5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Surprising Love Story, June 7, 2009
This review is from: Mary and Tim/Ronnie and Julie (DVD)
I watch relatively few TV movies, but of those I have seen, Mary and Tim stands out. The plot, which concerns a lonely widow, Mary, and a "slow" younger man, Tim, is straightforward and moves ahead through familiar, almost soap-opera devices. There is a snoopy neighbor who represents convention; she means well, but is usually wrong in her advice. The parents of Tim's sister's fiance are snobs, so Mary has to take him to her beach house to protect them from the embarrassment of having him at the reception with their "business associates"; this gives her a chance to relax with him. And so it goes. All of the main characters are good people, almost too good.
Although this sounds pretty dreadful, what sets the film apart is its unexpected message, among all the cliches, that people have to decide for themselves what matters to them and then have the courage to live by those decisions. The central relationship is not conventional at all, and in a world where the flowers are abundant, the grass is always green, there is always just enough wind at the beach to move the flags prettily, and no-one seems to notice how beautiful Candice Bergen is, this is absolutely wonderful. Bergen's character is intelligent, tender and wry, and Bergen portrays her well. Thomas McCarthy does an exceptional job of creating a slow person with great heart, charm, innocence and emotional perception. The end result is very touching.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"A Chick Flick", July 11, 2009
This review is from: Mary and Tim/Ronnie and Julie (DVD)
This is a wonderful, sentimental, love story. Happened to catch part of it on TV and had to get a copy for myself. I saw the original with Mel Gibson a few years before but this version with Thomas McCarthy is so much better. McCarthy plays a slightly mentally challenged man who falls in love with a older woman played by Candice Bergen. He must battle his parents, his sister and even Bergen but he persists and wins everyone over in the end.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mary And Tim/Ronnie And Julie, October 17, 2007
This review is from: Mary and Tim/Ronnie and Julie (DVD)
Both Movies are special because they show that "love can overcome the odds regarding the age difference between the one you love and loving that person the way they are, whether or not they have a disability or limitation, or if they are in the same class as you financially or have a different stand politically". Both these movies show that "where there is a will, there is a way to bridge the gap between them and love one another and accept one another the way they are, no matter what"! I love these movies and get inspired by them everytime I watch them, because they remind me that "true love lasts forever, because you are willing to work on your relationship every day, by loving each other always unconditionally".
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