Product Details

• Actors: Dexter Fletcher, Ione Skye, Jonathan Pryce, James Spader, Bill Paterson
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Run Time: 94 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004Y877
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #413,525 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Movies never are as good as the books..., March 5, 2002

By 

A. Hamilton "Bollocks" (Alexandria, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rachel Papers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A very good movie, not quite up to the standard of the book it is based on (and follows rather closely).

The book was written from the point of view of the main character, but it has two voices. One was Charles Highway's inner meanderings and pronouncements, the other (still by Charles) was the unadorned, unanalysed description of the things that happened to him. And generally there is a glaring difference between the two - they don't match up. In the view of the first voice, Charles is a wise and funny schemer. But the events related in the second voice show him to be inept, unlucky, and chronically unsure of himself. The ending was similarly riven. You can't tell if things ended-up the way they did by choice or design. Perhaps the author didn't know.

So anyway, the movie has to deal with that dichotomy, and it does it by pretty much ignoring the second voice. Charles comes across as boastful and shallow, for the most part, and a lot less likeable. The film also has to drop a lot of his hilarious caustic monolgues, so it's less funny than the book, too. That being said, there's enough left to allow fans of the book to fill in the blanks, and it doesn't attempt to force in a standard Hollywood ending. Plus the three main actors and the supporting cast were very good - Jonathon Pryce as Charles' deranged uncle is so good that it's hard to keep your eyes on Ione Skye in the few scenes they have together.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aaaahhh....First Love!, November 15, 2000

By 

S. Goodwin "groovie reader" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rachel Papers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a terrific coming of age movie, probably one of the best from the 80's. The main character, Charles Highway, uses his computer to map out his mating strategy. This works very well for him until he meets Rachel and falls in love. Rachel is beautiful, has a boyfriend and is way out of his league, but this doesn't stop Charles. It's fun to watch Charles as he is trying to win Rachel's heart. This is a wonderful bittersweet romance and I would recommend this to anyone who ever loved someone who was just beyond their reach.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Skye, Fletcher, Spader, who could ask for anything more, July 26, 2001

By 

D "sub" (Metro Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rachel Papers [VHS] (VHS Tape)

In Skye's only movie worth seeing other than the incredible Say Anything, we see a slightly edgier "romance" than in Say Anything.

Fletcher, who lives with his sister (like in Say Anything) has a crush on the gorgeous intelligent Skye (like her character in Say Anything).

In this film, however, there is another man (Spader). That adds a bit of intrigue to Fletcher's pursuit. Another significant difference is that the relationship is, shall we say consummated, onscreen (thus the R-rating). Notwithstanding the joy of seeing Skye in her most "revealing" role, this film has that kind of British sensibility that makes it an enjoying ride.

However, don't expect the sophistication of Say Anything. Just an entertaining little flick with good dialogue and intriguing relationships.