Falling In Love Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
During shopping for Christmas, Frank and Molly run into each other. This fleeting short moment will start to change their lives, when they recognize each other months later in the train home and have a good time together. Although both are married and Frank has two little kids, they meet more and more often, their friendship becoming the most precious thing in their lives.
| Robert De Niro | Frank Raftis |
| Meryl Streep | Molly Gilmore |
| Harvey Keitel | Ed Lasky |
| Jane Kaczmarek | Ann Raftis |
| George Martin | John Trainer |
| David Clennon | Brian Gilmore |
| Dianne Wiest | Isabelle |
| Victor Argo | Victor Rawlins |
| Wiley Earl | Mike Raftis |
| Jesse Bradford | Joe Raftis |
| Chevi Colton | Elevator Woman |
| Richard Giza | Salesman |
| Frances Conroy | Waitress |
| James Ryan | Cashier |
| Sonny Abagnale | Tow Truck driver |
| Ulu Grosbard |
6.10 out of 10 (2952 votes)
Visitor Reviews
As always, depends what you're looking for.
posted on 28 Jun 2009I read lots of comments on this film before posting mine, and the conclusion is simply that Falling in Love is your kind of movie or it's not. If you are usually into lots of fantastic action, of course this would be a 'boring movie about a boring couple'. Then again, if you are into complete 100% realism, then you would have a bone to pick with it too. I mean true love... if you believe in love at first sight, you could probably believe that two strangers' chance meeting could be the beginning of something beautiful. Or if hardened by cynicism, you'd probably say, nay it'd never happen --it's just boredom in life's routine. But one thing that can't be ignored is the acting. I think de Niro and Streep do a wonderful job with the material they've got. I love the minimal mundane dialogue and what they did with it. A truly moving portrayal. At the end of the day, all movies will become predictable and all story lines become repetitive, it's the acting that brings it to life.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS OF ALL TIME - A GEM!
posted on 27 May 2009I saw this film many years ago in a local theater here in the Philippines (Greenbelt 1 in Makati City) and I simply loved it! It was so romantic! My grandmother too loved the film when she saw it on video and it has become like a practice for us to see the film every once in a while on DVD especially when it is Christmas time to relive how wonderful and heartwarming this movie is which is timed at Christmas. I became an instant Meryl Streep fan when I first saw this movie. A very underrrated film I must say but one of her best. I simply love how this film shows how two people meet by chance and then later on when they decide to meet by choice and framed within a New York setting during Christmas time when people are going through the holiday rush. The music by Dave Grusin (I loved how he used Mountain Dance throughtout the film) is perfect and the magnificent ending is really one for the books - one of the best endings I have ever seen in the movies. The film also captures Meryl and Robert at their youthful best! Meryl was so beautiful in this film and Robert was really leading man handsome which spelled magic in their wonderful scenes together. This film ranks among my favorite films of all time because of its simplicity and beauty. I commend the director Ulu Grosbard and the writer Michael Cristofer for this gem!
