The Thing Called Love
Encyclopedia
The Thing Called Love is an American comedy-drama film released in 1993
. It was directed by Peter Bogdanovich
. The film's tagline is: "Stand by your dream."
The movie stars Samantha Mathis
as Miranda Presley ("no relation"), who comes from New York City
to Nashville
, where she auditions at The Bluebird Cafe
. She is not invited to perform, but she accepts a job as a waitress. She meets and falls in love with James Wright (River Phoenix
), and she befriends Linda Lue Linden (Sandra Bullock
).
While the movie involves a love triangle and various complications in Miranda's route to success, it provides a sweetened glimpse at the lives of aspiring songwriters in Nashville.
This was Phoenix's final screen performance before his death.
A "making of" documentary is available on the film's DVD
release, titled The Thing Called Love: A Look Back.
who loves country music
and decides to take her chances in Nashville, Tennessee
, where she hopes to become a star. After arriving in Music City after a long bus ride, Miranda makes her way to the Bluebird Cafe, a local watering hole with a reputation as a showcase for new talent. The bar's owner, Lucy, takes a shine to the plucky newcomer and gives her a job as a waitress.
Before long, Miranda has gotten to know a number of other Nashville transplants who are looking to land a gig or sell a song, including sweet and open-hearted Kyle Davidson, moody but talented James Wright, and spunky Linda Lue Linden. As the four friends struggle to find their place in the competitive Nashville music scene, both Kyle and James display a romantic interest in Miranda, but she is drawn to James in spite of his moody temperament. Miranda pursues James, and they end up getting married, but they soon realize marriage takes work. James leaves Miranda behind to make his album, what he always wanted to do, but realizes he left his heart with her. The film has an open ending, but we are led to believe she stays with James.
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
. It was directed by Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich
Peter Bogdanovich is an American film historian, director, writer, actor, producer, and critic. He was part of the wave of "New Hollywood" directors, which included William Friedkin, Brian De Palma, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, Michael Cimino, and Francis Ford Coppola...
. The film's tagline is: "Stand by your dream."
The movie stars Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis
Samantha Mathis is an American actress. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in Pump Up the Volume , opposite Christian Slater...
as Miranda Presley ("no relation"), who comes from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where she auditions at The Bluebird Cafe
Bluebird cafe
The Bluebird Cafe is a music club in Nashville, Tennessee that opened in 1982. The club is famous for intimate, acoustic music performed by its composers...
. She is not invited to perform, but she accepts a job as a waitress. She meets and falls in love with James Wright (River Phoenix
River Phoenix
River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials...
), and she befriends Linda Lue Linden (Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
).
While the movie involves a love triangle and various complications in Miranda's route to success, it provides a sweetened glimpse at the lives of aspiring songwriters in Nashville.
This was Phoenix's final screen performance before his death.
A "making of" documentary is available on the film's DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release, titled The Thing Called Love: A Look Back.
Plot
Miranda Presley is an aspiring singer/songwriter from New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
who loves country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and decides to take her chances in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where she hopes to become a star. After arriving in Music City after a long bus ride, Miranda makes her way to the Bluebird Cafe, a local watering hole with a reputation as a showcase for new talent. The bar's owner, Lucy, takes a shine to the plucky newcomer and gives her a job as a waitress.
Before long, Miranda has gotten to know a number of other Nashville transplants who are looking to land a gig or sell a song, including sweet and open-hearted Kyle Davidson, moody but talented James Wright, and spunky Linda Lue Linden. As the four friends struggle to find their place in the competitive Nashville music scene, both Kyle and James display a romantic interest in Miranda, but she is drawn to James in spite of his moody temperament. Miranda pursues James, and they end up getting married, but they soon realize marriage takes work. James leaves Miranda behind to make his album, what he always wanted to do, but realizes he left his heart with her. The film has an open ending, but we are led to believe she stays with James.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| River Phoenix River Phoenix River Jude Phoenix was an American film actor, musician, and teen icon. He was the oldest brother of fellow actors Rain, Joaquin, Liberty, and Summer Phoenix.Phoenix began acting at age 10 in television commercials... |
James Wright |
| Samantha Mathis Samantha Mathis Samantha Mathis is an American actress. The daughter of actress Bibi Besch, Mathis made her film debut in Pump Up the Volume , opposite Christian Slater... |
Miranda Presley |
| Dermot Mulroney Dermot Mulroney -Early life:Mulroney was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Ellen, a housewife and amateur actress originally from Manchester, Iowa, and Michael Mulroney, a law professor at Villanova University School of Law, originally from Elkader, Iowa. He has a sister, Moira, and three brothers, Conor,... |
Kyle Davidson |
| Sandra Bullock Sandra Bullock Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,... |
Linda Lue Linden |
| K. T. Oslin K. T. Oslin Kay Toinette "K. T." Oslin is an American country music singer and songwriter. She is known for a series of top-ten country hits during the late 1980s and early 1990s, four of which topped the chart.-Early life and career:... |
Lucy |
| Anthony Clark Anthony Clark Anthony Clark or Tony Clark may refer to:*Anthony Clark , American actor and comedian*Anthony Clark , English badminton player*Tony Clark , first baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks... |
Billy |
| Webb Wilder Webb Wilder There are Roots-Rockers, and then there's Webb Wilder.Hardly a purist, he has described the music he and his band, The Beatnecks, make as, "Rock for Roots fans and Roots for Rock fans." In essence: Rock and Roll. There’s nothing new about combining R & B, Rock and Roll, Country, Blues, Pop and Rock... |
Ned |
| Deborah Allen Deborah Allen Deborah Allen is an American country music singer. Since 1976, Allen has issued 12 albums and charted 14 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, most notably the 1983 crossover hit "Baby I Lied" which reached #4 on the country charts and #26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Allen has also... |
Herself |
| Jo-El Sonnier Jo-El Sonnier Jo-El Sonnier is an American singer-songwriter and accordionist who performs country music and Cajun music. Originally signed to Mercury Nashville Records, Sonnier charted several minor singles on the Billboard country charts in the late 1970s... |
Himself |
| Pam Tillis Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis.... |
Herself |
| Vern Monnett Vern Monnett Vern Monnett is an American country and rock musician as well as an actor, producer, and composer. He has recorded and toured with such artists as Freddy Fender, Randy Meisner, Billy Swan, and Charlie Rich, Jr. Monnett sings as well as plays the guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin and Dobro... |
Himself |
| Kevin Welch Kevin Welch Kevin Welch is an American country music artist. He has charted five singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and released eight studio albums... |
Himself |
| Trisha Yearwood Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood, professionally known as Trisha Yearwood , is an American country music artist. She is best known for her ballads about vulnerable young women from a female perspective that have been described by some music critics as "strong" and "confident."Trisha Yearwood signed with MCA... |
Herself |