A Modern Affair

This is a very strange and dark movie. Solely on the basis of Lisa Eichhorn's presence in it, I saw it (alone) in a New York theater the evening I read the newspaper review. In this sole N.Y. theater for its performance, on the night it opened, only one other person was in the theater at the 7:30 showing.

I have loved Lisa Eichhorn since I first saw her in Yanks. If she's in a play, I attend the play. If she's in a TV program, I watch the TV program. I've never been like this about another actor or actress. She has qualities that are apparently unappreciated because she has not become a big star.

Perhaps her most evident characteristic is a look of extraordinary intelligence and sensitivity. Although some other actresses share this (e.g., Mary Beth Hurt, Blair Brown, Lee Remick, Amy Irving, Meryl Streep), Eichhorn also has an other- worldly sort of presence. She is never really there - there are depths of feeling and perception and memory into which some random comment has thrust her. She is the most fascinating actress I've ever seen.

Although meant to be a sort of comedy, the movie is in fact quite sad and dark. Fortunately, Miss Eichhorn is wonderful at "sad and dark"! There is a short but very moving scene with Wesley Addy (playing her quite old father) in which his life-long contempt for his daughter's competence is made clear without too much being said.

The loneliness of a woman in a large city at the end of the century is what the movie is really about - and it makes one shiver. The niche of former times, places is gone - the preserving of jams and the quilting bee are gone, the organizing committee and the planned demonstrations are not for most, the spouse and hearth do not exist. What is left is an ageing woman, conscientious and longing for connection. It is Lisa Eichhorn's movie and she can be admired. (Although Mr. Tucci is fine, I think the character overreacts to the central turnign point in the movie and thus becamse unlikeable).

On a rainy day or evening, when your husband calls to say he'll be late, but your sister is visiting and the baby quietly sleeps, see this movie, and you'll be moved.

This first time I watched this film, I really didn't get it. I figured, that this was a film for an older crowd, and being a teenager meant I just wasn't going to understand it. But I watched it again a few months later, and I think it's just one of those films you have to watch twice to REALLY understand. A lot of the deep conversations that the two lead characters have in this film kind of went over my head the first time, but when watching it again, I really see what it is that they are saying. It's about the struggle to find love later in life, whether it comes from a partner, from your work, or from forming a family. This was a really great film.

I just watched "A Modern Affair" on Hulu, where they have the entire film online. I was absolutely blown away by Lisa Eichhorn's performance. She's realistic, relatable, and smart. As a successful career woman, Grace hasn't got time for men, nor does she feel like she can ever connect with one. Her best friend is constantly encouraging her to strike up a relationship, but Grace finds it too difficult. However, lacking any real meaning in her personal life, she does decide that she is determined to start a family. Her journey looking for love and happiness isn't a fairytale like you'd find in some movies, but it's like real life, which is probably why I like this movie so much. It's not an escapist film, it's something real women (and men) can identify with.

The tag line of A Modern Affair, the feature film with Stanley Tucci and Lisa Eichhorn directed by Vern Oakley, teased: "They met, fell in love, and had a baby. (not necessarily in this order)" . It tells the story of a woman who, hearing her biological clock ticking, decides to resort to a sperm bank. Once pregnant, she feels the need to know more about the father of her child. They meet and fall in love.

The Daily Mails reports that Aminah Hart, an Australian woman, got pregnant thanks to IVF. Obsessed about finding out more about the father, she tracks him down on the Internet. They met, fell in love and wed with their daughter as flower girl. There is now a book, and plans for a movie.

Usually, a filmmaker reads a true story in the media and is inspired to make a film. The order here is reversed, just as in A Modern Affair the child came before the couple met. First the film, then the true story. Life imitates art, goes the saying. Couldn't be more true here, as this is not only about life, but about giving life. While medical technology has made huge steps in helping parents conceive, in the end, it's all about love and commitment.

I think this is Stanley Tucci's first big film role, and you can really tell why his career took off after this. While his character (Peter) may not always be very likable at times in the film, he is a really dynamic character. The big scene where he fights with Lisa Eichhorn's character is absolutely heart- breaking and so powerful. I can't believe that he didn't win any Oscar for this role. I love watching him in this film.

Lisa Eichhorn also plays an incredible role in this. She reminds me a bit of Meg Ryan and Meryl Streep. It's a great performance.

I recommend this movie for anyone who loves film!