Untamed Heart

A childhood illness leaves a young man with a serious health problem and a somewhat odd outlook on life. Being rather retiring, he was considered strange by his fellow employees; causing them to shy away from him. Despite all this, he gets to know one of the girls better after he helps her out of a sticky situation. They manage to have a brief yet fulfilling relationship. Very romantic, I loved it.

When I was married, my then wife dragged me to see this movie on Valentines' Day weekend, when it first released. I agreed to go based on the fact that one of my favorite actresses appeared in it, Marisa Tomei. The most I'd seen of Christian Slater was in 'Robin Hood', and didn't care much for him in that.

What a change one movie can make for opinions on an actor.

I was engaged with this movie from frame one.

Cliff Eidelman's score is captivating and very moving in this movie, flowing along effortlessly with the film. Marisa Tomei is pure magic, and Rosie Perez is just right as the screechy best friend.

What surprised me most was Slater's performance. Here, he gives a very introspective and introverted performance, that, in my opinion, was worthy of an Oscar nod. The mannerisms with which he portrays Adam as the shy orphan who seems unsure of himself are dealt with great detail and care. He hasn't had a better performance before or since.

That doesn't overshadow Tomei's performance in this film. She is simply beautiful, no matter what part she is portraying. She has the Minnesotan accent down pat, and you believe you are in the Twin Cities while watching the film. I feel her performance in this movie was a step above "My Cousin Vinny". Too bad the Academy didn't agree.

And when Slater and Tomei occupy the frame together, it is, for a lack of a better term, absolute glory. The chemistry between these two actors on screen is so thick you couldn't cut it with a chainsaw.

The cinematography, by Jost Vacano, who also did movies like "Das Boot" and "Robocop", while not visually stunning, is very technical, with the use of pull-pans/push-pans and ground perspective shots. A very well-done film all the way around, from Bill's directing to Mia Goldman's seamless editing. Too bad some wiseacre reviewer gave the ending away in a review of the film before release and literally killed it's box office.

I own the DVD now, and I can offer one warning: Gentlemen, if you watch this movie with your wife/significant other, be prepared to offer up excuses like 'there is something in my eye', or 'it must be my allergies', if you're not comfortable admitting letting the waterworks go. The proclamations of affection between these two are so charming, yet not heavy handed. It's the kind of things you would have wish you'd said to that 'one that got away'.

My rating: 9 (no movie has ever gotten a 10 from me, but this one almost had me reconsidering)

As an audience we all grow more cynical and demanding, the more films that we see. Our expectations are constantly being upgraded and shifted to new levels of anticipation. I really did not expect 'Untamed Heart' to have quite the same impact today, as it did when I first saw it. I was wrong. I still cried. It's still the most heart warming, feel good, romantic comedy I've ever seen.

For those who are not familiar with the story, Christian Slater plays the part of the mysterious Adam who works as a busboy in a diner. All his life he's never physically come into contact with people, and he never speaks. You could say he lives in his own magic kingdom, hermetically sealed from the outside world-so much so that at the age of 26, he still believes in a fairy tale the nuns told him when he was growing up in an orphanage, involving magic rubies trickling down from a magic mountain, and being given a 'baboon heart.' Later, he even admits to possessing 'magic' records that he plays 'whenever the world doesn't agree with him.'

In real life it would be hard not to raise a smile at such an account, or at the very least be convinced the person was in need of some serious medication, but it's a testament to the power of the story that like Caroline(portrayed by the Marisa Tomei) rather then dismiss him, we start accepting his childlike understanding of the world. We overlook it when at the start of the film, Caroline asks him questions and he doesn't even respond. Anybody else would consider that plain rude. We forgive him when he creeps into Caroline's bedroom to watch her sleeping. We understand when he follows her home repeatedly, keeping at a safe distance to remain undetected. The reason we're able to make such adjustments, is that normal rules here do not apply, because in the world that he lives in, it's not inhabited by mere humans. He still occupies that fantastic world that we so readily discarded as children, because we had to embrace the darker reality of adulthood in order to cope with our new responsibilities. So Adam's character, while undoubtedly naive, offers no real threat. As an audience, we know where he's coming from. He's simply trying to make sense of the world around him, and does not understand how to behave any different.

Gradually, over the course of the film Caroline brings out more and more from Adam, and because of his unique perspective and vantage point, some of the things he says and does to convince Caroline of his love for her remain long after the credits roll.

If we've ever had our heart broken and as a result we try to 'tame' our heart so we don't get hurt again, this is the film we should watch, because it reminds us what love is, and what love can be. Any hurt that we may have felt is nothing compared to the joy we feel when we do get it right.

Released in 1993, "Untamed Heart" tells the story of Caroline (Marisa Tomei) who works the night shift at a Minneapolis diner. She's a cute and likable young woman but, for some reason, is unable to maintain the romantic interest of the guys she dates. The answer to her love problems turns out to be right under her nose in the form of the diner's quiet dishwasher/janitor, Adam (Christian Slater).

"Untamed Heart" is a must for fans of Marisa Tomei and the romance between Caroline and Adam works, although their sexual union is premature IMHO, but real-time has to be condensed into a 102-minute film so I guess it can be overlooked.

What struck me most about this film, aside from Marisa, was the character of Adam. He's an outcast; he doesn't fit with the crowd; he's quiet and mysterious in a misfit type of way; he's an easy target for people to mock; he's content to adore Caroline from a distance; his love for her doesn't change as she keeps making mistakes trying to find someone to love; he secretly acts as her guardian angel and doesn't care about getting credit.

Why is Caroline attracted to such a person? Because "opposites attract." We're naturally attracted to people that have what we lack and vice versa. Caroline is open, talkative and comfortable with practically any social setting; Adam isn't. Adam is aloof, meditative and unconcerned about fitting in - qualities Caroline lacks.

You'll see people like Adam in real life if you open your eyes. At a local restaurant I sometimes catch a glimpse of one of the kitchen workers, whether taking a smoke break outside or whatever. He's in his mid-30s, maybe older, obviously intelligent with a striking appearance, but he's quiet and aloof from the people around him, with an air of mystery. This is a person, like Adam in the film, who doesn't fit into society's mold. College doesn't work for him despite his intelligence, nor does a conventional job; he just does what he has to in order to live.

The film is very successful at bringing to life this type of outcast in Adam. I found it quite moving because I understand and can relate.

Not everything in the story works, however, which is why I knock off a star in my rating. For instance, it isn't even remotely believable that Adam would be able to secretly break into someone's house and do what he does while the people are sleeping. Dumb. What were the writers thinking?

The film was shot on location in NE Minneapolis.

GRADE: B

Young, outgoing waitress Caroline (Marisa Tomei) still lives at home with her parents and younger brother. Although she has had her heart broken numerous times, she has not become cynical about love. Adam (Christian Slater) is a busboy at the same restaurant as Caroline; he is, however, a shy recluse who doesn't relate to people very well. Yet, when a crisis occurs, it is Adam who comes to Caroline's rescue. For the first time, she sees him in a different light and they begin a loving relationship. Caroline is finally experiencing the happiness she deserves and Adam is opening his life to someone else. Still, something from Adam's past comes forward to haunt them. Will they find a happy ending?

This is an extremely touching and humorous love story about working-class people. The movie has many candid scenes about restaurant life and the people who work there. Also, Tomei gives a sweet, irresistible performance that warms the heart. Although one may need a kleenex or two before the film is over, its loving atmosphere will remain with the viewer for a long time. Recommended for everyone searching for a film to provide a feel-good-about-life day at the movies.