Romanticized true account of British writer C. S. Lewis and his timid, awkward friendship and eventual marriage to American poet Joy Gresham, a feisty divorcée with a young son. After a flat, numbing first-half, "Shadowlands" gets a bit pacier, becoming a moving (if rather saintly) look at old-fashioned feelings and true love. Anthony Hopkins, playing Lewis, doesn't seem quite into this role (his performance consists mainly of faraway glances and noble little smiles), but Debra Winger as Gresham comes through with a strong characterization. "Shadowlands" is beautifully filmed and obviously made with great care, but it's missing that hearty ingredient which might have made it a romantic classic. Factual story was first produced for British television in 1985 and starred Joss Ackland and Claire Bloom; writer William Nicholson penned both versions, as well as a play under the same title. **1/2 from ****
Review of Shadowlands
