Peter and Rita meet at a party, fall in love in about six weeks, and get married in her parents’ garden. An elderly stranger wanders in off the street, asks to kiss the bride, and from that moment Rita is no longer Rita. Prelude to a Kiss is a body-swap film that plays the idea for heartbreak rather than laughs.
The Wedding, The Kiss And The Honeymoon That Goes Wrong
On honeymoon in Jamaica, Peter notices his new wife does not remember things she should, drinks what she never drank, and has gone cold. Back home, he tracks down the old man, Julius, who is dying of cancer and is now walking around in Rita’s body with Rita’s mind. The second half is Peter and the old man in the young woman’s body working out what to do, and whether love survives when the person you married is in the wrong body.
Why It Is Worth A Second Look
Craig Lucas adapted his own Broadway play, which was a Pulitzer finalist, and Alec Baldwin repeats his stage role. Meg Ryan has to play an old man convincingly for half the film and mostly does it. The film did not do much at the box office in 1992 but it has a steady following, and the idea has been borrowed many times since.
Watch Prelude To A Kiss On GoMovies
The full 105-minute film is in HD above. No account needed.