The sin here is boredom, not adultery
posted on 19 Sep 2008This pathetic cinematic attempt stole a few ideas from the 1945 black and white classic Brief Encounter, but believe me, this is no Brief Encounter. The only similarities are the trains and the unconsummated affair between two people married to others. The story revolves around two married, fairly affluent suburbanites, Frank and Molly, who meet in a New York bookshop while Christmas shopping, and later encounter each other on a commuter train, first by accident, then (as their mutual attraction grows) by design. Frank has two small boys, and Molly has lost a baby girl a year or two earlier. They then proceed very ploddingly and boringly to fall in love.The movie does get off to a promising start, with the festive, bustling New York Christmas atmosphere. I had great expectations, considering these two stars. Neither Robert DeNiro nor Meryl Streep should have stooped to the level of this dull drivel, though they probably did the best they could with what they have here...a plodding plot, unsympathetic characters, and the poorest dialogue in cinematic history.The screenplay has not a single original phrase and could have been written by a middle school student. There is a fair bit of mindless profanity of the 'O, my G--' type, always easy to write. I note that at least one famous critic lamented the poor script, so I am not alone. Poor Molly literally can't get through an entire sentence without stumbling and stammering. I had enough of this verbal bumbling about after 15 minutes, and after two hours was practically frothing at the mouth. If the point is that forbidden attraction is making Molly tongue tied like a schoolgirl, that might work for the first couple of encounters but not indefinitely.The pair seem juvenile and absurd when trying to physically groom to attract the other. When Frank asks his friend whether he's good looking, I could hardly keep from laughing. Molly fares little better while trying on a number of outfits to determine which will prove most attractive for her new man. Also, they both come off as immature teenagers chit chatting to their best friends about their new love interests. This fails miserably as an endearing indication that they feel young and fresh, falling in love like a couple of school kids. My sympathies lie with the harmless and hapless spouses. These marriages may not be that exciting but don't seem troubled, making sympathy unlikely for these would be adulterers. Molly's husband, Brian, is a quiet physician, occasionally off in his own world dealing with the distressing patient losses he must face in his career. However, he's very kind and supportive of his wife when she has her hysterical tizzy fit at her father's grave side, caused by anguish over the affair rather than grief for her dad. Who can blame him when he lies on the phone to Frank in the hopes of discouraging the lover? Frank's wife, Ann, is a pretty and apparently loving brunette, a wholesome gardening type and devoted mother. I felt like slapping Frank virtually throughout the movie. Happily, Ann DOES slap him across the face when she realizes his love for another! No, Frank & Molly do not have sex but the affair is just too dreary for it to make any difference. The pair do make it to the bed, but Molly puts the brakes on. Now if FRANK had put the brakes on, that might have been a bit more original.These two characters are neither interesting nor sympathetic. Affairs are only of interest when guilt is present, some sense of inner conflict to add interest to the character. Sadly, there is little guilt here other than a smidgen in Molly. Frank indicates no regard at all for either his wife or his two charming young sons. Worst of all, we have the uninspiring message that it's just dandy to break up two homes (one with children) as a result of being attracted to someone else. The pair get together in the end, the spouses conveniently gotten out of the picture in predictable, uninteresting ways. Ann goes home to her mother, and Molly apparently leaves Brian (or vice versa). Really, difficult as it is to believe with these two talented actors, this movie has little to recommend it. It's not a case of adultery but sheer unadulterated boredom.Instead of this disgusting drivel, treat yourself to Brief Encounter, the genuine article and a true classic.
Jesse Bradford
posted on 24 Jul 2008Everyone knows this movie had DeNiro and Streep. But very few people watching this movie realize that DeNiro's adorable son Joe is Jesse Bradford. Jesse's now one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood thanks to Swimfan, Clockstoppers and Bring It On. But here, in 1984, he was just a little boy. It's a great sweet romantic comedy, but it's interesting to see today's sexiest young star (besides Colin Farrell) when he was still in diapers.
wow
posted on 04 May 2008Getting ready for work this morning, I only got to see part of this movie. What little I got to see was enchanting. The romance between DeNiro and Streep seemed absolutely real. It's one of those movies that makes you forget these are two big stars. They became the two normal people they were playing. The romance between them, the looks, the dialogue, were electric and as solid as if you could reach out and touch something with body to it. As many of the reviewers state, if you've ever been in love, you can identify with this romance--especially if you've been married. The feelings this man and woman bare to their friends are exactly the way it is, and things you don't even bare to the lover. "I know you disapprove. I don't approve either. It just is." (Forgive me if I misquoted badly.) I have got to see this movie again!
