Movie Type: Romantic Fantasy, Heaven-Can-Wait Fantasies
Themes: Ghosts, Supernatural Romance, Starting Over
Main Cast: Juliet Stevenson, Alan Rickman, Bill Paterson, Michael Maloney, Jenny Howe, Christopher Rozycki
Release Year: 1991
Country: UK
Run Time: 107 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Pianist Nina (Juliet Stevenson) and cellist Jamie (Alan Rickman) played together and loved together. When they weren't making music with each other, they made love. It was an idyllic romantic and musical partnership, and when Jamie dies, Nina takes it very hard. The condolences of friends and relatives don't help much when everything in the apartment they shared reminds her of him. She's a real basket case, and can barely get on with her life. One day, while plunking dejectedly on the piano, Nina looks up to discover Jamie, in ghostly form, lively as ever and just as loving. With a few new wrinkles (such as parties which include Jamie's newfound ghost friends), they resume living their relationship almost as before. Nina's friends are puzzled at her change from suicidal despondency to giddy cheefulness, but Jamie has pledged Nina to secrecy about their renewed relationship. For that reason, she cannot find any good excuses for not responding to the romantic advances of a living man, Mark (Michael Maloney). Before long, she will have to choose between the two of them. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Review
Often referred to as the thinking person's Ghost, Anthony Minghella's Truly, Madly, Deeply offers a poignant look at all-encompassing love, a pleasant alternative to films that resort to emotional manipulation to tell a simple love story. The film is distinguished by Minghella's truthful and emotionally resonant approach. When Nina cries at her psychiatrist's, she sheds real, sloppy tears, complete with a runny nose. And, although Nina is initially overcome with happiness at Jamie's return, his presence forces her to recall all of his habits that annoyed her while he was alive. The honesty of Minghella's method rescues Truly, Madly, Deeply from the excess sentiment of many romantic dramas. The message here is to move on while casting a fond eye towards the past, and, as relayed by Minghella and his immensely talented cast (most notably Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman), that message is a touching, surprisingly funny, and inspiring one. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
Keith Bartlett - Plumber; Stella Maris - Maura; David Ryall - George; Deborah Findlay - Claire; Awam Amkpa - Ghost; Hamilton Baillie - Ghost; Tony Bluto - Anthony; Nick Burge - Ghost; Carolyn Choa - Translator; Steven Deproost - Ghost; Graeme Du Fresne - Pierre; Ian Hawkes - Harry; Leroy Joseph - Ghost; Teddy Kempner - Freddie; Mark Long - Isaac; Jonathan Lunn - Ghost; Reach Group - Themselves; Richard Syms - Symonds; Arturo Venegas - Roberto; Vania Vilers - Frenchman; Eddie Vincent - Ghost; Heather Williams - Midwife; Tom Yang - Ghost; Anthony Minghella; Michelle Guish; Nitin Chandra Ganatra - Ghost; Frank Baker - Bruno
Credit
Michelle Guish - Casting, James Keast - Costume Designer, Anthony Minghella - Director, John Stothart - Editor, Barrington Pheloung - Composer (Music Score), Barbara Gosnold - Production Designer, Remi Adefarasin - Cinematographer, Mark Shivas - Producer, Robert Cooper - Producer, Anthony Minghella - Screenwriter
The film was written and directed by Anthony Minghella and stars Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. Minghella has said he wrote the script specifically as “a vehicle for [Stevenson] to express all her talents. She plays piano, likes dancing and has a quirky side to her which she usually can't express in the classical parts she is asked for”.[1] The title comes from a word game played by the main characters, in which they challenge each other to by turns repeat and add to a series of adverbs describing the depths of their mutual affection. The working title for the film was 'Cello', a reference not only to the cello within the film, but also to the Italian word for heaven.
Plot
Nina, an interpreter, is beside herself with grief at the recent death of her boyfriend, Jamie, a cellist. When it appears that she is on the verge of being no longer able to cope with life, Jamie reappears as a "ghost" and the couple are reconciled – either in Nina's imagination or in an actual reunion: it is up to the viewer to decide. Nina is of course ecstatic, but Jamie's behaviour – turning up the central heating to stifling levels, moving furniture around and inviting back "ghost friends" to watch videos – gradually infuriates her, and their relationship deteriorates. She meets Mark (Michael Maloney), a psychologist, to whom she is attracted, but she is unwilling to become involved with him because of Jamie's continued presence. Nina continues to love Jamie but is conflicted by his self-centred behaviour and ultimately, poignantly, wonders out loud, "Was it always like this?" Over Nina’s objections, Jamie decides to leave to allow her to move on. A common interpretation is that Jamie’s return was to remind Nina that he was not perfect and drive this point so far that she could let go of him. This is supported by the scene at the end of the movie in which Jamie watches Nina leave with Mark and one of his fellow ghosts asks, "Well?", implying a “Did we do it?”, and Jamie responds, "I think so. Yes." Another or additional interpretation is simply that one must move on or die with the loved one, literally or figuratively - the choice is life or death. This interpretation is supported by the lovely "La Muerta" (The Dead Woman, by Pablo Neruda) poem segment that Jamie recites and Nina interprets, line by line, during their climactic discussion of their relationship.
Reception
The film was very successful, winning several awards including a BAFTA for best original screenplay. Its combination of serious themes with comic scenes, music and strong performances from the actors made it extremely popular.
Comparison with other films
Although often referred to as the British Ghost (most famously by Ian Hislop, who described it as "Ghost for people who can do crosswords"), its plot really bears little resemblance to that of the Hollywood movie.
The 2000 Charlotte Rampling film Sous le sable (aka Under the Sand) also features a woman whose partner dies and then imagines he has returned, before embarking on a new love affair.
Awards
Won
Australian Film Institute's Best Foreign Film Award
