Murphy's Romance (1985)

Good concept, poorly executed.

A Disappointing Continuation

The first must-see film of the year.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This is one of my favorite movies; it is beautifully done on all levels. Not too heavy on the romance and the humor is adult without being R rated. I can't really add anything to what other reviewers have said, but I do take issue with the person who said Sally Field looked like she was cracking up in the sneezing scene...Not at all so. I didn't see anyone else mention something that gives a funny touch of reality - it's easy to miss - in that same (sneezing) scene, just as she's passing Bobby Jack and sneezing (yes, obviously a tactic to discourage his advances), she lets out a little fart. I have seen this movie many times and never tire of it - give it a try, you won't regret it.

There is nothing like a good, clean "falling in love" movie between two very sweet characters. It gives hope to single people who are afraid of remarrying. I absolutely love James Garner's personality which shines through in this movie. His Oklahoma accent is endearing. (One of my previous MDs sounds just like him and sure enough, he was from Oklahoma, too. If I closed my eyes while he was talking, I would see James Garner! :-) We used to live in a small cowboy town similar to this one and the people are very friendly! I wasn't into rodeos and cowboy hats but I miss all the friends we have there.Can anyone tell me if Sally does her own horseback riding? Whoever it is REALLY knows how to maneuver a horse ♥ Thank you!

Directed by Martin Ritt, "Murphy's Romance" stars Sally Field as Emma Moriarty, a middle aged woman who travels with her twelve year old son to Eunice, Arizona. Here she fixes up a ranch and falls in love with an elderly widower, played by James Garner.Ritt conveys a certain cosy, small town atmosphere, and packs his film with a number of neat little moments (bingo games, family meals, local dances etc), but this is largely a formulaic and easy flick. The film ends with the arrival of Emma's ex husband, which leads to a muted love triangle.Incidentally, Ritt's films tend to take place exclusively in Arizona or around the Deep South. Such films include "Long Hot Summer", "Hud", "Hombre", "The Sound and The Fury", "The Great White Hope", "Sounder", "Conrack", "Norma Rae", "Back Roads" and "Cross Creek".7/10 – Ritt's pleasantly easy-going direction struggles to elevate the material. Worth one viewing.

Sally Field plays a single mother who moves to a small Texas town with her son (Corey Haim). She befriends the local pharmacist (James Garner), and a small romance starts to develop. It's quickly interrupted by her loser ex-husband (Brian Kerwin), who, despite her obvious signals against it, wants to get back together. Or he just wants to freeload on her, more likely. This is meant to be a small, gentle picture. It's somewhat enjoyable, but it never achieves the small gem status it so desperately wants. In the end, it's kind of dull and forgettable. James Garner received an Oscar nomination for his role. The Academy must have really had a lot of Rockford fans in it. The guy does not give an Oscar-worthy performance. He's an uninteresting character, really, and the fact that he's so much older than Field makes you not root for him to get the girl. Better are Field and Kerwin, though neither of them are exactly award-worthy, either (Field did, however, receive a Golden Globe nomination).