"Murphy's Romance"

Murphy's Romance (1985)
Tonight I'm reviewing another movie from 1985, Murphy's Romance. It was on cable this afternoon and while I missed the first ten minutes, I caught up quick.

A divorced woman (Sally Field) moves to a new town with her her young son (1985 was a big year for Corey Haim- he also did last night's movie Silver Bullet, and Secret Admirer).

James Garner runs the local drug store/ soda fountain and he befriends her and her son.

Soon her ex-husband, Bobby, catches up with her and moves back in. At the same time, Field and Garner get closer, making for an awkward three-way relationship (not sexual, though).

Murphy's Romance is a charming movie and James Garner is excellent as a gentleman widower who always does and says the right thing. I like when he takes Bobby aside to confront him about his cheating at cards during a late-night game betweent the four of them. Bobby has been dealing from the bottom of the deck and Garner, not wanting to say anything in front of the boy, asks Bobby to talk with him on the front porch.

Haim is better in this than he was in Silver Bullet and in Firstborn the year before. His performance here is closer to his acting in 1986's Lucas. He showed a lot of promise in Lucas but that ended up being his best work. He did well in The Lost Boys, and he was charming in License to Drive, but he never again was as good as he was in Lucas.

Later, I'll be reviewing another film from 1985- To Live and Die in LA, directed by William Friedkin. Friedkin is one of my favorite directors. I don't always like his movies, but I'm always impressed by his visual style.