If you’re like me, you might be feeling burned out by current films that prioritize eye candy over substance. Last night, I searched digital platforms for a film that delved into the human experience and reinvented the romance formula to make it feel fresh and less formulaic.

 

The typical romcom formula we’ve seen countless times begins with an obligatory opening scene where a boy meets a girl. If the casting is done right, we witness the chemistry between the characters, and their souls connect on some deeper level. The would-be lovers then embark on a journey to build a relationship.

 

The attraction between them is showcased through a series of fun and playful dates. However, one of the two characters inevitably screws up, and it seems like all hope is lost. But then, a revelation occurs in the mind of one or both lovers, and they embark on a chase to save the relationship.

 

The climax of the film takes place when the pursuer successfully atones for their sins, all is forgiven, and the lovebirds live happily ever after. These are the general, broad strokes of romcoms and romantic dramas’ structure. 

 

“A Walk in the Clouds” incorporates elements of these necessary devices but cleverly designs them to minimize the formulaic feel, and the result is truly refreshing. The English version of the film starring Keanu Reeves, Anthony Quinn, and Spanish/Italian actress Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, released in 1995, is an adaptation of the Italian film “Four Steps in the Clouds,” released in 1942 and written by Piero Tellini, Cesare Zavattini, and Vittorio de Benedetti. 

 

The story is set in Napa Valley post-World War II when a war hero returns home to a woman he married just before he shipped off to fight in Europe. The relationship is lukewarm to say the least, and we get the feeling from the first few minutes of the story that the impulsive act of getting married before heading off to the front lines was a mistake. 

 

The character, Paul, a war hero, now a chocolate salesman, played by Keanu Reeves, heads to San Francisco to sell chocolate, but as fate would have it, he meets Victoria (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón). While on the train to the West and after a series of serendipitous events, Paul finds out that Victoria had an affair with her college professor and she's pregnant. Victoria confesses that she's afraid to tell her family, especially her father, that she had an affair outside of marriage. Keep in mind that the original story was written in the early 1940s when such an act was worthy of being disowned by the family.

 

Paul offers to help Victoria by pretending to be her husband. While at Victoria’s family vineyard in Napa Valley, Paul falls in love with her, but faces challenges when her father is opposed to Paul being brought into the family. 

 

A tug of war takes place between Victoria’s father and Paul and it drives the star-crossed lovers to finally tell the truth. This is where the formula is cleverly manipulated. 

 

Instead of one of the characters screwing up in some sort of fashion, the situation, or better said, life events that had already occurred become the obstacle to Victoria and Paul’s romance. 

 

I won’t go into detail of how this story unfolds just in case you want to see the movie, but I can say with a high degree of certainty that you won’t be disappointed.

 

The point of this article is to bring to light the fact that if writers take their time in crafting the story, the results can indeed be refreshing and it gives the viewer/reader the sense of a work that doesn’t mimic others in the genre. 

 

Whether you’re a seasoned or emerging screenwriter, the lesson this film teaches us is not to be restricted by the formula. I’m not saying to discard it altogether, but take your time to consider story devices that drive the story, but at the same time feel unexpected. 

 

If you’re in the mood for a romantic film that explores believable human experiences, Oscar-worthy acting, to include the great Anthony Quinn, who plays Victoria’s grandfather, and a romantic formula that’s turned on its side and refreshed, then you may want to watch “A Walk in the Clouds.” 

 

Luc Saber is a filmmaker, screenwriter, director, and producer with several successful feature films and television programs in worldwide distribution. He started his career as a journalist, on-air reporter, and producer of television news magazines and talk shows. He taught screenwriting at UCLA Extension, hosted WGA’s 3rd & Fairfax Podcast episodes, and he’s currently writing screenplays, short stories, novellas, and novels. He’s a current member of the Writers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, and SAG-AFTRA.