[6]

While vacationing separately in Spain, a teenager (Timothy Bottoms) and a woman in her thirties (Maggie Smith) strike up an unlikely friendship that blossoms into romance. Both characters are introverts who help each other come out of their shells, but their relationship is put to the test when they encounter a wealthy duke and the woman reveals she has a terminal illness. Outside of their specific circumstances, I doubt these characters would really fall in love. Pity seems to play a part in their mutual affection. Is that gross? Maybe. But Maggie Smith and Timothy Bottoms are both fun to watch as nervous creatures learning to embrace life. The film also serves on an escapist level, showcasing beautiful location photography in Madrid, La Mancha, and other parts of Spain. The ending is somewhat abrupt, but probably a better choice than treading into the inevitable doom and gloom provided by the similar Love Story, released just three years earlier.