dougdoepke Utterly charming romance-comedy. Young, divorced mother Emma (Fields) buys run-down ranch turning it into a horse barn and training corral. With only her adolescent son to help, she's having a rough go of it. Aging town druggist Murphy (Garner) strikes up a friendship, but age difference keeps them apart. Still, the personality attraction is there. Then, out of nowhere, her no-goodnik ex (Kerwin) shows up wanting to move in. Emma is on guard, but he is the boy's father. So how will things work out in the hardscrabble Southwestern setting.The petite Fields is utterly winning as the gritty Emma. If you can buy her restoring and maintaining a ranch house and grounds pretty much by herself then the rest is easy. Garner, of course, is Garner, but with a little more edge than usual. There's no Maverick here (except for the poker game), still the natural charm surfaces when needed. It's a rather laid-back screenplay, in no hurry to get where it's going. But the dialog is superbly calibrated, the humor more subtle than snappy or obvious. Also, small town atmosphere is well integrated into events, especially the community dance with its ordinary-looking people. And scope out that hay bale contest, seeing who can roll a hay bale fastest. And catch Charles Lane as the cranky old man. Here he's already 80, and lived to 102!—with a career that started in 1930.This is really Fields' film. You can't help rooting for her small winsome woman against such big odds. But it's hard to imagine anyone else in either of the two leads. All in all, the film's a fine character study with comedic overtones and should not be missed.

Blueghost I saw this film on a whim. I had no real knowledge of what the film was about. All I knew was that Garner and Field were in it, and they were known to put their names to some fine work. So, when it aired on HBO I took a chance on it, and I was very delighted with what I saw.This is old fashioned film making with lots of heart and a decent cast and crew. You can tell. The shots are professional, and not over done. There are few overstated moments, and the story moves along at a nice pace.This film comes from a time when Hollywood didn't have to placate to the aging boys of America by throwing in lots of foul language, nudity, obvious and strong sexual references and body function jokes. All the adult humor is there, but it's placed in a more respectable and grown up perspective.The acting is solid. The location perfect, and the characters are right on the mark. In other words, it's a fine little film. A small film with some big names to tell a very endearing tale of tried and true feelings that everyone feels. A reminder to all about what life is all about.I guess the best clue I can give is this; it's like my cousin says, after a while age is just a number.

beverlyren I loved this movie too - makes me feel less old. I especially liked Sally Field in this movie because she still had some of that 'innocence' in her look. I have always found James Garner terribly sexy in all his movies. I like his style of acting - he really seems to be himself in his movies. He doesn't seem to have changed his style of acting much and I like that. It seems that he is pretty much being himself. I especially like the song, "I Love You Only" that Brian Kerwin (Field's ex husband) played in the movie. I know the lyrics and music were written by Carol King but I would like to purchase the song as sung by Brian Kerwin. I can't find it anywhere.

ijonesiii MURPHY'S ROMANCE is a lovely 1985 comedy about a divorcée (Sally Field) with a young son (Corey Haim)who is trying to begin a new life in a small town and finds herself inexplicably attracted to the local pharmacist (James Garner) who is several years older than she is and also must deal with her ex-husband (Brian Kerwin) re-entering her life. Aided by a strong screenplay, Field has rarely been more appealing on screen but it is Garner who really shines here in such a laid back and breezy performance that it earned the actor his very first Oscar nomination for Best Actor. If you're a fan of the stars, you will be utterly charmed by this warm and winning comedy.