely tug at your heart strings. And the ending is "just right" and very touching in its own way...there may not be a dry eye in the room when it's over with. And that's okay.

PS: Jack Finney also wrote one of the greatest Sci-Fi Thrillers of all-time: "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers". In addition, if you like "The Love Letter" and want more of the same, treat yourself to the above-mentioned "Time And Again" ! Time-Travel, Romance, Mystery, Fantasy...all wrapped-up in the full-blown novel that has become a true Cult Classic.