Tears in the Rain (1988)

Directed by: Don Sharp | 99 minutes | drama, war, romance | Actors: Sharon Stone, Christopher Cazenove, Leigh Lawson, Paul Daneman, Maurice Denham, Anna Massey, Rachael Dowling, Harry Burton, Colette Stevenson, Stephanie Cole, Janet Lees-Price, Donald Gee, Leila Birch

It always takes some getting used to when Sharon Stone appears in films that are a bit further away from her more famous movie hits like ‘Basic Instinct’ and ‘Casino’. Because let’s face it, don’t we prefer to see Stone in those ‘dangerous’ female roles? This does not alter the fact that Stone has of course also often devoted himself to other types of projects, of which ‘Tears in the Rain’ is a good example. In this English TV film we see solid British drama, with a sweet sauce. After this film, Stone still had to wait four years for the great success of Paul Verhoeven’s ‘Basic Instinct’. Stone plays Casey Cantrell, an independent American young lady who travels to England for her late mother’s dying wish. There she has to deliver a letter to Lord Richard Bredon. English country houses, park-like neighborhoods and streets provide a classic British atmosphere that looks a bit dusty here and there. The clarinet music completes that ambiance.

What predominates is the polite acting of the predominantly English cast, Stone goes along with it as a young American beauty. It makes ‘Tears in the Rain’ a television movie suitable for all ages. Just two years earlier, Stone debuted with a small role in Woody Allen’s “Stardust Memories,” after modeling for the years prior. ‘Tears in the Rain’ is therefore somewhat obedient, but, like many other British dramas, it is characterized by psychological relationships between the various characters. Incidentally, there is also room for a smile. For example, the moment when two male characters (Michael Bredon and Hamdan al Dubai) both try hard to seduce Casey on one’s yacht. It leads to a stylish psychological battle between the two English gentlemen.

The basis of ‘Tears in the Rain’ relates to the novel of the same name by American screenwriter and author Pamela Wallace. The time period in the story spans both World War II and the 1980s. For a touch of classic drama and romance on a weeknight TV show, ‘Tears in the Rain’ won’t disappoint. But, forget for a moment Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone) who a few years later as the main character in ‘Basic Instinct’ would shock the world.