An Affair to Remember

A love story about two strangers who met on a ship, fell in love and arranged to meet after 6 months on top of the Empire State building. But just like many love stories, happy endings don't happen so easily. Terry (Deborah Kerr) had an accident on her way to the Empire State Building leaving Nicollo (Cary Grant) waiting in vain until midnight. Thinking Terry forgot their promise and chose a man over him, Nicollo was heartbroken and bitter. And when the two crossed paths one day, Nicollo gave her the cold treatment. The now crippled Terry, on the other hand, doesn't want to tell Nicollo the reason for her not showing up. But of course, at the end of it all, despite Terry hiding the truth, Nicollo found out that Terry had an accident on the day they were supposed to meet and of course, it is a lived happily ever after ending.

Okay, so there's my attempt of summarizing the whole thing. It sounded just like any mushy movies but then again, no. The brilliance of this movie does not rely on the plot, it relies on the script. The lines. Most of our love story movies today cannot compare to the witty lines this movie has to offer. Today, movies will make you giggle through the obvious mushy lines. There are just few mushy lines but then, this movie will make you laugh and squeal and whatnot. A treat not only for the heart but also for the mind. And I must say, it feels weird to squeal over 30-ish couple. This movie reminded me of another movie, Love Story (1970) based on Erich Segal's novel of the same title. A movie/novel full of witty and smart lines between the characters. But then, in Love Story, the characters are meant to be really smart-asses: a scholar artist and a lawyer-wannabe.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite lines from An Affair to Remember:

Nicollo to Terry: Tell me, did you write the song, 'I'll Never Smile again'?
(writer's note: Just funny how he said it. lol)

Terry: It's not that I'm prudish, but my mother told me never to enter a man's room in months ending in 'R'.
Nicollo: Well, your mother's not only smart, she's pretty too.
Terry: Tell me, have you been getting results with a line like that, or would I be surprised?
Nicollo: If you'd be surprised, I'd be surprised.

Terry to Nicollo: Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories... And we've already missed the spring!

Terry: Oh, it was nobody's fault but my own. I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. You were there.


What I want to say is that it would be so great if there would be more movies like these. Enough of movies showing only physical attraction, mushy lines and whatnot.