Souvenirs de Chicago

A "feel-good movie" where the good feelings are believable, "Windy City" is a little-known film about a group of middle-aged Chicagoans whose lives, quite realistically, haven't turned out the way they dreamed. Danny (John Shea) is a would-be writer lacking the self-discipline and courage to write, and also lacking the courage to tell ex-girlfriend Emily (Kate Capshaw) how he feels about her... until it's too late and she's married someone else. Then there's Sol (Josh Mostel), who inspires his friends to boldly follow their dreams and live with passion... but who is quickly dying himself. Sound like a bummer? It's not. Sol inspires not just his friends but the audience as well with his joie de vivre and carpe diem messages, and perhaps it's not too late after all for our wishes to come true. A movie about love and friendships, with a nice touch about mortality and the afterlife, but mostly about the positivity of living life like a capital-R Romantic. "What's it about? It's about a guy who still believes in happy endings."

I remembered loving this film in 1984 so when I saw it used the other day I had to buy it. For some reason I put off watching it but finally tonight it fit the bill. I wasn't that interested in the beginning of it but once Sol comes on the screen he has such a presence that I was hooked! In 1984 it was John Shea who appealed to me but this time he was almost annoying and the sincerity of Sol shone through. The love story with Emily ( Kate Capshaw) was good and I did cry. The way the friends pulled together and supported one another was moving. Most movies don't move me but this one even after all these years still does and that is high praise!!!

This is my absolute favorite movie, and I think the best film Armyan Bernstein ever did. It covers everything about life - love, friendship, growing up, careers, living and dying. The acting is first-rate all around, especially Josh Mostel and John Shea - I'm not really a John Shea fan generally, but I loved him in this film. The brilliant script manages to weave several interesting sub-plots involving the supporting characters into the two main story lines - the love story between Danny (Shea) and Emily (Kate Capshaw), and the friendship between Danny and Sol (Josh Mostel) who, at the beginning of the movie is languishing in a hospital with cancer and bemoaning the fact that he and Danny and their friends never became pirates. Although the movie is poignant, even heart-wrenching at moments, there are liberal doses of great humor sprinkled throughout. Bernstein did an excellent job of putting surprising twists on some classic movie clichés. The ending is nothing short of perfect.

I saw this movie some years ago... now I bought it !!! I like the story because it`s real... A nice and simple story of real people.. people that win and looses !! Danny, our hero, jumps the bridge and fall into the water...! his girlfriend married another guy ...! his most loved friend, dies.. and the friends team looses the football game !

Something that happens with real people all the time... Life is not a stupid Hollywood movie... Life is always about winners and loosers. Excellent performances of John Shea and Kate Capeshaw and beautiful music in the middle of a great and loving city. I really recommend this movie ...

Growing up with good friends marks a life of memories. You have a writer who has midlife crisis, other friends who are stuck in mundane lives. And the one who has a dream of sailing the sea. When he has become very successful, he gathered all his old friends who want to sail on a boat. In their youth, they were dreamers. The friend who was rich was later diagnosed with leukemia. As his health got worse, his spirits were high. He helped his friend who had a girlfriend who was getting married to someone else. After her marriage, he gets to go out to sea with his dying friend. Years later, the friend dies, and the rest have relocated with their careers. For him, he gets a second chance with the girlfriend from long time ago after her marriage failed.

A very good movie, gives moral support.

3.5 out of 5 stars.