A Little Romance (1979)

Director:

George Roy Hill

Writers:

Claude Klotz (novel)
Allan Burns (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

27 April 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

A French boy (Daniel) and an American girl (Lauren), who goes to school in Paris, meet and begin a little romance...

Plot Keywords:

Computer Programmer | Bridge | Missing Child | Porno Theater | Gifted

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Laurence Olivier	...	Julius
Diane Lane	...	Lauren King
Thelonious Bernard	...	Daniel Michon
Arthur Hill	...	Richard King
Sally Kellerman	...	Kay King
Broderick Crawford	...	Himself
David Dukes	...	George de Marco
Andrew Duncan	...	Bob Duryea
Claudette Sutherland	...	Janet Duryea
Graham Fletcher-Cook	...	Londet
Ashby Semple	...	Natalie Woodstein
Claude Brosset	...	Michel Michon
Jacques Maury	...	Inspector Leclerc
Anna Massey	...	Ms. Siegel
Peter Maloney	...	Martin
Dominique Lavanant	...	Mme. Cormier
Mike Marshall	...	1st Assistant Director
Michel Bardinet	...	French Ambassador
David Gabison	...	French Representative (as Alain David Gabison)
Isabel Duby	...	Monique
Geoffrey Carey	...	Make-up Man (as Jeffrey Carey)
John Pepper	...	2nd Assistant Director
Denise Glaser	...	Woman Critic
Jeanne Herviale	...	Woman in Metro Station
Carlo Lastricati	...	Tour Guide
Judith Mullen	...	Richard's Secretary
Philippe Brigaud	...	Theater Manager
Lucienne Legrand	...	Theater Cashier

Directed by
George Roy Hill

Writing credits
Claude Klotz		(novel "E=MC2 mon amour") (as Patrick Cauvin)
Allan Burns		(screenplay)
George Roy Hill		(dialogue) uncredited

Produced by
Robert Crawford Jr.	....	producer (as Robert L. Crawford)
Patrick Kelley	....	executive producer
Yves Rousset-Rouard	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Pierre-William Glenn		(as Pierre William Glenn)

Film Editing by
William Reynolds

Casting by
Margot Capelier
Marion Dougherty
Gille Schneider
Claudine Stora

Production Design by
Henry Bumstead

Art Direction by
François de Lamothe

Set Decoration by
Robert Christidès		(as Robert Christides)

Costume Design by
Rosine Delamare

Makeup Department
Françoise Andrejka	....	makeup artist
Jean-Pierre Berroyer	....	hair stylist
Jean-Michel	....	hair stylist
Eric Muller	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jean-Patrick Constantini	....	unit manager
Ludmilla Goulian	....	production manager
Michel Nicolini	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruno Cortini	....	second assistant director: Italy
Carlo Lastricati	....	first assistant director
John Pepper	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jacques Brizzio	....	assistant art director
Marino Calvadore	....	assistant art director: Italy
Jean Colin	....	set dresser
Jacques Quinternet	....	set dresser
Michel Suné	....	property master

Sound Department
Michel Desrois	....	sound
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	sound effects
Alex Pront	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jean-Bernard Thomasson	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Albert Bonomi	....	key grip
Jean-Francis Gondre	....	camera operator (as Jean-François Gondre)
Pascal Lebeque	....	assistant camera
Rene Rochera	....	gaffer
Victor Rodrigue	....	still photographer
Jean-Claude Vicquery	....	assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jeanne Vergne	....	costumer (as Jeannine Vergne)

Editorial Department
Claudine Bouché	....	editorial associate
Michael E. Polakow	....	assistant film editor (as Michael Polakow)
Annick Rousset-Rouard	....	assistant film editor
George A. Martin	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Georges Delerue	....	conductor

Other crew
Nestore Baratella	....	accountant: Italy
Nicole Cateux	....	auditor
Gastone De Mattia	....	location manager: Italy
Anna Grizi	....	location manager: Italy
Lucie Lichtig	....	script supervisor
Judith Mullen	....	production secretary
Claudio Vinale	....	location manager: Italy
Yannoulla Wakefield	....	production executive

Production Companies

• Pan Arts
• Trinacra Films

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1979) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1984) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (USA)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Carita  hair stylist
• Jean-Claude Lattes  book published by
• Les Films Michel François  titles and opticals
• Studios de Billancourt  auditorium (as Studios de Billancourt)
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack published by

Also Known As:

I love you, je t'aime (France)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

South Korea:All | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1987) | Finland:K-8 | USA:PG (certificate # 25563) | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Pan Arts

Trivia:

Julius and Lauren quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnet #43 from the Sonnets from the Portuguese. It begins with "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." The two recited the last lines, which are "and, if God choose,/ I shall but love thee better after death."

Quotes:

Lauren King: Heidegger isn't all that hard. I mean, his stuff is mostly etymological. you know, like, why is there something rather than nothing at all.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Superman II (1980)

A kiss under the Bridge of Sighs

The wonder of Laurence Olivier was his flexibility. From Shakespeare to the light & fluffy he was not too proud and that he enjoyed his profession so is shown in all his last works. This film is one of the latter and it may delight you with its humour and insight. A story set in Paris(sigh) of two adolescents from very different backgrounds and their budding romance in this the city of love. Which raises a good question mr director, why go to Venice when you could have done it all here the most romantic place in the world. But I digress. Lauren(Diane Lane) & Daniel(Thelonius Bernard) are the leads. Two youngsters with very high IQ's, they both read Heidegger & Nitsche for kicks, and who are surrounded by incompetent adults led by Daniel's dad, a parisien taxi driver with questionable ethics and Laurens mum Kay( Sally Kellerman playing a snobbish ex-patriot socialite) who balks at the thought of returning to the states-"goddam Houston".There is also a fine supporting cast of David Dukes playing George, a very avant-garde film director(so he says) and to Kay a potential husband number three, and Arthur Hill playing the kindly stepfather Richard. Broderick Crawford also makes a cameo appearance as himself, sadly one of his last. Olivier makes his entrance as the comical old gentleman with a mysterious past who used to live at the Browning's Villa in Venice and who befriends the two youngsters regaling them with a romantic tale of eternal love which can only be sealed with a kiss in a gondola under the bridge of sighs in Venice.Enough said.

Director Hill directs against type here but imbues his story with some wonderful vignettes. When Daniel's friend Londet sneaks them in to watch a blue movie Laurens reaction is a typically adolescent, morbid curiousity followed by revulsion and then a pert clinical summary.As if to say this aint that kind of a movie folks. Interestingly the two teenage leads found the eventual physical contact an embarrasing experience for all and had to be firmly encouraged by the director.There is a hint of their discomfort on screen but only for a moment. Love conquers all(sigh). Oliviers humourous performance transfixes when he almost gags on his croissant when seeing his criminal identikit photo in the newspaper. Hill also finds time to place excerpts from previous movies into his latest film,but aptly so. Albeit all in a foreign language. I also loved the photography and the landscape, I dont remember Italy being this lovely. The performances by all are very affecting although Lane did go on to bigger though not always better things. Bernard with his gallic good looks and despite passable reviews was never heard from again. Olivier sadly has passed on and will be missed by all for a long time to come.The ending was predictable but touching all the same.It never won any awards but twenty years later it remains one of my firm favourites for love story of the decade.