Lost Treasures
A Little Romance (1979)
Directed by George Roy Hill
Once upon a time, there were coming-of-age films where characters found first love in Paris, rather than in a warm slice of apple pie. "A Little Romance" (1979) is one such film. It is this issue's "Lost Treasure" because it is almost never on television, everyone I mention it to hasn't seen it and it is a precious jewel compared to the costume jewelry of recent teen-oriented love stories.
Based on the book, "E=MC Mon Amour" by Patrick Cauvin, this film has a charming and clever Oscar-nominated screenplay by Allan Burns. In the opening sequence, we meet French kid and film nut Daniel (Thelonious Bernard – no relation to Jazz musician Thelonious Monk -- I kid) as he watches a subtitled film at his local Parisian theater. He recites the dialogue along with "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", which was directed by George Roy Hill, who is also the director of "A Little Romance"! Small world. Thelonious knows his stuff. Perhaps Hill will someday direct another film where we'll see someone watching "A Little Romance" in which Daniel is watching "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid". This is serious deep-fried-film-geek stuff -– and I love it!
On a school trip to a movie set, Daniel soon meets Lauren, played by an angelic Diane Lane ("The Outsiders", "Rumble Fish", "Cotton Club", "Big Town", "A Walk on the Moon") in her first and still one of her best roles. You can't be a 14-year old boy and help but fall in love with her. Then again, you can't be 34 and not fall in love with her, either... okay, sorry about that. Lauren is bored as a guest on a movie set as her mom (Sally Kellerman) flirts with the film's hack director. Meanwhile, Kellerman's hubby number three, and Lauren's step-dad (Arthur Hill), is off at work as the U.S. ambassador to France. Daniel introduces himself to Lauren by telling her, "Call me Bogey". From this point on, and through their discussions of philosophy, poetry and movies, we see that these are special kids.
The two soon befriend an aging con-artist named Julius (played by greatest-actor-ever Laurence Olivier). Touched by the young romantics, Olivier spins them a fable supposedly based on a real legend. He tells them that if two lovers take a gondola under The Bridge of Sighs in Venice, and kiss while the bells toll at sunset, they will be in love forever. This sounds like a good plan to Lauren who confesses to Daniel that she and her dysfunctional family will soon be heading back to live in the United States. A plot is quickly hatched to involve Julius in a scam to get enough money to travel to Venice for the special lip-lock.
Soon, the three are on the run from the police. When the cops learn that the American ambassador's daughter was last seen with Julius, who has a lengthy criminal record as a con artist, the worst is assumed. Olivier gives one of his most entertainingly hammy performances as he helps the kids cross national borders to a whimsical score by Georges Delerue (who got an Oscar for it).
This movie is just one of a number of gems that Olivier picked in his golden years – A demonic Nazi dentist in "Marathon Man" (1976), a holocaust survivor turned wily Nazi hunter in "The Boys From Brazil" (1978), and a brave vampire hunter in "Dracula" (1979). "A Little Romance" fits right in, giving Olivier the opportunity to play a charming and lovable character like Julius as one of his final film roles. His confession to the police and then Lauren's father at the film's end is embarrassingly poignant.
Whether or not Lauren and Daniel will grow up to really love each other forever isn't the point here. Put your cynicism aside for this film. Lauren and Daniel share a moment that each will look back on and fondly remember for the rest of their lives... as will you if you ever get a chance to see this film.
The Usher -- copyright 2000