Up Close and Personal (1996)
In anticipation of the new film Fifty Shades of Grey, I took some time to go through my personal DVD collection and made a list of my favorite guilty pleasure romance movies. I have always been a fan of the genre (not guilty pleasure films per say, but definitely romance!) and one of my favorite films is the 1996 Jon Avnet film Up Close and Personal.
A romance drama with a mere 29% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes; Up Close and Personal is loosely based on the true story of Jessica Savich, a 1970s telejournalist who died in an automobile accident. I say loosely, as the film is more so inspired by true events but refrains from being a biopic. Michelle Pffeifer plays Sally Atwater, a young, ambitious journalist who leaves her life in Reno, Nevada to pursue a career as a cable news anchor. Robert Redford portrays Warren Justice, a seasoned journalist and former White House correspondent who takes Sally under his wing and fully invests in her career. The two eventually fall in love as Sally’s career blossoms and Warren’s falters. While most of the film is fairly light-hearted, it of course has a tragic ending as one of our lead characters perishes while reporting in the field. Cue the weepy, Celine Dion hit “Because You Loved Me” and you have yourself a bonafied tearjerker!
Up Close and Personal is no cinematic masterpiece, but then again it never claims to be. It’s a lackluster film with a star studded cast and an iconic theme song. That’s it. And, that is why it’s a guilty pleasure! I recommend the film to anyone in the mood for a good cry and for viewers who don’t mind a twenty-two year age difference between the film’s leading players. –Mallory Delchamp
http://youtu.be/9ZJ7Gw1U8uE
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