The Love Letter (1999)

The power of words and images to open hearts. Helen runs, miles a day, to burn off energy: she's an emotional celibate. Going through the post at her shop, she finds a romantic and poetic ... See full summary »

Director:

Peter Chan

Writers:

Cathleen Schine (novel), Maria Maggenti (screenplay)

Stars:

Kate Capshaw, Blythe Danner, Tom Everett Scott

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Capshaw	...	Helen
Blythe Danner	...	Lillian MacFarquhar
Ellen DeGeneres	...	Janet Hall
Julianne Nicholson	...	Jennifer
Tom Everett Scott	...	Johnny
Tom Selleck	...	George Matthias
Gloria Stuart	...	Eleanor
Bill Buell	...	Officer Dan
Alice Drummond	...	Postal Clerk
Erik Jensen	...	Ray
Margaret Ann Brady	...	Selma
Jessica Capshaw	...	Kelly
Walter Covell	...	Post Office Customer
Patrick Donnelly	...	Bookstore Customer
Lucas Hall	...	Garbage Man

Storyline

The power of words and images to open hearts. Helen runs, miles a day, to burn off energy: she's an emotional celibate. Going through the post at her shop, she finds a romantic and poetic letter between the couch cushions, unsigned, and thinks it's for her. It melts her resistance to feelings, and soon she undertakes an affair with Johnny, a collegiate employee. (He sees the letter and thinks she wrote it to him; he quotes some of it, so she thinks he wrote it to her.) In the background are Helen's long-time friend, George, who loves her, and her mother who abruptly left on a long trip months' before. Discovering who actually wrote the letter brings insight and promise.

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Plot Keywords:

male bare feet | fireman | arm wrestling | love letter | lesbian | 

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Taglines:

No one knows who sent it. No one knows who it's for. But everyone's getting the same message.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 on appeal for some sensuality, nudity and strong language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 May 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Destinataire inconnu

Filming Locations:

Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$2,692,819 (USA) (21 May 1999)

Gross:

$8,276,228 (USA) (16 July 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, Sanford/Pillsbury Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Johnny jumps in the ocean with his socks on but when he emerges seconds later his feet are bare

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Quotes

Janet Hall: Daddy's gonna play with his fire hose. That didn't sound right.

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Connections

References Old Yeller (1957)

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Soundtracks

"Only The Lonely"
Written by Roy Orbison, Joe Melson
Performed by Roy Orbison

User Reviews

Pleasant romance

Kate Capshaw stars in this charming story of a divorced book store owner who finds a love letter between the cushions of her couch. Who is it from? Therein lies the tale. Working for her in the book store are a handsome college student (Tom Everett Scott), a feisty store manager (Ellen DeGeneres), and a sweet young teenager (Juliane Nicholson). Waiting in the wings is Tom Selleck, the town fireman, who has held a torch for Capshaw all his life. These are all pleasant folks to spend a couple of hours with. The town is picturesque and the background score is romantic (by Luis Bacalov, composer of Il Postino). It's interesting to note that everyone does not end up with whom you expect. Supporting roles are ably, though too briefly, handled by Blythe Danner and Gloria Stewart (Titanic). Director, Peter Chan, who has been involved in the Hong Kong film world, has done surprisingly well with this material which is so American. I'm sure we'll be hearing from him again.