Finnegan Begin Again

This film handled the subject of infidelity in a very human way: People who are with partners who are not right for the other, meet ones who are right for them, and engage in a relationship. It is interesting how the relationship was handled by the screenwriter, directer and producer: At first, Michael (Robert Preston) and Elizabeth (Mary Tyler Moore) are somewhat antagonistic toward each other, but each seem to thrive on the challenge and slight tension, rather than succumb to the bhoredom of things-as-they-are.

Preston's performance is classic: I especially enjoyed the scene where he forgot his laundry at the laundromat, because of the heated discussion he and Liz were having (he followed her in there). She later brought his laundry to him (at his place of work). I thought that was precious.

Waterson's performance was quite intense at times, as he bordered on obsessive, begging that Liz not leave him, and implying threats or crazy behavior if he does. The relationship between Michael and his wife is extremely real and is worth watching the movie for, just by itself. Often, there is a long convalescence before death, and it is not romantic. Michael did his best to do the right thing.

Although health-conscious Liz would have eventually been at odds with Michael's prolific drinking, these two had something to share, and did so. Excellent movie.

Home Box Office was still finding its footing in 1985 in regards to its original programming, but the romantic comedy "Finnegan Begin Again" was a bright spot for the cable network, a snug cross between a movie-of-the-week and a less-sensational film meant for theatrical release. Robert Preston does wonders with an impossible creation, that of Michael Finnegan, who might best be described as a cynical optimist (his anonymously-written advice column is tart and brutally truthful, while he skips along the crime-ridden streets of Virginia with joie de vivre); Mary Tyler Moore is a teacher having an affair with a married man who crosses his path. Walter Lockwood's teleplay, an original, is filled with interesting conversations and amusing repartee that bring out the best in both Preston and Moore (this was the warmest and most approachable Mary had been in some time). One particular scene of slapstick nonsense threatens to mar the film, and Sam Waterston is all over the place as Moore's married lover, but the main focus is on the satin-and-sandpaper relationship between the two principals, and they make the film worthwhile.

Can you say cute? Robert Preston is so perfect in this movie, as in all of his movies! LOVE THAT MAN!! This movie will have your attention from start to finish. I was not a Mary Tyler Moore fan until this movie. If you feel like renting a movie and you don't know what kind of film to watch...pick this one...it will wow ya!

~~~~~~SMOOCHES ROBERT~~~~~~

"Finnegan Begin Again", originally an HBO film, features the great Robert Preston (in his second-to-last film performance) and Mary Tyler Moore in a lovely, gently quirky tale of a May-December romance. Mike Finnegan (Preston), a newspaper columnist who ghosts as an advice-for-the-lovelorn matron, is married to Margaret, a woman who is not only a few years older than he but also suffering from what is apparently (but unnamed) dementia; he accepts the fact that, beyond whatever deep love he may have for his wife, that she is, in fact, lost in the mists of her dreams and recollections, a state reflected in their once-grand home in a once-grand, but now unsafe, area: it is as cluttered with remnants of the past as Margaret's mind, perhaps even more so. By chance - and here the writers have cleverly avoided the "meet cute" - on the bus, Mike meets Liz Dehan, a widowed art teacher, who is on her way to meet the very married Paul, a funeral director, at their usual, seedy motel room. Mike fancies himself an arm-chair Sherlock Holmes, watching people for the sheer interest in them but seeing clues as to what their lives are like, and he openly practices this on Liz, much to her dismay. Despite this tense beginning between them, a warm friendship develops and they find that there may, in fact, be more than friendship at play. Much like other Mary Tyler Moore films, this is played as strictly "dramedy" and it strikes just the right chord while doing it. The chemistry between the cast as a whole, and Moore and Preston in particular, is palpable, warm, and real. The direction, by Joan Micklin Silver, is reliably sure-handed, and serves the film well. It's a funny, warm, lovely movie, one that should appeal not only to an older audience but those younger audiences with mature tastes. Currently available only on VHS, this is certainly a film worth discovering!

FINNEGAN BEGIN AGAIN was a delightful made for HBO TV movie about a lonely advice columnist (Robert Preston in a lovely performance), trapped into caring for his senile wife (Sylvia Sidney) who develops a relationship with a woman (Mary Tyler Moore) who is equally trapped in a dead end affair with a married man (Sam Waterston). This movie lovingly tells the story of two desperately lonely people, trapped in lives they don't know how to get out of and find solace and friendship in each other. The movie is well-written and directed and the stars, particularly Preston, are just wonderful. I don't know if this one is on DVD but it should be. If you can find it, try to catch this underrated gem.