A Modern Affair

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 came across this film earlier in the year. I was looking to see what Ms. Eichhorn had acted in that I had not seen and there it was. She always appears to have a way to connect with her audience. He approach always appears realistic and on target, for me, anyway. I would suggest this film for anyone who enjoys a quality performance from a truly talented artist.

I have always admired Ms. Eichhorn since the first time I viewed YANKS. I could never understand what it was about that film that never "took off." Modern Affair is an equally, genuine performance. It captures humor, realism, and thought so often missing in todays fims.

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 came across this movie on a small independent vendor website because I am a big fan of Stanley Tucci. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with this little known classic. Here is my synopsis:

Grace Rhodes' biological clock is ticking and time is running out. As a middle aged woman in New York city, finding the perfect man is more of a crap shoot than a dance with cupid. With the prospects running thin and the need for something more fulfilling in her life, she finds the perfect solution, cashing out at the local sperm bank. But finding the right wiggly candidate for the job isn't enough, soon she can't resist the desire to meet her test tube lover in person. Stanley Tucci plays Peter Kessler, donor #247, an artist who just so happens to be on the market for a new lady when Grace Rhodes steps in. What follows is a contemporary love story that could only be told in an age of cryogenics and gene modification. A Modern Affair is a truly unique take on the traditional boy meets girl love story. Heartfelt, witty, and original, it will take all the inhuman discomforts that an age of cold scientific research creates and nestle you warmly back into the purity of love and destiny.

Stanley Tucci and Lisa Eichhorn both deliver top notch performances in this film. However, I must say that my personal favorite was Grace's best friend, Elaine, played by Caroline Aaron. She is just the kind of spunky risk taking friend that everyone wants to have and makes stories like these possible. The dialogue is also not to be missed, like when Grace contemptuously envisions a young temp as "engaging in the most photogenic sex that God or Calvin Klein ever devised."

If your looking for a quiet night kind of movie that'll make you chuckle and just feel good, then A Modern Affair is a perfect match.

A Modern Affair is a pleasant and enjoyable film that is even more applicable in our modern society. The increased spread of IVF and non-traditional birth methods only builds on the film's story which focuses on a single businesswoman (Lisa Eichhorn) who seeks to find the man behind a donor profile (Stanley Tucci). I highly recommend it if you are looking for a rom-com or simply a great performance by Stanley Tucci.

4.5 out of 5 stars