Til There Was You is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Scott Winant and starring Jeanne Tripplehorn, Dylan McDermott, and Sarah Jessica Parker. The screenplay, written by Winnie Holzman, traces thirty-odd years in the parallel lives of two people whose intertwined paths finally converge when their mutual interest in a community project brings them together.
Plot
Gwen Moss (Jeanne Tripplehorn) has spent the better part of her life waiting for the man of her dreams, unaware she briefly bumped into him at school as children and has had several close encounters ever since. She aspires to have a life like her longtime friend Debbie (Jennifer Aniston), a successful doctor with a beautiful home but a marriage that may not be as perfect as it seems on the surface.
Gwen is hired to ghostwrite the autobiography of former child star Francesca Lanfield (Sarah Jessica Parker), whose career virtually ended following her stint on a long-running Partridge Family-Brady Bunch hybrid sitcom. Francesca owns La Fortuna, a picturesque vintage apartment complex (filmed at the historic El Cabrillo). Architect Nick Dawkan's (Dylan McDermott) boss Timo wants to buy and demolish the complex so his firm can construct a modern condominium development in its place. Francesca agrees to the sale as long as Nick is placed in charge of the project, and the two embark on a somewhat tempestuous relationship. Both are damaged emotionally; Francesca has overcome an addiction to drugs but still craves the spotlight, while Nick is dealing with the memory of a father who failed as a songwriter and became a hopeless alcoholic. Meanwhile, Gwen is shocked to discover her father Saul never loved her mother Beebee and is devastated when the two decide to divorce. Her parents' story of how they met from her childhood turns out to be false: Saul got stood up by his date that night and Beebee thought that he was interested in her. They only married to "avoid an argument", as Saul puts it.
Gwen moves into La Fortuna and finds herself surrounded by an assortment of odd but lovable neighbors who have created a family of their own. When the tenants are presented with eviction notices, they decide to fight back. Having discovered the property was designed by Sophia Monroe, one of the first female architects of note (and coincidentally Nick's mentor during the early stages of his career), and served as home to silent film star Louise Brooks, Gwen hopes she can have it declared an historical landmark with the assistance of Jon Haas, the city councilman she is dating. Nick is prepared to fight for his firm until he sees La Fortuna and learns its history and decides it might be worth preserving after all. Though ultimately unsuccessful in preserving La Fortuna, they finally meet at the Nicotine Anonymous meeting, are then happily married, and have a daughter together.
Cast
Jeanne Tripplehorn as Gwen Moss
Yvonne Zima as Gwen (age 7) Madeline Zima as Gwen (age 12) Dylan McDermott as Nick Dawkan Kellen Fink as Nick (age 7) Joshua Rubin as Nick (age 12) Sarah Jessica Parker as Francesca Lanfield Jennifer Aniston as Debbie Amanda Fuller as Debbie (age 13) Craig Bierko as Jon Haas Christine Ebersole as Beebee Moss Janel Moloney as Beebee (age 25) Michael Tucker as Saul Moss John Plumpis as Saul Moss (age 25) Michael Moertl as Dean Karen Allen as Betty Dawkan Kale Browne as Vince Dawkan Alice Drummond as Harriet Ken Olin as Gregory Patrick Malahide as Timo Nina Foch as Sophia Monroe Reg Rogers as Bob Susan Walters as Robin Kasi Lemmons as Angenelle Steve Antin as Kevin Richard Fancy as Murdstone Earl Carroll as "Heep" Ian Gomez as Scott Matt Roth as Todd Karen Mayo-Chandler as Awful Truth Woman Anthony Guidera as Maitre D' John Hawkes as Gawayne Alexa Jago as Suzanne Jack Kruschen as Mr. Katz Danielle Keaton as Chelsea Julio Oscar Mechoso as The Mover Tiffany Paulsen as Tiffany William Utay as Paul Pullman Annabelle Gurwitch as Woman in Bathroom Dave Mallow as Newscaster Voice (voice) (uncredited)
Box office
The film opened at number 10 at the North American box office making $1.3 million USD in its opening weekend.
Production
In January 1996, Terence Blanchard and Miles Goodman were hired to compose the music for the film. Director Scott Winant approved the duo, thinking the comical mastery of Goodman and the jazzy romance of Blanchard would make the perfect combination. Blanchard was even excited about collaborating with Goodman that he rearranged his summer tour of The Heart Speaks around Goodman's ever-busy scoring schedule. Til There Was You would be the final film scored by Goodman; he died a year before the film's release, aged 47. The film is dedicated to his memory.