I was an unabashed fan of the work of John Ritter. Like most people, I first saw him on “Three’s Company”, and was immediately drawn in by the man’s comic talent and sense of timing. The series itself was pretty funny, but the biggest laugh always came from Ritter’s reactions and facial expressions. When he made the leap to the big screen, I was sure he was going to be a big star, but for some reason his film career never really took off. He worked fairly consistently, but he never became what you would call a ‘superstar.’ A lot of his films came in under the radar, some of his best missed by just about everyone. “Hero at Large” is one that comes to mind (I’m still hoping against hope for a DVD release!!) When Ritter passed away last year, it was a very tragic event. He was still fairly young by some standards, and his career was definitely on the upswing. In recent years, he had been in numerous films, playing some very memorable (and in some cases, unusual) characters.

He had even found new success in the TV series “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter.” Though he has passed, I’m sure he will never be forgotten. With luck, more of his extensive body of work will find a home on DVD.

The most recent, “Letting Go” was originally a 1985 made-for-TV movie. Ritter starred as Alex Schuster, a recent widower with a young son. Still grieving for his late wife, Schuster meets a woman in the most unusual of places… the men’s room at a concert. The woman is Kate (Sharon Gless), and before you get the wrong idea about her, it turns out she was distraught over breaking up with her cheating boyfriend and ran into the wrong place. When the two meet again in a grief-counseling group, they find that they have much in common.

“Letting Go” is fairly standard fair as far as light romantic TV movies go, but the earnest performances by Ritter and Gless elevate it to a higher level of entertainment. They have a good rapport onscreen, and their relationship never seems forced. The film is funny and bittersweet, and comes highly recommended.

There was one scene in particular that really struck home. It involved the Ritter’s character finally ‘letting go’ of his late wife so he can continue to live. The song “In My Life”, (by the Beatles, but oddly enough, not sung by them) plays in the background, and it is profoundly touching. In real life, that same song was performed at the funeral as Ritter’s body was laid to rest.

BFS is releasing “Letting Go” this week on DVD, and though devoid of any real extra features, is still a welcome addition to any collection of the work of John Ritter.

Directed by: Jack Bender
Starring: John Ritter, Sharon Gless, Joe Cortese, Kit McDonough
Extras: Famous Quotes on Love and Loss, Cast Bios
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: BFS
Release Date: 10/19/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Letting Go an B+.