Prelude to a Kiss

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Prelude to a Kiss ★★ 1992 (PG-13)

Disappointing screen adaptation of Craig Lucas' hit play features Baldwin and Ryan as young lovers in this romantic fantasy. Ryan is Rita, a freespirited bartender and Baldwin is Peter, a conservative writer, who decide to marry after a whirlwind courtship. At their wedding reception, Rita obligingly kisses one of their guests, an old man (Walker). Then, on their honeymoon, Peter begins to notice a number of changes to Rita's character and comes to realize this is truly not the girl he married. The delicate fantasy which worked on stage struggles to survive the “opening up” of the screen adaptation though Baldwin (who reprises his stage role) and Ryan are appealing. 106m/C VHS, DVD . Alec Baldwin, Meg Ryan, Sydney Walker, Ned Beatty, Patty Duke, Kathy Bates, Stanley Tucci; D: Norman Rene; W: Craig Lucas; C: Stefan Czapsky; M: Howard Shore.