My first viewing of Jon Amiel’s (Entrapment, Copycat) Sommersby was when I was 17. I liked the story, was intrigued by the slow unraveling mystery, and ate up the sentimentality created by Richard Gere (Pretty Woman, The Mothman Prophecies) and Jodie Foster (Panic Room, The Silence of the Lambs). Had I reviewed the film in 1993, I likely would have given it an A-. As I watched the movie most recently, some 30 years later, I was impressed by how well it once again grabbed and held my interest. Much of that was trying to spot each clue that connected the start and end, which rewatches allow. However, as simple as the story was, I fell victim to Jack Summerset’s (Gere) six-year return to Laurel (Foster) following the U.S. Civil War.
Based loosely on a true story, Sommersby is a remake of the French film The Return of Martin Guerre and tells the story of mistaken identity. Or, perhaps, found identity. Presumed dead, Jack returns to his Vine Hill, TN, home and his wife, Laurel. The townsfolk give Jack a hero’s welcome. Laurel seems far less enthusiastic about seeing her husband, as she has promised herself to the kind Oren (Bill Pullman – Independence Day, Battle of the Sexes), a friend of Jack’s.
Something is off about Jack from the very beginning. Whether it be his dog viciously barking at him as if he’s a stranger, his shoe size being much smaller than before the war, not remembering the name of one of his best friends, or a rekindled romance between him and Laurel. There is much doubt about his identity. Is he who he says he is, or does he portray an uncanny resemblance?
The setup might have worked better in a comedy, horror, suspense, or supernatural genre. For a romantic drama, many histrionics had to suffer through, mainly as we watched Jack and Laurel get reacquainted with one another in a much more loving way than before the war. What does Laurel know about Jack’s identity, and when does she learn it? Why does she continue the charade if she knows he isn’t her husband? This is because this is the type of love she has always wanted, and it doesn’t matter that this man is different. She is happy. She is loved. She loves. This is the life she wants.
Jack’s lore continues, and he successfully begins to grow crops on a thought to be barren land. Amiel almost makes Jack too likable. We know that the other shoe is going to drop. But when? And how? Clues begin to unravel. It becomes more apparent that Jack isn’t Jack. But if he isn’t, who is he? And what happened to the real Jack Sommersby? Like Laurel, is the town willing to look through the lie because this man revitalized a town on the verge of collapse by harvesting tobacco? What about Oren, the man Laurel made romantic promises to before this imposter returned? How long will he be willing to sit idle, watching Laurel fall further in love with this intruder?
Fans of Lifetime and Hallmark-type movies will love Sommersby. It has many elements of what is looked for in a film about doomed love. Gere and Foster play the part, with the pair quickly ditching their cautious rekindling in favor of a fervent display of passion. The backdrop of a southern summer farm adds to the ambiance. Darkness lurks. But where, when, and how bad? Whose heart will break the most? Jack? Laurel? Oren? If this genre is the jam, you’ll eat this film up.
Sommersby felt very much like a movie made in 1993, as it should. As a rewatch, I enjoyed it. A first watch might have made me unable to see past how dated it looked and how cheesy it may have felt. While it’s tough to recommend Sommersby when there are so many better movies and television shows available, Gere and Foster were at the height of their careers, and their performances as the long-lost lovers were convincing enough. I liked the premise. The building of intrigue works well. However, the ending is implausible and hops on the melodrama too heavily.
Plot 8/10
Character Development 8/10
Character Chemistry 8.5/10
Acting 8.5/10
Screenplay 7.5/10
Directing 7.5/10
Cinematography 8/10
Sound 9/10
Hook and Reel 9/10
Universal Relevance 7.5/10
81.5%
C+
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