Janet Maslin in '' The New York Times '' wrote : " This modest film actually covers a lot of ground ... '' Love Field '' brings remarkably few preconceptions to the telling of its understated story . The characters transcend stereotypes , but what really matters is the actors ' ability to breathe these people to life . " It currently holds a 40 % " Rotten " rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes , based on 10 reviews . '' Time Out '' was similarly positive , writing : " This affecting romantic comedy probes the gradations of racial prejudice still prevalent in the South despite JFK 's best efforts ... unaccountably denied a theatrical release in Britain , this is a most impressive and enjoyable work . " On the negative side , '' Variety '' described it as " a sincere , not fully realized 1960s drama that is yet another variation on the ' Where were you when you heard JFK was shot ? ' theme . " Hal Hinson in '' The Washington Post '' thought that " the interracial love affair that develops between this oddly matched pair never makes much sense . " Roger Ebert in the '' Chicago Sun-Times '' wrote that " the essential truth of the characters was being undercut by all the manufactured gimmicks of the plot . " Critical consensus held that the primary reason to see the film was the Oscar-nominated performance of Michelle Pfeiffer . '' The New York Times '' wrote that a " character this flamboyant would risk sinking any film . But Ms. Pfeiffer , again demonstrating that she is as subtle and surprising as she is beautiful , plays Lurene with remarkable grace . " '' The Washington Post '' called the characterization " a marvel , but by now that is only to be expected . Watching her Pfeiffer discover new facets of her talent is one of the real pleasures of going to the movies these days . Done up with a '60s platinum bouffant and butterfly fake eyelashes , Pfeiffer plays Lurene as a big-hearted , motor-mouth ditz . But , even in the movie 's earliest scenes , Pfeiffer suggests that Lurene has hidden depth ; not unrevealed smarts , really , but innate decency and guilelessness ... She 's fully alive up there on the screen : a grounded angel , tarnished , funny and exquisitely soulful , even when the movie is dead . " Desson Howe wrote : " there is strong reason to watch '' Love Field '' simply for Pfeiffer . As the nobly oppressed father ( a sort of clichéd , Sidney Poitier role ) , Haysbert is respectable and doe-eyed McFadden makes a fetching innocent . But Pfeiffer is the movie 's sole engine . Tucking away her gratuitous beauty behind pancake makeup and that blonde hay-er , she 's in effortless , sassy command . " Peter Travers in '' Rolling Stone '' was of the opinion that " Pfeiffer overcomes the poky direction of Jonathan Kaplan ( '' The Accused '' ) and the unfocused script by Don Roos ( of '' Single White Female '' infamy ) . She weaves magic in a portrayal of striking grace notes ... long after '' Love Field '' hits a dead end , Pfeiffer cuts a path to the heart . " '' Time Out '' called it a " marvellously touching , funny and credible performance , " while for '' Variety '' it was " yet another memorable characterization . " Roger Ebert congratulated her for a performance " which takes a woman who could have become a comic target and invests her with a certain dignity . " Stephen Farber in '' Movieline '' wrote : " As Lurene Hallett , a dreamy beautician obsessed with Jackie Kennedy , Pfeiffer confirms her growing range and power . Her skill with accents is beginning to rival Meryl Streep 's , but even more impressive than her technical virtuosity is her emotional depth ; she highlights the childlike romanticism and generosity of this simple woman . " For her performance , Michelle Pfeiffer won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival , and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama , both of which went to Emma Thompson for '' Howards End ''
43rd Berlin International Film Festival
43rd Berlin International Film Festival
Love Field (film)