The Thing Called Love

The Thing Called Love
Director's Cut DVD cover
Directed by	Peter Bogdanovich
Produced by	John Davis
Written by	Carol Heikkinen
Starring	Samantha Mathis River Phoenix Sandra Bullock Dermot Mulroney
Music by	G. Marq Roswell
Cinematography	Peter James
Editing by	Terry Stokes
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	July 16, 1993
Running time	116 min./120 min. (director's cut)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$14,000,000 (est.)
Box office	$1,029,721 (USA)

The Thing Called Love is an American comedy-drama film released in 1993. It was directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The film's tagline is: "Stand by your dream."

The movie stars Samantha Mathis as Miranda Presley (not related to Elvis), who comes from New York City to Nashville, where she auditions at The Bluebird Cafe. She is not invited to perform, but she accepts a job as a waitress. She meets and falls in love with James Wright (River Phoenix), and she befriends Linda Lue Linden (Sandra Bullock).

While the movie involves a love triangle and various complications in Miranda's route to success, it provides a sweetened glimpse at the lives of aspiring songwriters in Nashville.

This was Phoenix's final screen performance before his death.

A "making of" documentary is available on the film's DVD release, titled The Thing Called Love: A Look Back.

Plot

Miranda Presley is an aspiring singer/songwriter from New York City who loves country music and decides to take her chances in Nashville, Tennessee, where she hopes to become a star. After arriving in Music City after a long bus ride, Miranda makes her way to the Bluebird Cafe, a local watering hole with a reputation as a showcase for new talent. The bar's owner, Lucy, takes a shine to the plucky newcomer and gives her a job as a waitress.

Before long, Miranda has gotten to know a number of other Nashville transplants who are looking to land a gig or sell a song, including sweet and open-hearted Kyle Davidson, moody but talented James Wright, and spunky Linda Lue Linden. As the four friends struggle to find their place in the competitive Nashville music scene, both Kyle and James display a romantic interest in Miranda, but she is drawn to James in spite of his moody temperament. Miranda pursues James, and they end up getting married, but they soon realize marriage takes work. James leaves Miranda behind to make his album, what he always wanted to do, but realizes he left his heart with her. He come backs to the Bluebird Cafe, after he found out that Miranda left town. Miranda decides to come back and sings a song, to later found out that James came back for her. The two get together again and decide to write a song.

Cast

Actor	Role
River Phoenix	James Wright
Samantha Mathis	Miranda Presley
Dermot Mulroney	Kyle Davidson
Sandra Bullock	Linda Lue Linden
K. T. Oslin	Lucy
Anthony Clark	Billy
Webb Wilder	Ned
Deborah Allen	Herself
Jo-El Sonnier	Himself
Pam Tillis	Herself
Vern Monnett	Himself
Kevin Welch	Himself
Trisha Yearwood	Herself
Carol Grace Anderson	Diner Waitress
Garth Shaw	Diner Patron

External links

• The Thing Called Love at the Internet Movie Database
• The Thing Called Love at AllRovi
• The Thing Called Love at Rotten Tomatoes