Putting Anthony Quinn and Ingrid Bergman together in a film involving a middle-aged romance is a great idea; unfortunately, A Walk in the Spring Rain betrays this teaming of two excellent actors by giving them nothing worth acting. While Guy Green certainly deserves some of the blame for his uninspired and unmemorable direction, the chief culprit is Stirling Silliphant's trite, soapy, and hackneyed script. The plot is pure melodrama, which is not unusual in a romance, but Silliphant's screenplay never gets beyond the surface of its situations. Compounding matters is the fact that it is unfocused and meanders, and it contains dialogue that alternates between embarrassing and banal. Under the circumstances, there's not a lot that Bergman and Quinn can do; that they manage to generate some sparks and keep the viewer's interest is a testament to their talent, skill, and engaging screen personalities. It's somewhat ironic that there was more genuine chemistry between the two in The Visit, given the bizarre circumstances of their relationship in that earlier movie -- but that only goes to demonstrate the importance of good material to an actor.
by Craig Butler
review
