Autumn in New York (2000)

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

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.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Will Keane (Richard Gere) is a womanizing restaurateur on the cover of a magazine. Charlotte Fielding (Winona Ryder) has her 22th birthday party at his restaurant. She makes weird little hats. Her grandmother (Elaine Stritch) knows him as an old friend of her mom. He starts flirting with her and maneuvers her to a date. After their first night together, he tells her that he can offer her nothing, and she tells him that she has a terminal heart tumor. Meanwhile there is a mystery woman Lisa Tyler (Vera Farmiga) around.There is a high ick factor especially since the movie hints at him and her mother having a thing in the past. She's playing a giggly little girl. She's literally giggling about him dancing with her mother. He's the weaselly Don Juan type. She's so young that she can't see that he was just trying to seduce her that first time around. She's so clueless that she's shocked by her mother's past with him. It's not romantic. It's just sleazy. Next to Gere, Winona Ryder is like a fawning teenager. And why do they have to keep talking about her mother? I understand that there is a May to December romance that gets turned upside down. It's not as poetic as the movie supposes. The chemistry is all wrong. If she doesn't start off as terminal, then it might make the movie more poetic. The dialog is fairly weak and there is limited tension in the story. I don't know what drives the movie if we rule out happily ever after right off the bat.

In nicely photographed New York City, womanizing restaurant owner Richard Gere (as Will Keane) meets wiry hat designer Winona Ryder (as Charlotte Fielding) and the result is true love. But first, the couple must overcome an age difference. Then, there is the possibility of sex with an old flame. This is where a character's innate "lie detector test" comes in handy. Lastly, a rare disease threatens break up the blissfully happy couple. The attractive co-stars age difference is neither interesting nor unusual. The tragedies they suffer are likewise boring. There were opportunities to do something different and exciting with this old love storyline, but we remain on familiar ground.***** Autumn in New York (8/11/00) Joan Chen ~ Richard Gere, Winona Ryder, Vera Farmiga, Elaine Stritch

One of the worst pictures ever. By the end of the movie when she finally dies you wish she would have died in the first 5 min. of the movie. No chemistry between the two stars. Richard Gere always has the same stupid look on his face as he does in every film he is in. Winona should stick to her day job...shoplifting. These two are so dull on screen that all through the movie your just wishing Charlotte would go ahead and die and put us all out of our misery. The movie in itself is so predictable and has been done many times (ie: Love Story). Winona is just silly and Richard is just stupid. They are no Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan....

This movie is really recommended for the broken hearted as well as the still hearted..basically those who have been or are in love..the storyline may be a little predictable..but the set locations...the casting..screenplay...they are all close to perfection.. Richard Gere..well...he's cool and suave as we remember him in Pretty Woman,but his character in this motion picture makes the viewer feel for him and not just for Charlotte(Ms Ryder's character)..and their chemistry is definitely on full reaction mode...subtle...but seriously gentle for the heart and mind.. and the song that plays when the movie fades to black and the credits roll..Jenifer Paige's Beautiful...that really describes the whole movie..it was really so beautiful..i was really shocked that Joan Chen directed this gem..she did a good if not excellent job..a MUST see for all viewers interested in the romance/drama genre..