For romantics only; love is alive.
posted on 01 Feb 2008I do not get tired of watching this movie. I really like the story and relationship development. A chance meeting in a book store and commuter train sparks a mutual romantic interest. Both people seem to be trapped in unhappy marriages and this chance meeting soon becomes planned meetings and a full blown romantic relationship.All the components of a love affair are here. The bittersweet finale is very dramatic and so goes romance. Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep are excellent as the smitten couple. The whole story is pretty ordinary, but these two actors make the characters transcend the screen.
Just wonderful.
posted on 17 Oct 2007This film apparently went completely un-noticed at the time it was made. To watch it now obviously done early in their careers is such a confirmation of their amazing talent (both Robert DeNiro and Meryl Street). Their ability to "inhabit" the characters is truly miraculous. So much is communicated by them to each other with few words that it is absolutely fascinating.
As artists they both seem to know each other so well and "play off" of one another with such "ease" that it is truly unbelievable that they didn't make more films together.
Everytime I watch this film and it has been many; I am completely caught up in it again like I'm seeing it for the first time. That's why it's a complete "treasure" for anyone's DVD library.
Flawless acting
posted on 05 Sep 2007The acting that De Niro and Streep exercise within this film is truly exemplary, proving once again (The Deer Hunter) that the chemistry between the two is so powerful. They don't need to be talking in order to show it either. The amount of emotion that Streep and De Niro convey within a subtle face gesture is enormous. There remains no doubt within my mind that true lovers of the acting craft will appreciate their skill within this gem of a film. Everything about their acting makes this story so credible-- that extraordinary love can flourish and blossom among two everyday people who are currently living within two decent, good marriages.
No, this will not be the De Niro you may see in your hard core gangster filck, but that's just a sign of a great method actor! De Niro is man of many faces and emotions! He's not simply playing himself in all his roles, as opposed to many other actors. He pulls this role off brilliantly!
Bottom line: If you appreciate great acting, and are a romantic at heart, you will not be disappointed with this film. I hope that De Niro and Streep make another movie together!
Streep, DeNiro and Little Moments Transcend Formula Romance
posted on 05 Aug 2007I have a certain fondness for this movie, and twenty years later, it still gets to me. I first saw this movie in a theater during a bleak Chicago winter, and the coziness of this romantic fable warmed me at the right time. Meryl Streep and Robert DeNiro - probably at the height of their respective careers in 1984 as respected, Method-style actors and bankable stars - have certainly had more challenging roles to play than the two married suburbanites here, Molly and Frank, who develop a strong attachment to one another by way of train rides back and forth from Connecticut to Manhattan. In fact, this movie does not even have the emotional gravity of Noel Coward's "Brief Encounter", which screenwriter Michael Cristopher is apparently mimicking with a mid-eighties sensibility. There are even excellent actors in supporting roles - Harvey Keitel as Frank's best friend going through his own transition, Dianne Wiest as Molly's sex-obsessed best friend, Jane Kaczmarek as Frank's content but guarded wife, David Clennon as Molly's emotionally unavailable husband - but none are given much to do, other than to be left to their own unstated thoughts and observe what's going on with the main characters.Yet the film has a certain pervasive charm and a subtle sense of intimacy that makes it seem more substantial than it has any right to be. There is a certain improvisational element to the two lead performances that contributes to this feeling and makes the characters easy to like despite upscale lifestyles that appear more appropriate in a Pottery Barn catalog. You do believe these two characters are hesitantly falling in love, and the scene where they try to make love for the first time has an aching honesty that deepens the story at the right moment. Leave it to Streep and DeNiro to make it all look so authentic in spite of some silly Hollywood story conventions, such as the "boy meets girl" meeting over a passel of Christmas packages at Rizzoli's or the one-year-later denouement that ends naturally on a crowded commuter train...as if there was real suspense in how the story would end. Even putting "The End" on the screen induces an aura of Hollywood artifice.Regardless, the little moments are what provide the most pleasure here....the way Molly explains how she has made mu-shu pork with Aunt Jemima's pancake mix; how Frank practices his line for the "accidental" run-in with Molly; the montage of silly, Dallas/Dynasty-era outfits that Molly tries on to look good for Frank. These moments provide a nice counterbalance to the more predictable scenes of regret and guilt that are inevitable with this story. Ulu Grosbard directs the actors with a sure hand, though the pacing drags at times, especially toward the end when he suddenly tries to build some suspense with a speeding car in a downpour. Dave Grusin provides a nice, FM-lite score highlighted by "Mountain Dance", the syncopated theme that plays throughout the movie. This film is definitely recommended for those seeking Hollywood-style romance with two acting heavyweights who inject some nice realism into a slight story.
