Sparks fly from jump over generation gap

Press, 6 January 1987, Page 18

Sparks fly from jump over generation gap

She thought she had found Mr Right — until Mr Wrong came walking back into her life. That is the theme of “Murphy’s Romance” (PG), starring James Gamer and Sally Field. Emma Moriarty is a divorcee with a 13-year-old son, an ex-husband who acts the same age, and a fierce desire to make it on her own — boarding and training horses.

Murphy Jones is a widower with a drugstore in town, a sly sense of humour and an outlook on life that is admittedly eccentric.

As played by Sally Field and James Gamer, they are unlikely friends, even less likely lovers. But when they jump the generation gap, sparks fly.

From the moment she arrives in Eunice, Oklahoma, Emma is up to her impish grin in trouble. The ranch she purchased, unseen, looks like something left standing after a cyclone. The local cowboys insist she’s the wrong sex to handle their horses, and her shiftless ex-hus-band reappears to try to get back into her good graces, her bed and her purse.

What he can’t figure out is why some “old geezer” keeps hanging around, especially at suppertime.

That “geezer” (Garner) is a force to be reckoned with: Murphy Jones is the kind of man who would rather pay a $lO fine every morning than “plunk a quarter” in a parking meter the city council installed where it should have put a tree. Having lost his wife of 13 years he is clearly drawn to the embattled Emma, but like everything else he does in life, he woos her in his own way-out manner.

The result is a series of delightful surprises, from a light-hearted lesson in the con game of horsetrading, to a late picture show that makes Murphy see red, to a hospital ward where . Emma reveals more of herself than she ever meant to.

Sally Field has grown professionally from the

innocence of “Gidget” to the complexity of “Sybil” to the gutsiness of “Norma Rae,” for which she won an Academy Award, to the fortitude of Edna in “Places in the Heart,” for which she received her second Oscar.

In fact, the Oscar win was the biggest extra-cur-ricular event that happened during the filming

of “Murphy’s Romance.” When the news of Field’s nomination came through, it had to be relayed via mobilephone to the company’s remote mountain

location. On awards night, she was present to accept the statuette, thanks to some adroit schedule adjustments, and was back working on “Murphy’s Romance’ - ’ the next day. The film is directed by Martin Ritt, whose previous endeavours include

“Norma Rae,” “The Long Hot Summer,” “The Sound and the Fury,” and “Hud.”

Of “Murphy’s Romance,” he comments: “The theme of the piece is something I have strong feelings about. The two central people are com-

mitted to the work ethic, while the third character is not and never will be able to pick up the tab for his behaviour.

“For myself, I finally measure a man or a woman by whether or not he or she picks up the tab. Only children cannot. This is part of the spine of the film, which is a romantic comedy.”

Contributing importantly to “Murphy’s ’ Romance” was the songwriter-vocalist Carole King.

Brian Kerwin, Corey

Haim and Dennis Burkley make up the supporting cast. Kerwin is best known for his long-run-ning role in the daytime soapie, “The Young and the Restless;” Corey Haim is the 13-year-old who featured in the RCA/Columbia/Hoyts video releases “Secret Admirer” and “Silver Bullet;” Burkley has appeared in the films, "Stay Hungry” and “Heroes,” along with Sally Field.

“Murphy’s Romance," released by RCA/Columbia/Hoyts, runs for 104 minutes.