Random Hearts (1999)

A police sergeant and a congresswoman both lose their spouses in a plane crash, and they soon discover that their spouses were having an affair with each other.

Director:

Sydney Pollack

Writers:

Warren Adler (novel), Darryl Ponicsan (adaptation)

Stars:

Harrison Ford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Charles S. Dutton

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harrison Ford	...	Dutch Van Den Broeck
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Kay Chandler
Charles S. Dutton	...	Alcee
Bonnie Hunt	...	Wendy Judd
Dennis Haysbert	...	Detective George Beaufort
Sydney Pollack	...	Carl Broman
Richard Jenkins	...	Truman Trainor
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Dick Montoya
Susanna Thompson	...	Peyton Van Den Broeck
Peter Coyote	...	Cullen Chandler
Dylan Baker	...	Richard Judd
Lynne Thigpen	...	Phyllis Bonaparte
Susan Floyd	...	Molly Roll
Bill Cobbs	...	Marvin
Kate Mara	...	Jessica Chandler

Storyline

After the death of their loved ones in a tragic plane crash Harrison Ford, a widow & widower Kristin Scott Thomas find keys in the possessions their loved ones left behind. They realize the two had been having an affair and are determined to discover all the details.

---

Plot Keywords:

politician | police sergeant | investigation | u.s. congresswoman | policeman | 

---

Taglines:

In a perfect world, they never would have met.

---

Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brief violence, sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ahava Mikreat

Filming Locations:

Manchester Airport, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$64,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,012,585, 10 October 1999

Gross USA:

$31,502,583

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$74,608,570

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Global Entertainment Productions GmbH & Company Medien KG, Mirage Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The names of the main characters in the novel on which "Random Hearts" is based are Edward and Vivien. This was likely changed for the film as Edward and Vivien are well known as the names of the main characters in "Pretty Woman".

---

Goofs

The first time that Kay faces reporters a mike is visible on white background

---

Quotes

Dutch Van Den Broeck: You know what I do for a living? I get paid to notice stuff. I get paid to know who's lying. I didn't have a clue.

---

Connections

Referenced in Micmacs (2009)

---

Soundtracks

Feliz
Written by Gregory Alper
Performed by The Alper Quartet
Courtesy of Magnum Opus Records

User Reviews

dull, dreary romantic tale

Has there ever been a more dour, dreary and depressing movie romance than "Random Hearts," a film that drones on for 131 grueling minutes and traps two wonderful actors, Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas, in its diabolical clutches?

Ford is a police sergeant working in internal affairs and Thomas is a New Hampshire congresswoman whose paths cross when their spouses, who are having a secret affair with each other, die in a plane crash. Drawn together by both circumstance and grief, the two begin a tentative love affair despite the many complications it sets up.

The actors do their best given the stark limitations of portraying two people overcome with despair, but the audience is nevertheless subjected to more than two hours of unrelieved gloominess. In a sense, it is a bit of a relief to see a romantic film that is not all lightheartedness and carefree silliness, but a subject as profound as the study of grief and loss on the human psyche demands a less conventional, more imaginative and serious a format than this film provides. (The brilliant film, "Fearless," from 1993 is a startling case in point). The actions of the characters often ring false as when, for instance, the two grieving spouses, sitting in a car, suddenly begin grappling in a wild sexual frenzy, a moment that elicits giggles from the audience because it is so lacking in motivation and preparation. Moreover, the film pads out its narrative by constantly cutting away to an irrelevant and wholly underdeveloped subplot involving Ford's pursuit of a murderous cop - a sideshow that results in a completely ludicrous shooting scene that undercuts the seriousness of the film's purpose.

"Random Hearts" is an obvious and, perhaps, even admirable attempt to bring a more mature, adult-oriented love story to the screen. It's a shame, then, that all involved seem to have confused dreariness with profundity and gloominess with depth.