Beautifully romantic
posted on 13 Jul 2007This is a lovely story about courtly love. It is quite realistic and both DeNiro and Streep are perfectly cast - in fact, DeNiro says this is his favorite role, because it was a romantic story with Streep. The DVD is in great shape, and it came quickly. Thank you!
An Underrated Gem!
posted on 15 Jun 2007I have seen this movie 3 times, only in the past year. I think I was too young when it originally came out to go see something of this nature.It is a simple,honest movie, it was very believable and real. Robert and Meryl were excellent in roles that weren't the norm for them. They had tremendous chemistry. I don't agree with Leonard Maltin saying the script sunk the movie. The writing was one of the things that made it realistic. How many times I have seen movies trying to be cutesy with glib lines and the latest lingo. UGH. Also, it's like the old-time love stories, just a nice clean story. Which is all too rare, unfortunately.My ONLY negative was the scenes with Robert's character and his wife. I have to be honest, I didn't think Jane was right for the part.The channel it's been running on is WE lately. AS I said it's an underrated gem, don't miss it!
The romance in this film is understanding and very persuasive.
posted on 08 May 2007"Falling In Love" deserve it's fair share of attention and fame. If you are into complete 100% realism, then you would have a bone to pick with this film. I mean true love... if you believe in love at first sight; you could probably believe that two strangers' chance meeting could be the beginning of something beautiful. Or if hardened by cynicism, you'd probably say, nay it'd never happen --it's just boredom in life's routine. But one thing that can't be ignored is the acting. Any two actors might've played Frank and Molly in this low-keyed way (and been as good), but it is the fact it's De Niro and Streep together (reunited from "The Deer Hunter") that keeps the picture watch able. The minimal mundane dialogue and what they did with the material was a moving portrayal in this film.
Ms. Streep portrays Molly Gillmore, a doctor's wife and commercial artist; and De Niro, Frank Raftis, a construction foreman, husband and father of two young boys. Fate brings the two together on a Metro North commuter train from Westchester County into Manhattan, in New York. Molly and Frank are good, moral suburbanites who just happen to be "Falling In Love," all the time struggling to remain loyal to their respective families.
Maryl Streep, to me mainly, has done her part on this film. She is not only natural and luminous, but you even don't think that she's acting! She's lived this whole life through! The way she's hesitating whether she should stop the affair with a married man (DeNiro) or just let it all be. The way she struggles herself and this new feeling that doesn't allow her to lead her normal life anymore is believable as well. You won't doubt a minute that she's feeling all this. As for De Niro even though he's an actor he always embodies such charisma and sex appeal, he's able to carry himself as such a regular simple man-all that there is to him is that he is in love with a married woman other than his wife.
I also liked how the film does not try to justify adultery at the same time. There are some nice nostalgia vis-a-vis sumptuous New York winter bustle scenes of Grand Central Station, Rizzoli's on Fifth Ave, hot dog vendors, high-eighties hair and clothing fashions. The score by Dave Grusin (Mountain Dance) completed this movie and is just amazing till this day. "Falling In Love" is a rather sweet but serious film that paints a very realistic portrait of marriage and infidelity. If you are a fan of either actor, this is a must-see.
