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Title: Autumn In New York
Region: One
Genre: Romance Drama
Stars: Richard Gere, Winona Ryder, Anthony Lapaglia, Elaine Stritch, Vera Farmiga, Sherry Stringfield, Jill Hennessy, J.K. Simmons, Sam Trammell, and Mary Beth Hurt
Writer: Allison Burnett
Director: Joan Chen
Feature length: 1 hour and 44minutes
Languages: English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 and Spanish Stereo Surround 2.0
Subtitles: English Closed Captions and French and Spanish Subtitles
Packaging: Keep Case
Chapter Stops: 16
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and Stereo Surround Sound
Year of Theatrical Release: 2000/DVD Release: 2001
Theatrical Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures
Home Video Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera
I have been very fortunate in my life not to have suffered from the death of a loved one unless you count having to put down the dog I grew up with, but while pets can be as close to us in our hearts as human beings, the loss of a loved one whether it be a family member, friend, or lover is probably far more painful emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and maybe even physically for some than anything I can imagine.
This said I applaud MGM for producing a story that deals with relationships, love, and loss. Unfortunately, sometimes the road to hell is paved with good intentions as it is with this romantic drama where a radiant and terminally ill Winona Ryder and Richard Gere fall in love despite their vast age differences. The problem with the film is mainly in the casting of the lead actors. I am sick of seeing Winona Ryder playing a self righteous waif pontificating poetry after starring in one too many nineteenth century novel film adaptations and I am tired of watching Richard Gere playing variations of his "Pretty Woman" persona as some single wealthy guy who can get any woman he wants, but is afraid of commitment. Together, these two share terrible on screen chemistry in a film that just feels flat and worn out. The best acting in the film is done by an actor who plays a renowned "Miracle Worker" surgeon and that is mainly because the actor manages to get all of the mannerisms of a surgeon down perfectly without overacting and he manages to deliver just the right amount of cold professional separation that makes me wonder "Did they cast a surgeon to play a surgeon?" It says a lot about a movie when the actors with the bit roles do a better job on screen than the leads.
The DVD Edition of "Autumn In New York" is so bare bones for a new film release to arrive on home video, I wonder why they even bothered with a DVD if essentially the VHS tape gives practically the same amount of extras, which in this case is none. All consumers can expect is a flipper DVD in a keep case. One side has a widescreen (1.85:1) anamorphic transfer and the other side has a full-framed (1.33:1) aspect ratio presentation. The transfers have no color bleeding and a very small amount of grain, but considering this is a new release of a year 2000 theatrical release, I expect better picture quality than this.
English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Soundtracks seem wasted on this film considering the feature film's elements. A Spanish Stereo Surround Soundtrack is also included along with English Closed Captions and French and Spanish Subtitles as an option. The interactive menus are standard interactive stills that are easy to navigate. There are no extra features on this DVD at all. I recommend consumers skip this film all together and go out and buy MGM's "When Harry Met Sally: Special Edition." They will get a whole lot more for their money and the film itself is much better than this one.
© Copyright 2001 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.