1985 Movie
Dir. Martin Ritt · United States of America · English
A divorcee meets a widower in this subtle and laidback romance
When it comes to romance films, Hollywood casts young women with older men so often that this age gap is rarely questioned, even when the characters are supposed to be around the same age range. Murphy’s Romance does have an age gap, but it’s one of the few romances that actually cares to examine the age difference, having the age dynamic in canon and with casting intentionally reflecting it. It’s also one of the few that justifies it with the folksy, old-fashioned charm exuded by James Garner, the stability, wisdom, and kindness Emma isn’t used to, and good ol’ chemistry between two leads that’s more heartwarming than heartracing. Murphy’s Romance won’t be the feet-sweeping romance that Hollywood placed on the pedestal, but it’s just the right two people finding each other at the right time, albeit interstitched with randomly added saxophone and a lot of barn-fixing scenes.
Emma, a divorced single mother seeking to start her life over, moves to a small town in Arizona. She befriends Murphy, the older local pharmacist, but things turn complicated when her ex-husband shows up.
After her divorce, 33-year-old Emma Moriarty moves with her son to a ranch in Arizona, and forms an unexpected connection with a much older widower, the town’s pharmacist Murphy Jones.
James Garner. He probably deserved more acclaim for his other roles, but getting a nomination for this one isn’t so bad.
Who knew an age-gap romance could be so wholesome?
Oscars
2 noms
Golden Globes
2 noms
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
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