Bed of Roses is yet another Hollywood romance, with few ups and downs. The plot is laid out right from the beginning and it's no more exciting than watching a carpet unroll. Yet, the arrangement of the sequence of events holds some interest, and it does provoke some of the fuzzy emotions in you.
Louis (Christian Slater) is a florist/delivery boy who likes to take walks in the middle of the night and look up at people's windows. One night he sees Lisa (Mary Stuart Masterson) crying and decides to send her flowers. And so a budding romance develops. To make the movie more nineties, Lisa is an adopted child whose adoptive father was an alcoholic. Having gone through a difficult childhood, she finds trusting people difficult.
It is good to see Slater back on the main screen. The chemistry between him and Masterson is believable, though Masterson hardly seems the corporate-type in this context.
The problem I have with romance stories is somewhat echoed as a sentiment by Lisa in the movie. They almost always are "perfect" and they almost always have happy endings. The relationships seem magical, and the view that love is the primary thing that matters in life is espoused. However, we know that reality is a bit different, right?
A good one for Valentine's day.
Produced by:
Juno Pix / New Line Cinema
Certification:
USA:PG / UK:PG / Germany:6 (w) / Sweden:Btl
Language:
English
Runtime:
USA:87 / UK:86 / France:90
Sound Mix:
Dolby
MPAA reasons:
Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements.
Also Known As:
Amelia and the King of Plants (1996) (working title)
Directed by
Michael Goldenberg
Cast (in credits order)
Christian Slater
....
Lewis Farrell
Mary Stuart Masterson
....
Lisa Walker
Pamela Segall
....
Kim
Josh Brolin
....
Danny
Brian Tarantina
....
Randy
Debra Monk
....
Lewis' Mom
Mary Alice
....
Alice
Kenneth Cranham
....
Simon
Ally Walker
....
Wendy
Anne Pitoniak
....
Grandma Jean
R.M. Haley
....
Dad
Cass Morgan
....
Aunt Meg
Gina Torres
....
Francine
Nick Tate
....
Fayard
Víctor Sierra
....
Jimmy
Michael Mantell
....
Sam
Zachary Chaltiel
....
Jason
Claire Mari Jacobs
....
Lisa's Secretary
Paul Cassell
....
1st Executive
Yvonne Zima
....
Young Lisa
Desiree Cassado
....
Amelia
Aldis Hodge
....
Prince
Jessica Brooks Grant
....
Queen
Jonathan Nocera
....
King
Leah Pepper
....
Sara
Donna Jean Fogel
....
Student Teacher
S.A. Griffin
....
Stanley
Edith Blume
....
Mumuu Woman
Liz Sinclair
....
Sad Woman
Movie ram-blings | Ram Samudrala | me@ram.org