Diane Lane's Perfect Film Debut in A Little Romance
Film: A Little Romance (1979). Young Actress: Diane Lane, 13.
At age 13, young stage actress Diane Lane turned down a role in a Broadway play to instead make her film debut in A Little Romance. It was a wise decision. Although the film received mixed reviews, Diane was treated well; her costar in the film, Laurence Olivier, called her "the new Grace Kelley," and four months after its release, she appeared on the cover of TIME magazine under the title "Hollywood's Whiz Kids." It launched her film career, which is still going strong nearly forty years later.
The cover of A Little Romance, and Diane on the August 1979 issue of TIME
A Little Romance follows two 13-year-olds who meet and fall in love in Paris, French boy Daniel (Thelonious Bernard) and Lauren (Diane, already with all the beauty and screen presence she would have as an adult), an American girl living in France with her wealthy stepfather (Arthur Hill) and self-absorbed mother (Sally Kellerman). Both bilingual and more mature than most kids their age, they meet when Daniel, who's obsessed with movies, sneaks onto a movie set where Lauren's mother is working. He's immediately infatuated with her, and she's impressed that he can match wits with her, unlike most boys who are intimidated by her thick books and big vocabulary. They meet up in different spots around Paris (the movie takes full advantage of its on-location filming, with several wide-shot scenes of Parisian parks and landmarks) and talk history and philosophy.
Some films from the '70s have a very dated feel to them now (see Taxi Driver or The Exorcist), and that's somewhat the case in A Little Romance, but there's also a lot of timeless charm in its depiction of young love, by turns adorable and awkward. In a misguided attempt to be romantic, Daniel sneaks them into a porn movie theater (Lauren ducks out a few minutes in), but he also punches a famous director (a friend of Lauren's mother) for asking if he "scored" with her. This earns him the enmity of Lauren's mom. Diane Lane and Thelonious Bernard both deliver great performances and make their characters sympathetic and believable, even when the plot gets a little far-fetched.
Lauren and Daniel eating lunch in front of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
About that far-fetched plot: In the park one day, Daniel and Lauren meet the elderly Julius (Laurence Olivier), who bores Daniel but fascinates Lauren with stories of his exotic, romantic travels with his late wife. He tells them an Italian legend that if two lovers kiss on a gondola beneath the Bridge of Sighs in Venice at sunset, then they will love each other forever. When Lauren's stepfather (who's a good man, but as Lauren's third father-figure, she refuses to let him get close) drops the bomb that they're moving back to the United States, she determines to travel to Venice with Daniel and kiss him under that bridge.
The kids recruit Julius to help them sneak out of the country and finance the trip by betting on horse-races. But their trip quickly turns into one long misadventure. They forget their money on a train. Lauren's best friend Natalie (Ashby Semple) blows their cover story, and her mother tells authorities that she's been kidnapped. Worst of all, the kids discover that Julius is a wanted criminal who just made up the Venetian legend about kissing under the bridge. But Daniel and Lauren don't lose focus; they decide to make the legend come true anyway. Their journey drags in some spots, but for the most part, it's funny and touching, with picturesque wide shots of Verona and Venice, and a real payoff when Daniel and Lauren, after so many obstacles, finally do kiss under the bridge at sunset.
"You ever seen a real one?" Natalie asks Lauren as they stare at a nude sculpture in a museum
The film's bittersweet ending is also impressive. The film cuts from them kissing in Venice to back in Paris few weeks later, with Lauren reluctantly leaving to return to the United States. She says goodbye to Daniel, who tells her, "Don't be like everybody else. We're not like everybody else. We're different, and I'm glad." The movie's final shot is her last view of Daniel as he runs behind her car, waving to her as her family drives away.
A Little Romance is an excellent film, a good blend of the romantic and kidventure genres, smart enough to appeal to adults and sweet without being sappy. Although I disagree Laurence Olivier adds as much to it as most critics seem to think, the talent and charm of the two young leads more than make up for the few dated elements. I would rank this on the same level as My Girl, and it's anyone's guess why A Little Romance isn't equally beloved and well-known.
Daniel, Lauren, and their friends at Lauren's birthday party. The birthday scene is one of my favorites in the film; it has such a smart, fun blend of humor and romance.
LINKS
Screencaps of Diane in the film here (made by me).
An interview with Diane about the film here.