One Hundred and Six Minute Hallmark Card. With Bunnies.
posted on 01 Jan 2007A married man and married woman meet on the commuter train into New York and begin an affair. If this cast played baseball, it would be an All Star Team. Juliet Taylor and Pat McCorkle get the prize for assembling this cast, who prove that regardless of a movie's degree of wretchedness, the audience can be engaged by strong performance. Let's talk about the cast, and give a shout out when we get to someone you like, okay? De Niro, Streep, Keitel, Jane Kaczmarek, George Martin, David Clennon and Diane Wiest are all known for being excellent. This lineup is consistently great from top to bottom. With pinch- hitting Frances Conroy and 5 year old Jesse Bradford on the Bench. I'm telling you...All Star Team. Now let's take a moment to address the wretchedness. The script is written by actor, writer, director Michael Christofer, whose career arcs from the Pulitzer Prize for 'The Shadow Box' to the simply awful 'Body Shots.' The script for "Falling in Love" is the biggest problem. The story is remarkably dull, the ultra naturalistic dialogue is forced to play within an overly-precious dual narrative, and it all rests on the notion that, despite their destructive affair, our lead characters must remain sympathetic. Nothing says Christmastime like adultery. What will young Jesse Bradford do once daddy leaves home for Mrs. Soffel?Director Ulu Grosbard doesn't help matters at all. The tone of this thing is all over the place. The pace is stagnant and mired squarely in the failures of the script. Confusing to watch also is Grosbard's love affair schmaltz in constant competition with the actors truthful humanity. This does not make for dynamics at all, quite the opposite. Oil and water, my friends. Murky, murky oil and water. Within the first ten minutes of the movie, when meeting at a restaurant, Harvey Keitel asks De Niro, "Can you please tell me what the hell we're doing here?" Good question. I hope you're getting paid.The movie is shot beautifully by Peter Suschitzky, known for his work with David Cronenberg. The locations are pretty. There's a cool car drive in the rain involving life and death gravity, but the movie never earns the stakes to which it portends. Most disappointing, David Clennon and Meryl Streep do some of their all time best work when they're together in two scenes that total 40 seconds of screen time. One wonders what could have been if the story had spent more time with them, and less time commuting on the train. This All Star Game got rained out in the middle of the first.
Love sees no reason
posted on 30 Sep 2006The passion between the protagonists, De Niro and Streep is completely unbelievable. The nuances, the manner in which they fall in love is so completely real, they literally make one want to fall in love again! Streep's presence is natural, her attraction towards de Niro very gradual and in the end completely possessing. Both are brilliant. Dialogues could have had more depth, they lacked substance. Robert de Niro's honest confession to his wife, his helplessness with the feeling he feels towards Molly - it could happen to anyone! I had watched this film when I was only 16, and at double that age now, the emotion I feel is exactly the same! Watch it if you want to know what falling in love feels...
There are things in life that are inevitable, and we are powerless to control them...
posted on 27 Aug 2009Love is more than an emotion... It's above all, the substance of our being, the gift of oneself...We all want to fall in love… We all want to be caught up out of our ordinary life… Maybe because it is the only true adventure, maybe because that experience makes us feel completely alive... It may only last a moment, an hour, an afternoon, but that doesn't diminish its value, because we are left with memories that we treasure for the rest of our lives...Here, Merryl Streep and DeNiro are the kind of people who are ready to take action on an opportunity… Following a chance meeting in a bookshop, pre-Xmas, the two central characters find themselves inexplicably drawn to each other… But both are married… She has a husband, he has a wife and two lovely kids… Both are meant to be together but they are inexperienced, uptight… And neither really knows what to do with his fear, shyness, hesitation, and confusion… On this thread of plot hangs a nice romantic film where two super stars combined their talent to conquer a dry script…Director Ulu Grosbard makes sure there are plenty of subway stations, trains, hot dogs, coffee, driving rainstorm, two adjacent pay phones, walks through the streets, swelling music, and much more for the lovers to get romantic over… His motion picture is strictly traditional, which makes his sensitive film something fresh and entertaining…