Untamed Heart
(1992)
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UNTAMED HEART is a tender tale about the romance between Adam (Christian Slater), a severely introverted busboy with a congenital heart problem and Caroline (Marisa Tomei), a waitress with a penchant for men who reject her. Walking home late one night from the Minneapolis diner where she and Adam work, Caroline is attacked by two thugs. Just as they are about to rape her, Adam miraculously appears and beats the living daylights out of the two guys. To her surprise, Caroline discovers that the shy, silent Adam has been infatuated with her from afar and has even followed her home every night to make sure nothing happens to her along the way. Won over by his sweetness and devotion, Caroline enters into a tentative relationship with Adam, gently guiding him through his first experience with physical and emotional intimacy. |
Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater both work hard to wring every ounce of uplift and emotion from this well-meaning, if slightly contrived, romance. Slater plays the shy kitchen guy with a congenital heart defect who saves waitress Tomei from a vicious night-time assault by thugs, an event that leads the bruised souls to embark on a hesitant relationship. Everyone says it can't last, especially delicious Rosie Perez in another of her trademark sassy, wisecracking roles. Although the outcome is fairly predictable, there's enough along the bittersweet way to engage and amuse.