Green Card (Peter Weir, 1990): Australia

Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy. Viewed on DVD.

Green Card is a romance comedy that was released on the heels of the uproariously funny When Harry Met Sally (Rob Reiner, 1989). It was an Australian production of a much smaller budget and increased in popularity through word-of-mouth, ultimately garnering two Golden Globe wins (Best Actor, Best Picture), and one Oscar nomination for Best Writing for a Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

Bronte (Andie MacDowell) is a Horticulturist in New York City; she is set on acquiring a top floor flat that comes complete with its own patio/greenhouse. Georges (Gerard Depardieu) is a French citizen living in the city with an expired visa, he is set on acquiring a Green Card in order to continue living and working in the U.S.

A third party (Anton) hooks the two up in order for them to marry and achieve their respective goals. While Bronte is educated and refined, Georges is from the “University of Life” and a bit rough around the edges. After the quickie marriage, the two separate and go on their merry way, until the INS comes looking for them for verification purposes.

Soon they have to “prove” their love for each other in order to validate that their marriage was not a scheme. In Bronte’s apartment the interview is going off well until one of the agents suspiciously asks Georges (while Bronte is distracted on the phone) to show him to the bathroom – in which Georges has no clue. This tips the agents off and they schedule a further investigation of the couple.

The pair hurriedly contrives a “romance” in which they write phony love letters to each other, and stage mock wedding and honeymoon photos with a Polaroid camera (yes, before digital and 1 Hour Photo). While attempting to memorize minute details of each other (i.e. which side of the bed they each prefer), and through several humorous incidents, Georges falls for Bronte and begins to act like a jealous husband, while Bronte (thoroughly disgusted) throws him out.

Peter Weir once again manages to handle the blossoming of love between the pair with sincerity, and does not bombard the audience with an overkill of dialogue, but instead uses the soundtrack (Enya’s Storms in Africa) to affect the audience.  If you have not yet done so, check out The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) or Witness (1985), and you’ll know what I mean.

Depardieu as Georges, is not a particularly handsome man, yet he begins to charm his way into Bronte’s heart as well as ours. Green Card has an unresolved ending – made at a time when it was not the popular mode of filmmaking for a romance/comedy. The truthfulness of the acting is in the eyes and the subtlety of the emotions; an earlier opening scene is re-enacted later towards the end, but with much stronger sentiment involved. Bebe Neuwirth, a well-known Broadway actress/dancer tightens the circle of talent, portraying Bronte’s buddy (Lauren) with relaxed perfection.

This is not a “chick flick” but a “must see” for all sweethearts–anyone that understands love and romance.