TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY

UK, 1990, 102 minutes, Colour.
Juliet Stevenson, Alan Rickman, Michael Maloney, Bill Paterson.
Directed by Anthony Minghella.

Truly, Madly, Deeply is a very popular and attractive British comedy drama. There is a tour de force performance by Juliet Stevenson as Nina, a middle-aged woman whose love has died and who clutches at his memory, even making him present as a ghost in her life. She must come to terms with his death, the experience of bereavement, letting go of the past and facing a new life. Alan Rickman (Die Hard, January Man, Quigley, Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves) is very good as Jamie, the dead lover, the ghost. Michael Maloney appears as a different kind of psychiatrist who holds the key to Nina's future.

The film is a BBC film production, written and directed by Anthony Minghella, who has written and directed extensively for television, and directed Juliet Stevenson and Michael Maloney in these productions. The film has not only strong performances and a fine screenplay, it has wit, sympathy and many touches of wry humour.

Minghella went on to win the Oscar for The English Patient and to direct The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain.

1. The popularity of the film? In Britain, the United States and overseas? Humane, a portrait of love, the experience of bereavement? A down to earth ghost story?

2. The skills of the writer/director, the performances? The BBC background?

3. The London locations, the streets, houses, office places? Bristol locations? The city, the gardens? Authentic atmosphere?

4. The musical score, the cello performances? The popular songs? The poetry?

5. The title, Nina and Jamie's game about the quality of their love and its value?

6. The background of the ghost story: ghosts as symbols, the experience of Nina and Jamie, her Animus? Psychological interpretations? The experience of the return and the closeness of the loved one? Living and reliving the past? Clutching to love? Not wanting to let go ? grief and tears? The possibility of a life and a new life? Rediscovering and remembering and then being able to let go?

7. The comments on the experience of death: Jamie and his comment about looking from the other side of a glass wall and watching? Exploration of things of the afterlife, God, heaven and hell? The experience of illness, separation, the effect of death?

8. Themes of grief, love and tenderness, shock? The reaction of anger? Depression? Not letting go? Nina and her sessions with her psychiatrist? The voice over? Questioning about the ghosts, the psychiatrist eliciting Nina's responses? Her talking about ghosts and their being ridiculous? Her saying that she was OK, yet her weeping and her anger? The puzzle about Jamie's return and its repercussions for her?

9. Nina, her appearance, age and experience? As a personality? The summary of her life in her hopping biography? Her concern for him as for everything in her life? The meaning of that relationship? Her love for her own flat, it being run down, renewed? The mess? The appearances and disappearances of the rats? Terrifying her? The men coming to fix the flat ? and their admiration for her, love for her? Nina as a lovable woman? Nina at work, her friendship with Sandy, the postcards from his son and her translating? Titus the Pole and his desperation, visiting her, wanting a relationship bridging her the air ticket? George the widower and sharing the experience of the ghosts and talking to dead loved ones? The plumber? Her being loved by people, especially Moira? Mark?

10. Nina at work, the translation, her skill with Spanish? Walking the streets and having conversations with Moira? Sharing with Moira, her pregnancy, the cup of coffee ? and the racial tensions? The invitation to the birth, the effect of the birth on Nina and her wanting her own children? Nina at home, the repairs? Her love of music, the piano, singing? Her knick knacks and her wanting them in the right place? Living alone?

11. Audience anticipation of Jamie and his appearances? The realism of the film making ? no ghostly effects? Hearing him, his playing? Nina's joy in his reappearance? His cold and the chill? Nina and her joy, chatting, all the questions? Sharing, the games, talking about the clouds and their resemblances, truly, madly, deeply? Dancing? The week going by quickly? Jamie waking her up, sending her off to work? Her transformation ? and Sandy's comments about the contrast? The people coming to the door, Jamie’s playing the game with the ghost sheet? The exhilarating experience of Jamie's return after her simply having a sense of him and hearing him?

12. Jamie as ordinary, even banal? Response to questions about death? Playing the cello? Talking Spanish, the games, singing? Sharing and remembering? The reminiscence about the first night?

13. The irony of the ghosts all turning up, Jamie's friends, only men? Their watching the videos, brief encounter and reciting the lines? Deciding to watch Five Easy Pieces or Fitzcaraldo? Nina bringing home Pinocchio and To Forget Venice? The variety of types, their presence in the house, in the lounge room, in the bedroom? The effect on Nina? Rolling up the carpet, wanting to transform the floors? Her exasperation, and their recognising it was time to leave? Their finally watching Nina and Mark out the window, a farewell?

14. Sandy, Scotsman, work in languages, the office? Talking with Nina, translating the postcards, the separation from his wife, his son?

15. The various types at the office, language, translations? The French man, and the interview with Sandy? Titus and his loneliness, memories of Poland, singing. food? Knocking on Nina's door? The relationship with Moira, father of her child?
16. The men repairing the house, George, the older man? The comment about the rats? Their disappearance and return? His talking to his wife?

17. Moira, her Chilean background, the film maker, the pregnancy, the experience of the restaurant and the humiliation? The fight? Her giving birth and the joy of the child?

18. Nina's sister, pregnant, tidy, concerned about her sister? Sympathetic? Harry and his love for his aunt? The question about the gift of the cello, Nina's reaction about insensitivity? The later visit and their not opening the door? Her husband and his literally climbing everything, wanting to climb Everest? The final decision with Nina giving the cello away?

19. Her wanting some kind of independence, her own life style? Jamie and his tendency to tidy everything? Put on the heaters? Take over? Her final reaction of exasperation against?

20. The encounter with Mark, his performance at the restaurant? Assisting? His reaction towards racism? The promise of an encounter with Nina? Going to the bus and her having to delay the date? Her crying? Seeing Mark with the children, the Downs Syndrome children and their reactions? The enjoyment of her hopping and her giving her biography? His hopping and giving his own story? The device of communicating a great deal about Mark quickly? The night together? Sharing? The possibility of a new life? Her going ahead with Mark?

21. Jamie, the farewell, the ghosts and their goodbye?