Month by the Lake, A MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +3 Content: +2

A MONTH BY THE LAKE is a heart-warming story that takes place on beautiful Lake Como in Italy in 1937. Miss Bentley (Vanessa Redgrave) is a single, middle-aged Englishwoman who comes to the resort every summer. Her usual companion, her father, has died, but she is an outgoing woman who can enjoy being alone. However, she meets an attractive, older Englishman, Major Wilshaw (Edward Fox), at the hotel. Her efforts to develop a relationship are fruitless, and the Major decides to return to England. However, a flirtatious goodbye kiss from a young, beautiful American governess (Uma Thurman) causes him to extend his visit through the month. While the Major pursues the governess, Miss Bentley has caught the interest of a young, rich Italian. The movie is about how the four characters interact and find love instead of romance. It is fun to enjoy vicariously a care-free summer with some nice people and magnificent scenery. A MONTH BY THE LAKE is nostalgia at its best.

A pleasant surprise is that Hollywood has made a romantic movie that is basically free of sexual content. Several attempts by the Major and the Italian to seduce the women are more humorous than sensual. Miss Bentley accidentally walks in on a scantily clad couple, but it is such a fleeting moment that the incident is insignificant. The main characters indulge in social smoking and drinking consistent with the era, even to the point of some drunkenness. Some exclamatory profanity is used, but the script is free of crude and obscene language. A MONTH BY THE LAKE will take you back to a more tasteful, genteel time. It is indeed a pleasant contrast to "love" stories filled with gratuitous sex.

Preview Reviewer: Margaret Reid
Distributor: Miramax Films, 375 Greenwich, NY, NY 10013