David Thomson raved about Truly Madly Deeply (1990) in his recent book Sleeping With Strangers. I somehow missed Truly Madly Deeply when it first came out so I picked up a copy and watched it. Truly Madly Deeply is about bereavement. Nina (played by Juliet Stevenson), is an interpreter who has just lost the love of her life, Jamie (Alan Rickman), a cellist, to a sudden illness. The scenes with Nina and her grief counselor are heart-wrenching. Meanwhile, Nina’s flat is falling apart: rats scurry around, the plumbing fails, and the cupboard doors won’t close. Nina’s life seems to be spiraling out of control.
Then, Jamie shows up. Is Jamie a ghost or is he a figment of Nina’s fevered imagination? Director and scriptwriter Anthony Minghella created a movie that is both thoughtful and clever. Well worth watching! GRADE: B+
You forgot the most important thing—keep a box of Kleenex handy…you’re going to need them.
Deb, you are so right! My eyes teared several times during TRULY MADLY DEEPLY.
LOVELY film, and I’m glad it’s finally out on DVD.
Dan, I don’t know what I was doing back in 1990 when TRULY MADLY DEEPLY first showed up in the theaters and I missed it. Like you, I’m glad it’s available on DVD.
LOVELY film, and I’m glad it’s finally out on DVD.
I found an insightful review of it here:
http://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=42876
Dan, thanks for the link!
Hard to believe that this absolutely wonderful movie is pushing 30. I saw it only once, in the mid-90s, and would love to see it again. I seem to recall looking around for it on DVD several years ago and finding it unavailable.
Michael, TRULY MADLY DEEPLY is available on AMAZON and other online sources now.
I’ve been a fan of Rickman’s in most everything I’ve seen him in – we even saw him on Broadway in SEMINAR in 2011. I saw this once over 20 years ago, and should probably watch it again.
Jeff, if you do watch TRULY MADLY DEEPLY again, take Deb’s advice and have some Kleenex nearby.
Thanks, George and all others!
Haven’t seen this, only know Minghella’s “English Patient”.
Dan’s link gave me that info and that Minghella died several years ago – he was only 58 years old …
Wolf, I’ve enjoyed all of Minghella’s movies.
Always a big fan of this film. Couldn’t watch it now though.
Patti, I can’t believe I missed TRULY MADLY DEEPLY the first time it was released. I’m glad to have it on DVD now.
I liked it. Wonder what the home video holdup was.
But, then again, they haven’t even fully restored NIGHTMARE IN CHICAGO yet. And they had copies circulating on film and tape for decades after the KRAFT SUSPENSE THEATRE version ran.
Apropos of little, here’s something I did to try to cheer myself up after I saw it on John Kessel’s Facebook “wall”:
a list challenge…I picked it up from John Kessel and spent too much time thinking about these, probably:
SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE I HATE: SILENT RUNNING; GATTACA; WHERE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE GONE?
SF MOVIE I THINK IS OVERRATED: ALIEN, STAR WARS (A NEW HOPE), PLANET OF THE APES the original (and, of course, the three above)
SF MOVIE I THINK IS UNDERRATED: SHAME/SKAMMEN; SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE (mildly); SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED; MONSTERS (2010); possibly SECONDS
SF MOVIE I LOVE: ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND; BLADE RUNNER; LAST NIGHT (1998 film)
SF MOVIE I COULD WATCH ON REPEAT: DR, STRANGELOVE; TREMORS; TESTAMENT OF ORPHEUS
SF MOVIE THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH SF MOVIES: QUATERMASS AND THE PIT
SF MOVIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: a tall order, aside from the immediately above; another film which impressed me mightily at a young age was the original THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. And the 1960 THE TIME MACHINE.
GUILTY PLEASURE: as much as there are such: DARK STAR; PERFECT SENSE; THX-1138 (the theatrical version…Duvall is remarkable, and the look of the film is good); TiMER (2009); BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN; THE SKIN I LIVE IN
Feel like spending time thus, wondering if one should stick VIDEODROME or THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT in here somewhere?
John Kessel’s list:
My take on that movie thing going around:
SCI-FI MOVIE I HATE: E.T.: The Extraterrestrial
SCI-FI MOVIE I THINK IS OVERRATED: Star Wars
SCI-FI MOVIE I THINK IS UNDERRATED: A.I.: Artificial Intelligence; Under the Skin
SCI-FI MOVIE I LOVE: Children of Men
SCI-FI MOVIE I COULD WATCH ON REPEAT: Dr. Strangelove
SCI-FI MOVIE THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH SCI-FI MOVIES: The Day the Earth Stood Still
SCI-FI MOVIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: 2001: A Space Odyssey
GUILTY PLEASURE: The Fifth Element
and…
Claude Lalumiere’s list
My take on the SF film meme doing the rounds (tip of the hat to John Kessel — I saw his post first)
SF MOVIE I HATE: Aliens (1986)
SF MOVIE I THINK IS OVERRATED: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
SF MOVIE I THINK IS UNDERRATED: The One I Love (2014)
SF MOVIE I LOVE: The Iron Giant (1999)
SF MOVIE I COULD WATCH ON REPEAT: Blade Runner (1982/1992/2007)
SF MOVIE THAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH SF MOVIES: When Worlds Collide (1951)
SF MOVIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE: Sleeper (1973)
GUILTY PLEASURE: I quote Patti Smith (from “Babelogue”) “…I have no guilt. I seek pleasure…”