Sweet Lorraine (1987)

Fond Memories

Enjoyed seeing the movie Sweet Lorraine. It brought back memories when I was a kid staying in the Heiden Hotel (Sweet Lorraine). Now that the Heiden Hotel has burnt down, I can still have fond memories of still seeing the hotel whenever I watch Sweet Lorraine. The main charactors, Lillian & Sam were true to life and wished they could have saved the Sweet Lorraine. June 29, 2008

The worst dvd ever made.

I've just found joy....I'm as happy as a baby boy...Finally! I have waited for a decade and a half for this film to get a digital release. I've written letters to Angelika...all without response. And here it is...with a completely inappropriate cover! Don't let the bad cover put you off. This is a great film. It pays homage to the end an era that is sadly no longer around. (I know this for sure...a few years ago, I went on a pilgrimage to the location of filming, The Heiden Hotel. Even then, it was in very sad shape. I recently read that it was sold and I have no doubt that it will be razed.)

But here, on film, the Heiden lives on as the wonderful Hotel Lorraine. Directed by the son-in-law of the Heiden's owners, Sweet Lorraine celebrates the final season of a decades old Catskill resort. It hosts a gaggle of future stars before they became regular faces on shows like The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and Remember When as well as the wonderful Maureen Stapleton as hotelkeeper, Lillian Garber.

Perhaps the best reason to view this film is that it captures summer...starting with the anticipation of Memorial Day and Molly's eagerness to join the family business to the somberness of Labor Day and the developer's final offer. It overflows with affection for the era and for the subject. If you have a sweet spot for summer vacations and nostalgia, this is the film for you.

I've seen Sweet Lorraine over 50 times and I've worn out 3 vhs tapes. I've shown it to my high school students in Japan. I've ripped the theme song and put it on my iPod. OK...so maybe you won't go as far over the top as I did, but you'll be happy you spent the summer at Sweet Lorraine.

I ADDED A NEW REVIEW AFTER RECEIVING THIS DVD WHICH AMAZON HAS SINCE DELETED. THIS DVD HAS BEEN MASTERED SO POORLY IT QUALIFIES AS THE WORST DVD I'VE EVER SEEN. MY OLD WORN VHS COPIES LOOK AND SOUND BETTER THAN THIS DVD. THE PICTURE HAS BEEN MASTERED WITH A VERY OVEREXPOSED, HARSH APPEARANCE. THE AUDIO, ADDITIONALLY, HAS BEEN MASTERED WITH A VERY HEAVY TREBLE EMPHASIS WHICH GIVES IT AN ANNOYING BRASSY QUALITY. AS MUCH AS I LOVE THIS FILM, MY ADVICE TO ANYONE WOULD BE TO BUY A USED VHS COPY AND

AVOID THIS DVD. March 28, 2007

All About Characters

This is one of those rare gems - a vast ensemble cast of excellent performers, all creating individual, and quite believable characters in a bittersweet story of the last days of a summer hotel. Maureen Stapleton is outstanding as she always was, but the rest of the cast is not to be forgotten either. There's no action as such, except for a great scene of a baseball game, because the film is well focused on characterization. Who needs noise and action in every film? This should be on DVD! You won't regret watching this one if you care about people. Rates 5 stars (even though Amazon only registers 2 - I gave it 5! Must be a technical glitch.). See it. October 2, 2006

THE DIRECTION LACKS FOCUS.

The final season of a Catskill hotel that has seen its best days provides the framework for this film, featuring Maureen Stapleton as the owner who must decide whether or not to sell, Trini Alvarado as her granddaughter who wishes to soldier on as a partner, and a raft of others performing as employees of the hotel whose activities comprise numerous subplots. The work is highly episodic, but most scenes are permitted to pass with virtually no development, leading to a rather downbeat feeling in the viewer, with the significance of reminiscence for the players being largely unappreciated; an entirely unfocussed exercise.
February 11, 2005

Love the Catskills? You'll love this achingly beautiful film

While it's true that this movie has only a light, meandering plot, it's not the plot that counts: it's the astonishingly accurate, nostalgic, and bittersweet portrayal of the last days of an old Jewish Catskills hotel. It'll resonate most with those who have some connection to the Catskills. If you've ever spent a vacation at any of the big (or smaller) Jewish resorts there, you'll adore this film: its every detail is true-to-life in a way most films can't capture, and it'll make you ache for the sweetness of summers--and loved ones--past. August 14, 2003

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