Main Cast: River Phoenix, Samantha Mathis, Dermot Mulroney, Sandra Bullock, K.T. Oslin
Release Year: 1993
Country: US
Run Time: 116 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
A handful of up-and-coming songwriters discover that love is as difficult to navigate as the music business in this romantic comedy-drama from director Peter Bogdanovich. Miranda Presley (Samantha Mathis) is an aspiring singer/songwriter from New York City who loves country music and has decided to take her chances in Nashville, TN, where she hopes to strike it big as a musician. After arriving in the Music City after a long bus ride, Miranda makes her way to the Bluebird Café, a local watering hole with a reputation as a showcase for new talent. The bar's owner, Lucy (K.T. Oslin), takes a shine to the shy but plucky newcomer, and gives her a job as a waitress. Before long, Miranda has gotten to know a number of other Nashville transplants who are look looking to land a gig or sell a song, among them sweet and open-hearted Kyle Davidson (Dermot Mulroney), moody but talented James Wright (River Phoenix), and spunky Linda Lue Linden (Sandra Bullock). As the four friends struggle to find their place in the competitive Nashville music scene, both Kyle and James display a romantic interest in Miranda, while she finds it difficult to choose between the two. The Thing Called Love features cameos from a number of noted country performers, including Trisha Yearwood, Pam Tillis, Katy Moffatt, Jo-El Sonnier, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Sadly, The Thing Called Love would be best remembered as the last film actor River Phoenix completed before his death in the fall of 1993. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Anthony Clark - Billy; Webb Wilder - Ned; Earl Poole Ball - Floyd; Trisha Yearwood - Herself; Larry Black - Taxicab Driver; Kevin Bourland - Publisher; Zoe Cassavetes - Bluebird Waitress; Starletta DuPois - Selma; Wayne Grace - R.C.; Paul Hampton - Doug Siskin; Micole Mercurio - Mary; Katy Moffatt - Herself; Tom Nolan - Desk Cop; Jack Verbois - Rear-ended Driver; Rosie Flores - Writer's Circle Participant; Rick Hall - Onlooker; Jason Klassi - Writer's Circle Participant; Dianne Crittenden; O'Neal Compton - Singing Cop; Barry "Shabaka" Henley - Reverend Raymond; Valeri Ross - Doctor; Ancel Cook - Onlooker
Credit
Thomas D. Wilkins - Art Director, Steve Foley - Associate Producer, Dianne Crittenden - Casting, Darlene K. Chan - Co-producer, Rita Riggs - Costume Designer, Albert Wolsky - Costume Designer, Peter Bogdanovich - Director, Terry Stokes - Editor, George Folsey, Jr. - Executive Producer, G. Marq Roswell - Composer (Music Score), Pamela Westmore - Makeup, Michael Seymour - Production Designer, Peter James - Cinematographer, John J. Smith - Production Manager, John Davis - Producer, Cloudia - Set Designer, Carol Heikkinen - Screenwriter
The Thing Called Love is a Peter Bogdanovich comedy-drama movie released in 1993. The film's tagline is: "Stand by your dream."
The movie stars Samantha Mathis as Miranda Presley ("no relation," she tells people), who comes from New York City to Nashville, where she auditions at The Bluebird Cafe. She is not invited to perform, but she accepts a job as a waitress. She meets and falls in love with James Wright, an up-and-coming star (performed by River Phoenix in his last role before his death), and she befriends Linda Lue Linden, performed by Sandra Bullock.
While the movie involves a love triangle and various complications in Miranda's route to success, it provides a sweetened glimpse at the lives of aspiring songwriters in Nashville. A more bitter movie with the same premise is Robert Altman's Nashville. Interestingly, both movies feature songs written and performed by actors who are not professional musicians and were distributed by Paramount Pictures.
A "making of" documentary is available on the film's DVD release, titled The Thing Called Love: A Look Back.[1]
Plot summary
Miranda Presley is an aspiring singer/songwriter from New York City who loves country music and decides to take her chances in Nashville, Tennessee, where she hopes to strike it big as a musician. After arriving in Music City after a long bus ride, Miranda makes her way top the Bluebird Cafe, a local watering hole with a reputation as a showcase for new talent. The bar's owner, Lucy, takes a shine to the plucky newcomer and gives her a job as a waitress.
Before long, Miranda has gotten to know a number of other Nashville transplants who are looking to land a gig or sell a song, including sweet and open-hearted Kyle Davidson, moody but talented James Wright, and spunky Linda Lue Linden. As the four friends struggle to find their place in the competitive Nashville music scene, both Kyle and James display a romantic interest in Miranda, but she is drawn to James in spite of his moody temperament. Miranda pursues James, and they end up getting married, but they soon realize marriage takes work. James leaves Miranda behind to make his album, what he always wanted to do, but realizes he left his heart with her. The film has an open ending, but we are led to believe she stays with James.
