the love letter ( 1999 ) represent star kate capshaw and tom everett scott and tom selleck and ellen de generes and gloria stuart and blythe danner and jessica capshaw and alice drummond and bill buell and erik jensen and margaret ann brady and walter covell and patrick donnelly and lucas hall and christian harmony and christopher nee and breanne smith and marilyn rockafellow and sasha spielberg and jack black . director peter chan and screenplay maria maggenti . base on the novel the love letter by cathleen schine and director peter chan film version and release in 1999 and be not a big box office draw and not even for a romantic movie with some comedy element . while it be not a popular in theater and it soon become a beloved film on cable television and on vhs or dvd . set in a seaport town in the good old usa ( i forget the exact location ) and this be the story of a mysterious and passionately write love letter who spark emotion and confusion among the principal character and each who think the letter be personally address to them . by the end of the film and we do not know who the lover or the beloved be but the power of the letter have alter the life of nearly everyone in the small town . the cast be make up of wonderful actor who have fare well on tv and film and among them kate capshaw in the lead role of middle age beauty helen and a bookstore owner and comedienne ellen degeneres a her friend or employee janet hall and young hottie tom everett scott a johnny and the young 20 something guy who fall for the old hellen and an old tom selleck a the firefighter george matthias who must compete with johnny for helen affection . there be cameo role by veteran old hollywood actress gloria stuart and who be best know to modern audience a the elderly rise in titanic ( 1997 ) and a cameo by kate capshaw own daughter ( with husband steven spielberg ) jessica capshaw . the love triangle be between a middle age woman and an old man and a young man and each of whom feel a passionately for helen a the writer of the mysterious letter . the conflict lie in helen indecision . will she choose the right person . which man have the most to offer her . johnny be in a relationship with a girl his age who love him with a passion all her own and and be in fact and a kind of reminder of what helen be like at her age . george be in the process of divorce his wife and have live a worldly and eventful life . a cultured intellectual and he take helen on an opera date and where the tragic death of puccini ultra italian heroine tosca move helen to explosive tear . there be lot of beautiful vista of the charming coastal town and render beautifully by cinematographer tami reiker . the score be a paradise of romantic and lovely song i have never be in love before and i be in the mood for love and only the lonely . ellen degeneres a janet hall and who be consistently late to her job at helen bookshop and who endlessly date men without be able to find the right guy and be simply wonderful . she have not lose her comedic flair and even though at this point in her career she be not appear much on tv or film because only about two year before her hit mid 90 tv show ellen be cancel because of her come out a a lesbian and the new lesbian subject matter of the show . here you even find comedian jack black and long before he make it big and in the bit part of a fisherman . this be a moving film about human emotion and make decision that be significant and about the human need for a passionate consuming love and the general love of escapism bring not only through book and letter and and music and but through a genuinely loving and secure relationship . this be a great film with wonderful moment and an infectious romantic spirit .