The Thing Called Love (PG)

A star is born in Nashville.

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Movie details

Studio: Paramount Pictures
Directed By: Peter Bogdanovich
Cast: Samantha Mathis, River Phoenix
Running Time: 116 minutes
Release Date: 07/16/1993
Video/DVD Release Date: 06/20/1995
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA Explanation: some language.

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that the subject matter of this PG-13 movie is too mature for younger kids. Viewers will see drinking, fist fights, and some sexual material, from kissing to couples in bed together (though nudity is only implied).

Families can talk about predictable endings. It's no surprise that Miranda finds her voice at the end; do you like movies that end happily or do you prefer more ambiguous endings? Why do we see movies when we know what's going to happen in them?

Message
Violence
Sex
Language

Message

Social Behavior:

Consumerism:

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Plenty of drinking by all the young 20-somethings.

Violence

Fist fight.

Sex

The two leads neck. Non-married couples have sex and they are filmed lying in bed, implicitly naked, but little is actually shown.

Language

Occasional extreme profanity.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Randy White

New Yorker Miranda arrives in Nashville with a couple of songs and a dream of becoming a country music star. Miranda (Samantha Mathis) immediately runs into brooding singer/songwriter James (River Phoenix) and the two begin a love-hate relationship. Unsuccessful at her first audition, Miranda takes a waitressing job and moves in with Linda-Lou (Sandra Bullock), a southern belle determined to find herself a career. Miranda is also pursued by the lovesick Kyle (Dermot Mulroney), a fellow Yankee songwriter. Her music career stalls and Miranda is advised to "dig in deeper." After a fraught courtship, she and James marry, but the relationship hits the rocks when the two struggle to discover their individual identities. Miranda thinks about heading back to New York, but decides to put her pain into her writing, and finally pens a successful song. She's on her way.

Is it any good?

This isn’t a fresh story, but here it's told with a disarmingly direct charm. It’s an earnest take on finding love -- and finding yourself in the process. Still, the movie isn't entirely successful. It's hurt by actors who aren't really singers. The only actor who convincingly plays a musical performer is River Phoenix, who was actively pursuing a musical career before he died.

Phoenix's character name (James) is also apropos, since he spends the bulk of the movie doing his best James Dean impression, staring down and mumbling his lines. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's annoying. The rest of the actors do a fine job, especially Sandra Bullock as the slightly loopy Southern belle.