I love this movie. I love everything about it.
It's a screwball comedy and first-rate farce. It kids soap operas, white-bread 1950's suburbia, and even points up the absurdity of racism, while still being joyous, fun, and affectionately good-natured. The acting is superb all around with delightful chemistry between the three main characters played by Barbara Hershey, Keanu Reeves, and Peter Falk. I'm amazed that anyone could fault Reeves' performance in this film. He is perfect - sweet, hopeful, naive and romantic. The May-late autumn romance between Reeves and Barbara Hershey is completely believable. You want these two to make it.
The secondary plot involves a playing-out of the radio soap opera as Peter Falk's character writes it. The acting is deliciously over-the-top as befits the absurd storyline. Extra kudos to Elizabeth McGovern. Who knew she could be so funny?
Peter Falk is the glue that holds the whole thing together. He wickedly manipulates everyone who comes within his sphere of influence - but all in the name of art and love.
As an added bonus, the music is wonderful, both as atmosphere and in and of itself. Wynton Marsalis wrote the score and his band plays the music. If you like jazz or even if you don't, the way it weaves in and out of and becomes part of the plot is a delight to the soul.
