A Little Romance (1979) Orion/Comedy-Drama RT: 110 minutes Rated PG (brief language, mature themes, teen drinking) Director: George Roy Hill Screenplay: Allan Burns Music: Georges Delerue Cinematography: Pierre-William Glenn Release date: April 27, 1979 (US) Cast: Laurence Olivier, Diane Lane, Thelonious Bernard, Arthur Hill, Sally Kellerman, David Dukes, Broderick Crawford, Graham Fletcher-Cook, Ashby Semple, Claude Brosset, Jacques Maury, Andrew Duncan, Claudette Sutherland. Box Office: N/A
Rating: ****
I fell in love with A Little Romance at first sight. I knew I would before I even laid eyes on a single frame of it. Sadly, that didn’t happen until about six years after it came out. It played exclusively at the Ritz 3, the premiere arthouse theater in Philadelphia. My parents were the types who didn’t see the point in going to the dangerous city for a movie. In Dad’s words, “It’ll be around.” He was wrong. It never made it to the suburbs.
I finally saw A Little Romance on cable in early ’85 and was instantly enthralled with its story of young love in France. It’s about the kind of love that can only be had by those experiencing it for the first time. It’s that kind of love that develops between a French boy named Daniel (Bernard) and an American girl named Lauren (Lane, The Outsiders), two intelligent 13YOs from different economic backgrounds who have their meet-cute on the set of a movie being filmed at the French manor where Daniel is on a field trip with his class. Lauren’s mother (Kellerman, M*A*S*H), who works closely with the film’s director (Dukes, The First Deadly Sin), brought her daughter to work that day. She’s hiding in a corner reading a book on metaphysics when Daniel first spots her.
After a few little complications, Daniel and Lauren begin a romance. It’s a cute little romance that doesn’t go any farther than hand-holding and an innocent kiss. A big complication arises when the girl’s mother informs her they’re moving back to the US. They respond like any lovesick teens, they run away together. Their goal is to reach Venice so they can kiss under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset when the church bells toll. According to a legend by Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, two lovers that do this will love one another forever. They’re helped in their mission by their new friend Julius (Olivier, Hamlet), an elderly man who enthralls Lauren with stories about his life. Of course, Lauren’s affluent parents are convinced she’s been kidnapped and have the police out looking for them. This leads to some hilarious complications as they try to dodge the authorities and accomplish their goal.
Directed by George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), A Little Romance is one of the sweetest movies I’ve ever seen about teen romance. For one thing, it doesn’t confuse romance with sex. It isn’t centered on teens looking to lose their virginity. It’s not even remotely concerned with that. Although each in their own way is intelligent, Daniel and Lauren are naïve about certain matters. They’re only 13, for heaven’s sake! Sex comes up a couple of times like when Lauren and her crazy friend Natalie (Semple) briefly discuss “doing it” and Daniel’s friend Londet (Cook, Absolute Beginners) sneaks the young couple into a porno movie (nothing is shown).
ANYWAY, Daniel and Lauren are interesting, intelligent characters. Daniel spends his days at the cinema watching American movies. In one scene, he reminds actor Broderick Crawford (playing himself) of a movie he was in even though the actor can’t even remember making it. Lauren is smart and sensitive. She takes a genuine liking to the kind, lonely old man with a questionable past. What’s amazing about these kids is they’re capable of holding intelligent, mature conversations unlike the actual adults around them who behave childishly. Lauren’s mom is having an affair with the director right under the nose of husband number three (Hill, The Killer Elite). Daniel’s father (Brosset) drives a taxi and takes great delight in cheating American passengers.
There is genuine chemistry between Bernard and Lane. You actually believe they’re in love with each other. Faking something like their characters’ have isn’t easy; it eludes a lot of young actors. In his only major acting role, Bernard is terrific as street smart Daniel. He’s a natural. Whatever became of him? Lane makes a startling debut as Lauren. It’s easy to see why her career continued into adulthood. Olivier is similarly great as Julius, a man who might not be all that he claims. It’s great to see the respected actor lighten up and have fun with a role.
As deeply heartfelt as A Little Romance is, it’s also a beautiful movie. Hill makes excellent use of the European locations in France and Italy. He makes Paris and Venice look like the most romantic cities in the world. Some would argue that they are. The score by Georges Delerue is great too. He makes especially nice use of the Vivaldi piece “Guitar Concerto in D Major, 2nd Movement”. It gives me chills every time I hear it. It’s astonishing that Hill made such a sweet, innocent movie immediately after the super-profane hockey comedy Slap Shot. It’s a testament to his versatility as a filmmaker. He was truly remarkable.
I can’t think of a single thing wrong with A Little Romance. I love everything about it. It’s delightful, funny, charming and touching at the right moments. It’s the kind of movie I enjoy watching with somebody I love; it’s ideal for a date night at home. It’s just a nice little movie for the young romantic in us all.
TRIVIA TIDBIT: Daniel watches two of Hill’s movies, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting, in the local cinema. I guess it was easy negotiating the rights on those two titles.
