Film #086 - An Affair To Remember (1957)
Viewed March 27, 2006
After watching and thouroughly enjoying the original Love Affair, I became determined to watch all of the remakes before the 356 Films project is over. First up is perhaps the most famous incarnation of the story, An Affair To Remember.
It’s always interesting to see how different filmmakers handle what is essentially the same material. There is very little changed between Love Affair and An Affair to Remember. The plot is practically identical and even some of the dialogue is the same.
What’s really been changed is the tone. And despite Cary Grant’s well-known strength with comedy, the move has been away from comedy and towards more melodrama.
That’s not to say that An Affair to Remember doesn’t have any laughs in it. Most of the sharp dialogue between the leads remains and still works. It’s just that whenever a scene can either tickle your funny bone or tug at your heartstrings, An Affair to Remember goes for the heart.
This is most noticeable as Terry McKay deals with her injuries. In Love Affair, she gets down on occasion, but is relentlessly optimistic. In An Affair to Remember, she is much more downbeat. And Cary Grant’s Nickie is somehow less innocent in his womanizing and seems harsher when he confronts Terry near the end.
What humor there is isn’t handled as well as in Love Affair, either. One example is the scene where the two burgeoning lovers are seated at adjoining tables. In the original, the humor of the situation is allowed to play out naturally, while in the remake, far too much attention is drawn to it. Additional running gags (perhaps attempting to infuse humor into a less naturally humorous script) also fall flat.
An Affair to Remember is still a fine film. The performances are of a high quality and the characters’ chemistry is strong. I can certainly see how some people (who are more inclined towards melodrama) would prefer this version. But, for me, the harsher tone and lower comedic level make this one fall short of the mark set by the original.