Two Women. Three Men. One Secret.|Apr. 29, 1994|USA|97 Min.|R
Genre: Comedy;Romance
Description: The Favor is a 1994 romantic comedy directed by Donald Petrie, written by Sara Parriott and Josann McGibbon, and starring Harley Jane Kozak, Elizabeth McGovern, Bill Pullman, Brad Pitt, and Ken Wahl. The film’s original score was composed by Thomas Newman.
The story revolves around Kathy, who appears to be happily married to Peter, though their relationship has become monotonous. She begins to wonder what it would have been like if she had reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Tom, with whom she never had a physical relationship. Unable to act on her curiosity due to her marriage, Kathy asks her friend Emily to look up Tom in Denver and sleep with him on her behalf, then report back on the experience. Emily agrees, but when she shares with Kathy that Tom was amazing and they spent the entire night together, their friendship starts to fray, and Kathy’s marriage also suffers. The situation becomes even more complicated when Emily discovers she is pregnant and is unsure whether the father is Tom or her boyfriend Elliot.
The film explores the lingering impact of teenage crushes and how they often feel more intense and significant than adult relationships. Teenage infatuations tend to be more about self-reflection and idealized perceptions rather than genuine connections. As adults, relationships involve two people, whereas teenage crushes are often about projecting personal desires and insecurities onto someone else. Even years later, memories of those youthful infatuations can hold a powerful and exaggerated place in our minds, far removed from reality.
Cast director: Donald Petrie
Cast actor: Harley Jane Kozak, Elizabeth McGovern, Bill Pullman, Brad Pitt, Ken Wahl, Larry Miller, Holland Taylor, Kim Walker, Claire Stansfield, O-Lan Jones
Original name: The Favor