Love Field (1992)

It's sometimes fun to begin a review with odd facts.  Here are two to grab your attention:

1. Love Field was supposed to have Denzel Washington as the main protagonist.  He backed out at the last minute for unknown reasons.

2. Michelle Pfeiffer was nominated for Best Actress for her role in the film, but lost out to Emma Thompson who won for Howard's End.

Do those factoids entice you?  Hope so!

Back in '92, a little known film came out that dazzled reviewers.  The New York Times used the words "remarkable grace" to describe the acting.  The Washington Post called the film a "marvel."  Rolling Stone said that Michelle Pfeiffer "weaves magic."

I have to agree.  I happened on this film late one night.  I had not heard of it.  Since I have long been a true movie buff, and wondered how this film slipped between my fingers, I began to watch.  I was wowed within minutes!

Here are the basics, and again, I am careful not to provide any details that could spoil the film for viewers.

Michelle Pfeiffer plays Lurene, a 60s housewife, who is verbally abused by her husband, yet has a heart of gold.  Lurene feels a special bond for Jackie Kennedy: Both have lost a child.  She is a true Pollyanna... to her the world is beautiful, and all the more so because of the Kennedys.

The date is the third week of November, 1963, and Lurene learns that JFK and Jackie will be visiting Dallas, a long bus ride away.  She is crazy about the new president and his beautiful wife, and she wants to see them when they ride a motorcade in Dallas.  She leaves on her trip on a whim, because, well, that's how Lurene is!  She is sweet and loving, and lovable to us.

On the bus, she meets an African-American man and his daughter, who are on a mysterious journey of some kind. Being curious, affable, and a bit nosy, she gets to know them.  In doing so, she becomes suspicious: Is there some kind of foul play at hand?  Why does the little girl not seem to know her "father?"

That's all I can say!  Remember that we are in the 1960s.  Johnston has not yet signed the much-needed Civil Rights Act.  African-Americans are second class citizens in this country, and they are supposed to sit in the back of the bus.

Remember too that Kennedy is about to be assassinated.  It's a strong emotional potpourri:  Well-meaning white woman, troubled black man, grieving country, racists everywhere, and possible interracial friendship in the making.

Oh my!

The stars are fantastic.  For those of you who don't know Dennis Haysbert, who replaced Denzel Washington as the lead role, he deftly played President David Palmer for six years on 24.  He was also masterful as the young, dignified Nelson Mandela in The Color of Freedom.  And he was a real tough guy in the TV series The Unit.

Michelle Pfeiffer has a long list of credits.  She has played opposite the greats:  Al Pacino in Scarface, Harrison Ford in What Lies Beneath, Matthew Broderick in Ladyhawke, Sean Connery in The Russia House, and Robert Redford in Up Close and Personal.  She's a fantastic actress.

I have seen every one of Michelle's films, and I have always been impressed.  But truth to tell, I think I like her best as Lurene in Love Field.

So, if you want to uncover a sleeper that many consider a gem, try to find Love Field.  Brace yourself for a strong emotional experience:  Racism, History, and Love form a potent mix.