" You see I like to take these walks, at night mostly. I like to look up to all the peoples windows and wonder what their lives are like, what they're dreaming about. One night I was out pretty late and all the windows were dark, except one. I looked up and I saw you, standing there, and you were crying. I wondered what was it that made you so sad?"

Bed of Roses...

"nothing boring about a classic"

Lisa was absolutely career orientated and chose to leave no room in her life for love. Her job however, was just a cover for this because the truth was that she had led a loveless childhood and was scared of a commitment in love.

Lewis chose to deliver flowers after an experience in which he "lost everything in one second". He assumed it must be the "best job in the world" because "everyone is always happy to see you".

The pair are brought together when Lewis finally "looked up and saw a light". He showers Lisa with every rose in the city until she finally comes around and decides to give his love a try. We see and feel their beautiful romance bloom to the music of 'Independent Love Song' by Scarlett.

Behind Lisa's facade of happiness however, is still the doubt which only her best friend Kim can see. Lisa is able to handle all the love and romance which Lewis has introduced her to, but as the relationship intensifies we can see the doubt (that Kim knows exists) start to more obviously emerge. Lisa finally cracks when Lewis proposes to her in a typical family Christmas setting. The type of love, family relationship and commitment that Lewis has grown up with sends Lisa out of sorts, and to the appropriate music of 'Insensitive' by Jan Ardon, she leaves him alone in the cold.

The problem is that Lisa really does love Lewis but she is just so scared

to peruse him. Kim finally convinces her friend that Lewis *is* "worth the risk" and after a three month break apart, Lisa sums up the courage to find Lewis. She turns up at his apartment with a little bunch of flowers for him. Lewis looks as though it's painful for him to see the one he put his heart right out on the line for but in return he had it dropped. Lisa makes a futile effort to chat with him before finally deciding that she is making a fool of herself and turns to go. As her hand reaches the door handle she thinks twice and decides to take that risk...

"This is the part where you're supposed to say 'wait'. Yeah, see, I'm supposed to start to leave and that's when you forgive me for being such a coward, and for being the last one to figure out what everyone else already knew. You call out 'wait, don't go', and I stop and we hold each other and that's when we know everything is going to be OK..." "I guess I'm not familiar with the procedure."

But, as we next see, Lewis makes himself familiar with the procedure. As Lisa sadly turns to go once again, he follows her script perfectly.

This is one of the sweetest romantic comedies to emerge out of early 1996. Christian Slater makes for the most perfect, sweetest guy that Lisa could ever wish for, and Mary Stuart Masterson is excellent at playing the scared young woman who can't bare to have Lewis, but can't bare to be without him. This one is definitely for a romantic night in - or perhaps for a gathering of the girls!

"Thank you for a day of too much perfection"

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