THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY!

Clint Eastwood & Meryl Streep

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This is a movie I welcome seeing again, although invariably it carries the "Chick Flick" banner, (primarily by men too bashful to open themselves up to this atypical Clint Eastwood movie); it strays as far from Sergio Leone Westerns and the gritty San Francisco Detective character "Dirty Harry" than any project available to ones imagination.

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Meryl Streep is Francesca Johnson whose husband and children are away at the Iowa State Fair when destiny brings freelance photographer Robert Kincaid (Eastwood) into her life. Kincaid happens upon the Johnson farm and asks Francesca for directions to Rosamunde Bridge after explaining that he is on assignment from National Geographic magazine to photograph the bridges of Madison County. Francesca agrees to show him to the bridges and within the remarkable span of four days, a slowly-evolving love story develops that is bittersweet...and all-too-brief.

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To cope with the savage pain of separation from her secret lover and the stark isolation she feels as the details of her life consume her, she writes down the story of this four-day love affair in a 3-volume diary. Where she questioned little about her existence prior to meeting Kincaid, the relationship has Johnson questioning literally everything she believes in during the summer of 1965. The 3-volume diary is found by her children among her possessions alongside Robert Kincaid's after he and Francesca have died. The message the children take from the diaries is one of HOPE that they will do whatever is necessary to find happiness in their lives -- whatever is necessary. After learning that Robert Kincaid's cremated remains were scattered off Rosamunde Bridge and that their mother requested a similar disposition for her own ashes, the children must decide whether to honor their mother's final wishes or bury her alongside their father as the family had planned. This film was adapted from the novel by Robert Waller. What makes it powerful is the fact that this is the story of love that happens just once in a lifetime -- if we're lucky.

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I have watched Streep interviewed about working with Clint Eastwood. The final scene in the kitchen where both have to come to terms with the people presently in their lives has Eastwood's back turned toward Streep. When Eastwood, as Director, called "Cut!", he turned around and Streep was shocked to see tears rolling down his face. She immediately asked him why he didn't reveal that to the camera? Eastwood replied, "Nobody wants to see'Dirty Harry' cry". That he knew his audience so well, was a character trait that Streep found admirable. Both actors worked extremely well together in this movie.

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Main Cast and Crew for: "The Bridges of Madison County" :Directed by Clint Eastwood; Writing credits (WGA) Robert James Waller (novel); Richard LaGravenese: (screenplay); Clint Eastwood....Robert Kincaid; Meryl Streep....Francesca Johnson; Annie Corley....Caroline Johnson; Victor Slezak....Michael Johnson; Jim Haynie....Richard Johnson; Sarah Kathryn Schmitt; ....Young Carolyn; Christopher Kroon....Young Michael; Phyllis Lyons....Betty; Debra Monk....Madge Richard Lage....Lawyer Peterson; Michelle Benes....Lucy Redfield.

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Allow me to close with some fascinating trivia that I only recently discovered. By the way, I had re-scheduled this film three times this year for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night", and felt that since Summer isn't officially over until September 21st, now might be a good time.

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In 1993, Sydney Pollack was the front-runner for the director's chair for this film and it was expected that Robert Redford would star! At the time, other contenders for the female lead included Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange, Barbara Hershey and Anjelica Huston. All excellent choices! The film was produced in 1995. Can 11 years really have passed so quickly?

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The Cedar Bridge, where Francesca meets Robert, was sadly destroyed in a fire on September 3rd, 2002. Francesca's House was burned in an arson fire on October 6, 2003, almost a year after the Cedar Bridge was destroyed.

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The farmhouse used in the film had been abandoned for over 30 years and was completely restored by production designer Jeannine Claudia Oppewall and her art directors Charles Breen and William Arnold.

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Meryl Streep allegedly put on 15-20 pounds of weight for her role in this film as a middle-aged housewife. Bruce Beresford was chosen as the director before Clint Eastwood but wanted to make Francesca Johnson an English woman. When this was not accepted by the studio he left the project.

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Lastly, would you believe this? Robert James Waller finished his manuscript in eleven days, intending it to be simply a gift for various friends and family. One of his friends was so impressed with the manuscript, he asked if he could try to interest a literary agent in the work. Waller later received a life-changing call from a New York agent who asked, "...Robert, where have you been all my life?"

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In her autobiography Catherine Deneuve mentions how she traveled to London to audition for the lead role. This film is special. It is yet another departure for "Friday Movie Suggestion Night"---always room to grow! I do hope you will enjoy the story and the acting. Like a handful of movies I've featured since I began writing this feature on September 15, 2005, this film will "stay" with your heart for days. Oscar Nominated: in 1996: (Best Actress in a Lading Role: Meryl Streep) and Nominated for a Golden Globe Award: (Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama Meryl Streep). My Best to All of You!

--Michael

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I return from Naples, Florida to Ohio later today.