Who payed the critics

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

She might have been the auctioneer's assistant, with no lines.

Murphy's Romance is a pleasant easy to take movie about a May - October romance between widower James Garner and younger divorcée Sally Field. It's set in modern day Texas and it moves with grace of a gazelle and the speed of a Galapagos tortoise. And that's not meant in a negative way.Sally Field with the ink barely dry on her divorce from Brian Kerwin has moved to a small Texas town where she's now acquired a ranch which could use a lot of improvement. She's got her son Corey Haim in tow and they aim to start anew.The first and best friend they make in town is 60 year old James Garner, the local druggist. He's part of a disappearing breed in that he owns his own pharmacy. Given the way things are 23 years after Murphy's Romance, Garner's store if it still is operating is probably part of chain now, even in small town America.A steady reliable guy like Garner is all any girl could wish for, but ambling back into the picture is Kerwin who swears on a stack of Bibles he's a changed man. Why he's even a born again Christian.The man knows how to ring her bell, but that's about all he's good for. In fact he furnishes his own proof before the film ends.James Garner got his only Oscar nomination and I remember how much I wanted him to win that night watching the Oscars. It would have been great, but William Hurt won for Kiss of the Spider Woman. Murphy's Romance got one other nomination for cinematography, but it lost to the year's Best Picture, Out of Africa.Murphy's Romance is a tender and touching story about a couple of mature people, one a bit more mature than the other finding true love. As Garner says this is his last love and Field responds this is her first. It's a film for romantics of any age.

A low-key romantic comedy that pairs Sally Field with James Garner, and proves that the two actors have a great deal of chemistry together.Sally Field is a newly-divorced mom setting up house with her son. Garner is a good 'ol boy who takes a hankering to her and promises to be a positive male influence. The doofus stud of an ex-husband makes a nuisance of himself. Guess who Field winds up with? The film rides along harmlessly enough on the personalities of its two leads.Won Oscar nominations for Garner and its cinematography.Grade: B+

This is a fabulously entertaining movie. Note that practically everyone reviewing it quite accurately describes it as 'feel good'. And it's not just a chick flick! My husband loved it and I'm hoping to get hold of it for my 18 year old son to watch.It's not your typical comedy romance, with two attractive young stars dating in a traditional manner or having sex shortly after the opening credits. The romantic leads are both wonderful in this unusual tale, with Sally Field engaging as the young divorcée, Emma Moriarty. The amazingly charismatic James Garner plays the older widower, Murphy Jones, an affable, laid back pharmacist 30 years or so her senior. Emma has just moved to Murphy's small town to set up a horse ranch nearby with her teenage son, Jake. Murphy gives Jake a part time job at his drug store to help out the young widow, tries to send business her way, and even recommends some eligible town gents for her to date (though he clearly has his eye on Emma himself).Barely has an attraction begun between Emma and Murphy when there's 'trouble in paradise'. Emma's sexy but ne'er-do-well ex-husband, Bobby Jack, shows up, convinces Emma to let him stay with her & their son for awhile, and tries to rekindle the fire, so to speak. Of course Jake wants his dad back, so pressure is put to bear on Emma. Meanwhile, right in front of the ex, Murphy is carrying on a rather unusual courtship of Emma! He ends up staying for supper with the 'happy little family of three' nigh on just about every night, even joins them for a hand or two of cards. Bobby Jack is naturally not pleased with this turn of events, and the competition between the two of them for Emma's affections makes for some pretty witty dialogue and amusing scenes, especially at a local square dance. Also, the contrast between the two men in terms of their inner character gives Emma cause for reflection...the charming but cheating, good for nothing Bobby Jack versus the easy going but hard working, caring, and principled Murphy. You're going to absolutely love Murphy's Romance! You just can't help it.