Other reviews of Diane's films: Every Secret Thing (2014), Trumbo (2015).
At age 13, young stage actress Diane Lane turned down a role in a Broadway play to instead make her film debut in A Little Romance. It was a wise decision. Although the film received mixed reviews, Diane was treated well; her costar in the film, Laurence Olivier, called her "the new Grace Kelley," and four months after its release, she appeared on the cover of TIME magazine under the title "Hollywood's Whiz Kids." It launched her film career, which is still going strong nearly forty years later.
The cover of A Little Romance, and Diane on the August 1979 issue of TIME
A Little Romance follows two 13-year-olds who meet and fall in love in Paris, French boy Daniel (Thelonious Bernard) and Lauren (Diane, already with all the beauty and screen presence she would have as an adult), an American girl living in France with her wealthy stepfather (Arthur Hill) and self-absorbed mother (Sally Kellerman). Both bilingual and more mature than most kids their age, they meet when Daniel, who's obsessed with movies, sneaks onto a movie set where Lauren's mother is working. He's immediately infatuated with her, and she's impressed that he can match wits with her, unlike most boys who are intimidated by her thick books and big vocabulary. They meet up in different spots around Paris (the movie takes full advantage of its on-location filming, with several wide-shot scenes of Parisian parks and landmarks) and talk history and philosophy.
Some films from the '70s have a very dated feel to them now (see Taxi Driver or The Exorcist), and that's somewhat the case in A Little Romance, but there's also a lot of timeless charm in its depiction of young love, by turns adorable and awkward. In a misguided attempt to be romantic, Daniel sneaks them into a porn movie theater (Lauren ducks out a few minutes in), but he also punches a famous director (a friend of Lauren's mother) for asking if he "scored" with her. This earns him the enmity of Lauren's mom. Diane Lane and Thelonious Bernard both deliver great performances and make their characters sympathetic and believable, even when the plot gets a little far-fetched.
Lauren and Daniel eating lunch in front of the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte
About that far-fetched plot: In the park one day, Daniel and Lauren meet the elderly Julius (Laurence Olivier), who bores Daniel but fascinates Lauren with stories of his exotic, romantic travels with his late wife. He tells them an Italian legend that if two lovers kiss on a gondola beneath the Bridge of Sighs in Venice at sunset, then they will love each other forever. When Lauren's stepfather (who's a good man, but as Lauren's third father-figure, she refuses to let him get close) drops the bomb that they're moving back to the United States, she determines to travel to Venice with Daniel and kiss him under that bridge.
The kids recruit Julius to help them sneak out of the country and finance the trip by betting on horse-races. But their trip quickly turns into one long misadventure. They forget their money on a train. Lauren's best friend Natalie (Ashby Semple) blows their cover story, and her mother tells authorities that she's been kidnapped. Worst of all, the kids discover that Julius is a wanted criminal who just made up the Venetian legend about kissing under the bridge. But Daniel and Lauren don't lose focus; they decide to make the legend come true anyway. Their journey drags in some spots, but for the most part, it's funny and touching, with picturesque wide shots of Verona and Venice, and a real payoff when Daniel and Lauren, after so many obstacles, finally do kiss under the bridge at sunset.
"You ever seen a real one?" Natalie asks Lauren as they stare at a nude sculpture in a museum
The film's bittersweet ending is also impressive. The film cuts from them kissing in Venice to back in Paris few weeks later, with Lauren reluctantly leaving to return to the United States. She says goodbye to Daniel, who tells her, "Don't be like everybody else. We're not like everybody else. We're different, and I'm glad." The movie's final shot is her last view of Daniel as he runs behind her car, waving to her as her family drives away.
A Little Romance is an excellent film, a good blend of the romantic and kidventure genres, smart enough to appeal to adults and sweet without being sappy. Although I disagree Laurence Olivier adds as much to it as most critics seem to think, the talent and charm of the two young leads more than make up for the few dated elements. I would rank this on the same level as My Girl, and it's anyone's guess why A Little Romance isn't equally beloved and well-known.
Daniel, Lauren, and their friends at Lauren's birthday party. The birthday scene is one of my favorites in the film; it has such a smart, fun blend of humor and romance.
LINKS
Screencaps of Diane in the film here (made by me).
An interview with Diane about the film here.
Other reviews of Diane's films: Every Secret Thing (2014), Trumbo (2015).