This review contains only minor spoilers regarding information that the hero provides to his confidant very early in the movie about his previous history with the heroine.
This is a period piece set in London of 1911. Almost 50 years ago in Toronto, starving, young law student, Arthur (Laurence Olivier), fell madly in love with beautiful, young actress, Jessica (Katharine Hepburn), and they spent three torrid days and nights together. Jessica agreed to marry Arthur after he got established as a barrister in a few years, but when he returned to England ready to claim her, he learned to his horror that she had married a much older, wealthy man. They have now reunited, both of them around 68 or 70 years old, when Jessica hires him to defend her in a case of breach of promise brought by a man young enough to be her grandson. Arthur is as much in love with Jessica as he was in his passionate youth, and he has never married, proclaiming to the friend who brought Jessica's case to him that she "spoiled me for all other women." Unfortunately for Arthur, it is obvious that Jessica has no idea who he is.
"Love Among the Ruins," is an absolutely wonderful, made-for-TV movie from 1975. It was directed by George Cukor as one of the final films in his long, sterling career. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for this film. It stars the incredible actors Laurence Olivier and Katharine Hepburn in their only on-screen pairing, and both won Emmys for Outstanding Performance. The rich, rolling cadences of their speech is ecstatically gorgeous to listen to. I loved the two of them individually and collectively--their chemistry together on screen is riveting, and their golden-years romance is both hilarious and emotionally compelling. Seeing two such masters of acting interact with each other is a cinematic experience not to be missed. On top of that enormous pleasure, the witty and often quite poignant dialog in the screenplay is astoundingly well written, and I frequently paused to replay and relish especially amusing or poetic phrases. The screenwriter is James Costigan, who won an Emmy for his contribution to this film as well. (In his illustrious career, he also won two other Emmys, one for "Little Moon of Alban" from 1959 and "Eleanor and Franklin" from 1977.) This is one of my all-time favorite movies.
This is a period piece set in London of 1911. Almost 50 years ago in Toronto, starving, young law student, Arthur (Laurence Olivier), fell madly in love with beautiful, young actress, Jessica (Katharine Hepburn), and they spent three torrid days and nights together. Jessica agreed to marry Arthur after he got established as a barrister in a few years, but when he returned to England ready to claim her, he learned to his horror that she had married a much older, wealthy man. They have now reunited, both of them around 68 or 70 years old, when Jessica hires him to defend her in a case of breach of promise brought by a man young enough to be her grandson. Arthur is as much in love with Jessica as he was in his passionate youth, and he has never married, proclaiming to the friend who brought Jessica's case to him that she "spoiled me for all other women." Unfortunately for Arthur, it is obvious that Jessica has no idea who he is.
"Love Among the Ruins," is an absolutely wonderful, made-for-TV movie from 1975. It was directed by George Cukor as one of the final films in his long, sterling career. He won an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for this film. It stars the incredible actors Laurence Olivier and Katharine Hepburn in their only on-screen pairing, and both won Emmys for Outstanding Performance. The rich, rolling cadences of their speech is ecstatically gorgeous to listen to. I loved the two of them individually and collectively--their chemistry together on screen is riveting, and their golden-years romance is both hilarious and emotionally compelling. Seeing two such masters of acting interact with each other is a cinematic experience not to be missed. On top of that enormous pleasure, the witty and often quite poignant dialog in the screenplay is astoundingly well written, and I frequently paused to replay and relish especially amusing or poetic phrases. The screenwriter is James Costigan, who won an Emmy for his contribution to this film as well. (In his illustrious career, he also won two other Emmys, one for "Little Moon of Alban" from 1959 and "Eleanor and Franklin" from 1977.) This is one of my all-time favorite movies.