They say absence makes the heart grow fonder but for recently married couple, Chris (James Stewart) and Cicely Tyler (Margaret Sullavan), absence might be the one thing their marriage has too much of in Edward H. Griffith’s Next Time We Love.
Whereas most romantic movies build-up to a sweeping ending, Melville Baker’s screenplay flips that structure around so that the film is actually at its most romantic in the beginning, when Chris arrives to bring Cicely to the train station. The plan is for Cicely to go to college, but when Chris asks her to stay at the last minute those plans change, and instead of the *run to the airport* moment you have a rather cute scene of Chris jumping on a moving train to try and find Cicely’s suitcases.
When it comes to pulling off these kinds of romantic gestures, it’s all about the details, and what ultimately sells this scene is how much could go wrong, even though (remarkably) nothing does. When Chris asks Cicely to stay with him the train is already moving. It’s a miracle that she gets off in time, yet (luckily) it’s an awfully long platform because somehow Chris manages to grab the suitcases, too (even though they’re not immediately visible). That Chris pulls it all off doesn’t matter because he couldn’t have known he’d be successful. Love drove him to act without thinking and against bad odds. Even before that scene, when Chris arrived at the hotel hurried and rushed, he changed his tone as soon as he saw Cicely sleeping. Instead of taking his lateness out on her, he gently woke her up.
There’s a problem with starting a film with the good stuff, though (and a reason most films save the ‘happily ever after’ for the end). Waiting to the end means not having to address what happens next or face the realities of the real world. Next Time We Love does have to deal with those, and it’s not so happy, especially when Cicely falls in love with acting and doesn’t want to give up her career when Chris’ job requires him to relocate.
Does Next Time We Love make a good Valentine’s Day movie? Possibly not, if your goal is to manifest a more hopeful, optimistic view on marriage being able to withstand all hurdles. The frustrating part about Next Time We Love isn’t that Chris and Cicely’s careers are pulling them in opposite directions but that they could compromise if Chris weren’t so convinced that he has to be the primary breadwinner. The conflicts in Next Time We Love are realistic, but there’s a disappointing sense of resignation that develops early. Maybe happily ever after wouldn’t have been appropriate, but at least the film could’ve seen its unhappy ending through. Instead, the ending feels cut off to avoid going into weepy territory.
In the film’s best moments, Chris and Cicely are able to be frank with each other, like when Cicely doesn’t let Chris continue to pitter patter around the question of whether she’s had an affair. It’s a surprising moment of directness in a film where so many problems could be solved if characters just talked to each other.
Available on Blu-Ray now from Kino Lorber, Next Time We Love also comes with a commentary by author/film historian, Lee Gambin, and costume historian, Elissa Rose, who discuss (among many things): Ursula Parrott’s source novel, Franz Waxman’s title music, Vera West’s costumes, and Sullavan’s role in getting Stewart cast. Next Time We Love also stars Ray Milland, as a mutual friend and rival for Cicely’s heart.
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