Foreign Affairs

Stars: Joanne Woodward (Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, They Might Be Giants, The Three Faces of Eve), Brian Dennehy (Belly of an Architect, Cocoon, First Blood), Eric Stoltz (The Waterdance, Mask), Stephanie Beacham (And Now the Screaming Starts). Foreign Affairs, based on Alison Lurie's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is a sprightly and surprisingly mature romantic comedy about a pair of middle-aged lovers from different sides of the track. Joanne Woodward stars as Vinnie Miner, a college professor who's journeying to England on a research sabbatical. On the plane, Vinnie finds herself sitting next to Chuck Mumpson (Brian Dennehy), a big beefy Oklahoman who specializes in waste management, yet has diarrhea of the mouth (so to speak). Compared to this couple, Felix and Oscar were made for each other, yet Chris Bryant's sparkling adaptation builds a plausible and, ultimately, quite affecting relationship between the two. But not right off the bat... Initially, Chuck--who has been laid off, threatened with divorce, and has a whole lot of time and money on his hands--is a royal pain in the keester, following Vinnie around town, talking about guy things, and generally boring the bejeezus out of this New England college professor. But then he's a big hit with her friends, and lasso tricks do brighten up a party, and...before you know it, two very different people who have at least one thing in common (they're both lonely deep down inside and looking for companionship) are using the same bathroom. Foreign Affairs, which is not all light and fluffy, takes a surprisingly dark turn at the end, but it makes the film even richer. A Turner TV-movie that outshines most contemporary Hollywood romances. Audience: Anyone looking for a good romance, especially mature adults.