Watch The Thing Called Love For Free

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Memorable, crazy movie

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The Thing Called Love (1993)Whatever happened to Peter Bogdanovich? He directed several really deeply felt, nostalgia filled, honest films in the late 60s early 70s. But he had some duds, too, and that seems to be his long term groove, as if he was more comfortable loving movies (he's a buff, an historian, an insider critic) than making them. This one has the stuff for a heart-tugging drama filled with Americana, but it is slow, downright clumsy at times, and improbable.The latter is fine, of course--it's a fiction movie--but it wants to seem real, too, not fantastic. It depends too much on pretty people, so that's false, but these pretty people are trying to make it in Nashville as singer-songwriters, which is a fantasy after all, so who knows? The marriage in the mini-super market is pretty great, I have to admit.What works best, oddly enough (but no surprise), is Sandra Bullock, who plays her part with conviction. The music is supposed to be amateur and downright bad, but it's not bad enough to laugh at (and not good enough to enjoy). A bad spot in the middle. But then there's River Phoenix. Who knew he could actually play? Ah, but some plot is in order, something beyond the obvious. It's supposed to be a dream come true or something, but it just holds no water. If you love country music, there's something here, the general scene, the background, but that's not enough.

They were several reasons why I wanted to see this movie: 1. it's about Nasvhille & country music of which I'm a fan 2. it stars River Phoenix, an actor of great skills 3. This one of River's last movies, if not the last before his tragic death and he does indeed look sick in this movie, skinny and all. And it's a disappointing ending for his career as this movie is really too shallow on its subject.Samantha Mathis comes to Nashville seeking stardom as a country music singer. She wants to start with the Bluebird Café, a renowned place where aspiring singers go apply for castings, and if they're good enough, they get to come back in the evening for a gig. There she meets with River Phoenix, Sandra Bullock and Dermot Mulroney, all with the same ambition, becoming the next country star. River is the most successful of them (it has to be noted they all sang their parts).If this movie's intention was to show how it goes in the music business, it missed. If it wanted to show a love story, it missed too because it only scraps the surface of the subjects.If you want country music and a depiction on how Nashville works, check out Altman's "Nashville".

I first watched this movie as a struggling writer myself and so naturally it SPOKE right to me. I used to do exactly that - traipse around in the middle of the night looking for all night coffee places and bars where I could sit and write. Come to think of it, I was having some girl-troubles at that point in my life too, so this movie became somewhat of a comfort for me.Just watched it again last night with a friend who is struggling to break into the music biz, and it spoke volumes to her too. That's what is great about this film for non-country music fans like myself and my friend-it deals with that "struggling artist" thing really well.Elvis fans may like it too as there's not a bad on-going tribute to the King throughout the film.It is also interesting to see River Phoenix's last completed role. He is obviously wasted in a few scenes of the movie...but the guy's got OBVIOUS musical talent, and it makes up for any slurred lines, which are kind of in character anyway, I thought.The country music chosen for the film is not that "country"...if u know what I mean, they've chosen a really nice selection. It's a good date movie, especially if you're a struggling artist...trust me, it'll speak to you.And last but not least, River Phoenix looks nice for the girls, and for us guys, c'mon, tell me Samantha Mathis doesn't look cute in that denim jacket, short skirt and cow-girl boots... And have a laugh at Sandra Bullock in a "one-sy". I did.Definitely not for everyone, but worth a look if you don't mind the odd "nice" movie sprinkled among the others.

I just caught this movie 13 years after it's release but, what a great story. I thought the real country stars who had cameos or had roles made it more legitimate. It was funny to see the musical side of Samantha Mathis, Dermot Mulroney and Sandra Bullock after all these years. Samantha Mathis is underrated. She was in a recent episode of House. I have always been a fan of Dermot Mulroney but, now I have a greater appreciation of his versatility.I haven't seen too much of River Pheonix's work so, this was a treat.The insight into Nashville and the struggle for writers and musicians was fascinating.