84 Charing Cross Road (1987) Reviews

• Simply the best.

  vertigo_142004-04-12

  84 Charing Cross Road is one of my favorite movies. Based on the memoirs of Helene Hanff (the book contains the letters from which they read throughout the film), this is the story of a single New York woman named Helene Hanff (Anne Bancroft) who builds a forty-year friendship with some people who work in a bookstore in England. The movie begins during WWII as Helene, a writer, is searching for out-of-print books and, frustrated at the poor selection in the city's bookstores, starts writing letters to the Marx brother's bookstore in England. Through her letters, she not only becomes a frequent customer, but eventually, becomes quite close with all of the bookstore's employees. And through their letters, they share experiences over the years, which the viewer witnesses through a juxtasposition of two different cultures: American and British. I like the technique used in this film. The interaction between Helene and her British friends occurs only through letters, so rather than have the characters write a letter and then dub what is written, eventually, the characters just face the camera and say what they would have written, with the camera cutting back and forth for each others response at times as though we suddenly become the recipient of their conversations. The film also has a wonderful cast with Anne Bancroft as Helene, Anthony Hopkins as the generous Frank P. Doel, Judi Dench as his wife, and Mercedes Ruehl as Helene's neighbor. It is a wonderful story.

• My favourite film

  graytart2004-08-17

  Whenever anyone asks me, which isn't often, I tell them this is it. And they invariably have never heard of it, which is a terrible shame. I love the film, and advise those who love it as well that they SHOULD read the book too... and also read The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street, and find out what happened when Helene went to England after all those years. And don't stop there... look up the Oxford Book of English Prose and the Oxford Book of English Verse (http://www.bartleby.com/101/), edited by the venerable Q (Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch), and see what inspired Helene to begin the correspondence in the first place (basically she decided to read everything Q mentioned, "unless it's fiction.")

• A truly good movie, nothing to change!

  donjmiller2004-11-18

  I will not summarize the plot -- you can read others' comments for that, or, better yet, see this yourself. Classic film buffs who say that there was a Golden Age of Cinema after which all is in decline need to see this one (although I realize that 1987 probably is long enough ago to qualify as a bygone era for younger IMDb users). I would not change a thing in this production. Every member of the cast delivers the goods, the story is moving and truthful, the characters come to life and you're swept up in their lives. When you weary of car chases with explosions, language you can't repeat to your mom, cliché-ridden distortions of human relationships and humor based on normally-private bodily functions, give yourself a treat and watch this movie. If you think only hobbits can be sweet and kind and show us the Good that can reside in common folk, check out the humans in this one. If you . . . never mind, just see it.

• A love story, but not the way you're thinking

  Boyo-22000-03-10

  Helene and Frank never actually say they love each other - hell, they never even meet - but they love each other in an unspoken way that people today would not understand. The movie never plays it for sappy romance; its way better than stooping to that level of convention. They are good to one another and enrich one another's life - isn't that love? Hopkins has an amazing moment when Helene has to cancel her trip to London due to some much-needed dental work. His face shows so many things, all at once, that it really is beautiful and breaks my heart, no matter how often I see it. For Oscar fans - this movie has four winners - Bancroft, Hopkins, Mercedes Ruehl and Judi Dench. I am grateful that this movie got made with such care and humanity.

• A poignant and well-crafted story of long-distance friendship.

  sannyex2003-12-02

  This movie is an example of how the cinematic medium can powerfully explore a mundane activity as letter writing. The movement of the characters through their activities and concerns over different times of life and across 2 physically separated cultures is smooth, subtle and engaging. The movie does not contain the bombast that many others seem to be more pre-occupied with. Rather the viewer is taken into the quiet enjoyment of human conversation and communication. And just like a good conversation, one is left with both satisfaction and longing.