Synopsis

After her husband dies in a tragic accident, poetry professor Rebecca Lott struggles to resume ordinary life. Her sister, best friend, and former stepmother rally around her, each confronting private regrets and emotional wounds of their own. When a charismatic housepainter nicknamed Valentino arrives to work on Rebecca's home, his presence unsettles the women and gradually helps Rebecca reconsider grief, memory, and the possibility of love.

Factoids & Trivia

• Ellen Simon based the screenplay on her semi-autobiographical stage play, inspired by the death of her husband, Jeff Bishop, who was struck by a car while jogging in New York City in 1988.

• Simon wrote the play after observing how her sister, best friend, and stepmother gathered around her during the first weeks of bereavement. The stage version premiered in 1989 through a Duke University new playwrights program.

• The character of Alberta was inspired in part by actress Marsha Mason, Simon's former stepmother.

• Principal photography took place in Toronto between August 21 and October 21, 1994. The film was released in the United States on September 29, 1995.

• Jon Bon Jovi made his feature-film debut as the housepainter. The character's nickname, Valentino, refers both to his romantic appeal and to his dog.

• A pottery-wheel scene involving Sylvie recalls Whoopi Goldberg's famous pottery scene in Ghost (1990), though the reference is played as a visual joke rather than a direct continuation.

• The film was produced by Working Title Films and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, with Gramercy Pictures handling its US theatrical release.