cleesolnick I surely hope that the responses to this movie is NOT a true representation of the thinking and devotion of that of our generation. I could only hope & pray that we are a better nation of true love and devotion. I certainly understand that we are human, just like Adam & Eve. But why do we spend the effort, time, energy and money to beautify our weaknesses? In my opinion, it is a movie that tries to justify and beautify our lust. It seems to be Eastwood's cup of tea. What will happen if we, the audience and actors as well in general, will glorify these creations and allow it to grow in volume and in the much cheaper and lustful way..

seb38416 Some films come and go before you could say "yawn". Some will stay with you for a long time. This one is one of them,it is something that I would proudly remember the title, however long it is.Two main actors are equally good. if you like this film, you would probably like " In the mood for love" with Maggi Cheung. Back to "Bridges..", the story is simple and yet it draws you in. It is good that now and then , a story like this comes along as fresh breath of air. Love can happen to anyone, but Hollywood seems to think teen love is worth telling.I can't think of any movie that is similar to this one.I am surprised that this one is not in top 100 films you must see before you die.

shubphotons Okay, now this movie forces me to rethink upon an issue that has been troubling me for a long time now. If you married young and have a life and kids and everything, the popular culture portrays it as a failure to live your life completely. Let's get to the movie before I elaborate. Enter Francesca Johnson an Italian war bride who is married to a hardworking, honest, down to soil farmer who loves her but as usual he has many other things to care about rather than serenading his wife all the time. The husband takes the two kids off to Illinois Country fair and Francesa declines the invitation to come along. Enter Robert Kincaid, a dashing devil may care, rangy, cowboy photographer. He's intense he loves his job and roams the world like a free wind. No tangles no relations to hold him down. And obviously Francesca stumbles hopelessly in love with him. Now my point is lady, that guy is like the text book definition of a cool guy he's charming and he has these philosophies and ideas and all this is very appealing to Francesca. But we must keep in mind a passionate 4 day affair is easy a life time of camaraderie and support is another. I hate this idea that it's bad to just be with one person and boring means your life has amounted to nothing. I believe this ideology has increased unhappiness and occurrences of unfaithfulness. Cool kids are fine but they don't stick around. We need to glorify the silent real men who stick through till the bitter end. That's all I have to say. Movie is okay but the idea ruins it for me, although it does have a nice description of the bucolic life. It's a cinematic equivalent of American pastoral.

Kayla Masterson After seeing bits and pieces of this film on too many occasions, I finally sat down to really watch it. For what seems like forever, I have known that this is the quintessential "chick flick" that makes women swoon and cry. Huh?I found it formulaic and foolish. Hmmm, 4 days? Four days, you decide that a guy ambling through town is the love of your life? Hollywood is pathetic. I kept trying to care about these people and about the cliché'd housewife who agonizes over whether to leave her husband and her children and run off with a guy she just met. We love and romanticize what we don't have and take for granted what we do. --Especially since we only see their best side in the beginning, while trying to compare that with the reality in which we live. Hollywood loves and elevates the superficial and denigrates truth and reality. It's possible that the only way lovers like these could remain in love with such a fantasy is precisely because they never dealt with real life together. It might not have been so romantic. Maybe they would even have discovered that they weren't as compatible as they thought. Still, the mysterious man of the world "that got away" is what makes women cry. I'll tell you what I find romantic. The couple who has been through hell and back together and still get butterflies at the sight of one another.On top of all of that.......Streep is overrated in this. If that was an Italian accent, I wonder what Czechoslovakian sounds like.