An Affair to Remember (1957)

During a cruise from Europe to New York, international playboy Nickie Ferrante (Cary Grant) meets the stunning Terry McKay. The former night-club singer is travelling back into the arms of her monied boyfriend. Playboy Nickie is returning to his wealthy fiance. The two spend every last moment together, knowing full well that duty, not love, will send them back to New York. In the last minutes of their time together, the couple decide to meet at the Empire State Building six months later to determine if what they feel is true.

A grueling six months later, Nickie waits on the 102nd floor. Down below a hurried Terry is struck by a car and unable to meet him. Confined to a wheelchair, Terry refuses to contact Nickie unsure of what he might think. A chance meeting between the two, months later, re-ignites memories of the affair.

What a beautiful film! You don't find love stories like An Affair to Remember anymore. Much of the charm, I think, lies in the age of the film. Cary Grant {doesn't do much for me}, but as Nickie, is the consummate playboy charmed by the self-confident Terry. Deborah Kerr is amazing! Women of that time carried a mystique about them. The chemistry found between this two is spine-tingling. The softness of her words, the gentleness of his caress-- it's beautiful!

There are two brilliant scenes here from director Leo McCarey that sum the film up like nothing else: the reflection of the Empire State Building in Terry's window and Nickie's realization of the painting-- both are tear-wrenching!! Story-telling doesn't get any better.

In this day and age, it's difficult not to deem movies from this time period as 'too sentimental' or 'corny'. True romantics will find a timeless plot in An Affair to Remember that is all too deserving of the 'classic' moniker.