84 Charing Cross Road @ Amazon

A film based on a play based on a book based on a true story about two bookworms who develop a long-distance friendship, there are few films which sound as unappealing as 1987′s 84 Charing Cross Road. And yet, the Criticker users who’ve seen it have given it nearly unanimous high marks, earning it a place in our list of Neglected Gems.

The plot really is about as simple as they come. Anne Bancroft plays Helene Hanff (the author of the original book), a New York City woman who contacts a bookshop in London run by Frank Doel, in a desperate search for obscure, antique books. He is able to to help her out, and over the course of the years their correspondence blossoms into a meaningful friendship.

The film’s cast is top-notch — Anthony Hopkins and Judi Dench join Bancroft, who won the BAFTA for Best Actress. And perhaps the performances are the film’s main attraction. The characters are believable, the dialogue sharply written, and ultimately all but the most cynical people end up compelled by the story. Cynical people like Roger Ebert! It would seem right up his alley, but check out this mixed 1987 video review from At the Movies (Tell it Siskel!)

** Breaking News ** Criticker has just heard from highly placed sources that Michael Bay has acquired rights for a fast-paced action remake of 84 Charing Cross Road. Lucy Liu will play Helena Hanff, a pent-up book lover with a naughty secret, whose sordid IM conversations with a British dealer of antique erotica (Clive Owen) soon take an explosive turn for the deadly.

Michael Bay, you make everything better!