You might have missed this romantic drama when it was released in the 1980s, but try to find it if you can. It's surprisingly good, and Sissy Spacek gives a great against-type performance.
Violets are Blue has a simple story: high school sweethearts are parted as their lives take separate paths. Once reunited, fifteen years later, they still feel the spark. The beauty is in the details, which makes this movie stand out among the genre of "second-chance romances". In a great exchange, Sissy Spacek talks to her father, John Kellogg, about her feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Kevin Kline. He tries to talk her out of rekindling the relationship, and she insists that Kevin's life has been a series of mistakes. He didn't choose the end result; things just happened to him. "That's how we choose: we let it happen," John says. It's a profound statement, and it not only makes sense in the film but also in real life.
The sweethearts, Sissy Spacek and Kevin Kline, have similar interests but different priorities. While he has a passion for writing and she has a passion for photography, he's content to stay in their small coastal town and take over the local newspaper. She itches to explore, and she travels around the world making a name for herself and her photos. When she returns to town, she's the local celebrity. Sissy doesn't usually get to play glamorous career women, and she gives a great performance as she feels out of place in Kevin's world, envious of the chances that passed her by, frustrated by the choices he made, and still glad of the path her own life took.
This might not be the best movie to watch with your spouse, as it might spark an unpleasant conversation about ex-sweethearts, but watching it by yourself or with a good friend will give you a great evening. I highly recommend this one. The leads are young and beautiful, they have great chemistry, and the script gives everyone an interesting point of view.
Violets are Blue has a simple story: high school sweethearts are parted as their lives take separate paths. Once reunited, fifteen years later, they still feel the spark. The beauty is in the details, which makes this movie stand out among the genre of "second-chance romances". In a great exchange, Sissy Spacek talks to her father, John Kellogg, about her feelings for her ex-boyfriend, Kevin Kline. He tries to talk her out of rekindling the relationship, and she insists that Kevin's life has been a series of mistakes. He didn't choose the end result; things just happened to him. "That's how we choose: we let it happen," John says. It's a profound statement, and it not only makes sense in the film but also in real life.
The sweethearts, Sissy Spacek and Kevin Kline, have similar interests but different priorities. While he has a passion for writing and she has a passion for photography, he's content to stay in their small coastal town and take over the local newspaper. She itches to explore, and she travels around the world making a name for herself and her photos. When she returns to town, she's the local celebrity. Sissy doesn't usually get to play glamorous career women, and she gives a great performance as she feels out of place in Kevin's world, envious of the chances that passed her by, frustrated by the choices he made, and still glad of the path her own life took.
This might not be the best movie to watch with your spouse, as it might spark an unpleasant conversation about ex-sweethearts, but watching it by yourself or with a good friend will give you a great evening. I highly recommend this one. The leads are young and beautiful, they have great chemistry, and the script gives everyone an interesting point of view.