Movie of the Day: September 1, 2003

IMDb Movie of the Day
Published in 1969 to great reviews and even greater sales, John Fowles’ The French Lieutenant's Woman would have to wait twelve years until its inevitable film adaptation. When it finally came, fans of the novel were at first puzzled -- who was this modern couple dallying about in a 19th century love story? Facing an uphill climb in adapting the novel, screenwriter Harold Pinter and director Karel Reisz opted for a decidedly post-modern approach, one that veered strongly away from the source material but kept its spirit intact. A tumultuous love story between an engaged man and the mysteriously wronged woman who captures his heart (it was the French lieutenant who did the wronging), Fowles' novel wasn't just a romance but an intellectual and emotional commentary on Victorian era England. For their film, Pinter and Reisz framed the story around the making of a movie based on the novel, with two actors (Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep) playing the Victorian lovers onscreen and also having a decidedly modern affair off the set as well. The result was two different stories -- one contemporary, one historical -- that both explored the nature of love and desire, as well as the social forces that come into play and affect both. With this not-so-simple structure, a hall of mirrors was created that reflected emotions crossing from fiction to "reality" and past to present. After the initial "huh?" reaction, the film was roundly acclaimed, garnering Streep her first Best Actress Oscar nomination and officially introducing Irons to the world of film. - Mark Englehart (more)

Previous Day | Current Archive | Next Day

MORE SUGGESTIONS: IMDb's "What To Watch"