Dreamworks had what they thought to be an interesting marketing move--release The Love Letter on the same day as a little film called Star Wars: Episode I. I guess they thought that those who couldn't get tickets to the highly anticipated blockbuster would come and see their film. Ooops!

The Phantom Menace obliterated The Love Letter at the box office. Not because Star Wars was the greatest movie ever made, but because The Love Letter is a disjointed, nonsensical mess.

Kate Capshaw (Willie Scott in Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom) is a quiet, sexually repressed book store owner, who finds a letter that opens her heart. Soon after, the letter creates all kinds of problems as it falls from one hand to the next. Capshaw is a beauty to behold, but her talent is completely wasted in this dull film--as are the talents of Tom Selleck, Gloria Stuart, Tom Everett Scott, and Ellen DeGeneres.

Director Peter Chan tries to create a quirky town full of eccentric citizens, but fails miserably. He can't even use the beautiful scenery to his advantage. Watching this film made me further appreciate Cookie's Fortune, a film about real people in interesting situations, from earlier this year.

The Love Letter is full of jokes that aren't funny, surprises that aren't surprising, and a sense of realism that isn't at all realistic. In fact, I got the feeling that Ms. Capshaw is the only reason this film saw the light of day.