The Love Letter

Plot

The power of words and images to open hearts. Helen runs, miles a day, to burn off energy: she's an emotional celibate…

Release Year: 1999

Rating: 5.2/10 (2,640 voted)

Director:
Peter Chan

Stars: Kate Capshaw, Tom Everett Scott, Tom Selleck

Storyline
The power of words and images to open hearts. Helen runs, miles a day, to burn off energy: she's an emotional celibate. Going through the post at her shop, she finds a romantic and poetic letter between the couch cushions, unsigned, and thinks it's for her. It melts her resistance to feelings, and soon she undertakes an affair with Johnny, a collegiate employee. (He sees the letter and thinks she wrote it to him; he quotes some of it, so she thinks he wrote it to her.) In the background are Helen's long-time friend, George, who loves her, and her mother who abruptly left on a long trip months' before. Discovering who actually wrote the letter brings insight and promise.

Writers: Cathleen Schine, Maria Maggenti

Cast:

Kate Capshaw
–

Helen

Blythe Danner
–

Lillian MacFarquhar

Ellen DeGeneres
–

Janet Hall

Julianne Nicholson
–

Jennifer

Tom Everett Scott
–

Johnny

Tom Selleck
–

George Matthias

Gloria Stuart
–

Eleanor

Bill Buell
–

Officer Dan

Alice Drummond
–

Postal Clerk

Erik Jensen
–

Ray

Margaret Ann Brady
–

Selma

Jessica Capshaw
–

Kelly

Walter Covell
–

Post Office Customer

Patrick Donnelly
–

Bookstore Customer

Lucas Hall
–

Garbage Man

Taglines:
No one knows who sent it. No one knows who it's for. But everyone's getting the same message.

Release Date: 21 May 1999

Filming Locations: Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $15,000,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $2,692,819
(USA)
(23 May 1999)
(769 Screens)

Gross: $8,276,228
(USA)
(18 July 1999)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Goofs:

Continuity:
Johnny jumps in the ocean with his socks on but when he emerges seconds later his feet are bare

Quotes:

Janet Hall:
[George is about to fumigate a beehive]
*BE* careful! Get it?

User Review

Great Summer-y Movie

Rating:

This film was panned by critics, all of whom were male.

This is a wonderful little film with fun, funny and realistic characters,
and an interesting, romantic story that will touch the inner romantic in
all
of us. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, but it is pleasant to watch these
characters interact and is very fun to watch.

And for the guys, Kate Capshaw isn't bad to look at, either.