The Love Letter (1998): Cast, Box Office, Plot & Where to Watch
The Love Letter is a 1998 romantic fantasy film directed by Dan Curtis, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lizzie Whitcomb, Campbell Scott and Gerrit Graham. It runs 1 hour 38 minutes and earned $9.1 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. Stream it on fuboTV and Hallmark TV.
- worldwide gross
- $9.1M
- budget
- $20M
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 38m (98 min)
- Director
- Dan Curtis
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Hallmark Entertainment
- Budget
- $20M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Love Letter About?
The premise of The Love Letter without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Scott, a modern game designer obsessed with the Civil War, buys an antique desk and finds a secret compartment holding an unsent 19th‑century letter from poet Lizzie. He replies, urged by his mystically inclined mother, and his note somehow reaches her. Their correspondence across time endangers Scott’s upcoming marriage while giving Lizzie hope, as the perils of her war‑torn era threaten their bond.
The Love Letter Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- time travel
- seduction
- antique desk
- bicycle race accident
- reciting poetry
- antebellum ball
- passionate kiss
- computerized civil war game
- death of lovers
- serendipity
- boston massachusetts
- putting flowers on a grave
+38 more Show fewer
- army colonel
- year 1863
- writing poetry
- hidden compartment
- fiance fiancee relationship
- voice over narration letter
- mother son relationship
- horse drawn buggy
- romantic rivalry
- sister sister relationship
- photograph
- running into a burning bulding
- marriage proposal
- victim dies from wounds
- battle of gettysburg
- portrait
- girl and her dog
- female subordination
- mailbox
- bicycle accident
- poet
- writing memoirs
- running on a bridge
- antebellum
- warning letter
- antique
- american civil war
- unrequited love
- time portal
- space time continuum
- time travel romance
- love letter
- love triangle
- bayonet charge
- pistol
- kiss
- violence
- hand to hand combat
Where to Watch The Love Letter
Stream it on fuboTV and Hallmark TV. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
fuboTV 
Hallmark TV Amazon Channel 
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Hallmark+ Apple TV channel 
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The Love Letter Cast & Characters
Jennifer Jason Leigh leads the cast as Lizzie Whitcomb, with Campbell Scott as Scotty Corrigan and Gerrit Graham as Warren Whitcomb. Directed by Dan Curtis; 25 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Dan Curtis
-
Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lizzie Whitcomb -
Campbell Scott as Scotty Corrigan -
Gerrit Graham as Warren Whitcomb - David Dukes as Everett Reagle
Also Starring in The Love Letter
· 21 more- Irma P. Hall Mae Mullen
- Mark Joy Celebrity Author (Daniel Montana)
- Estelle Parsons Beatrice Corrigan
- Daphne Ashbrook Debra Zabriskie
- Kali Rocha Flossy Whitcomb
- Tom Riis Farrell Scott's Boss (Lester)
- Sam Wells Howard Lee (uncredited)
- Linda Powell Doctor
- Richard Woods Jacob Campbell
- Cara Stoner Maggie the Maid
- Laurie Kennedy Lavinia Whitcomb
- Paul D'Elia Desk Jockey (uncredited)
- Michael Ruff Wounded Soldier (uncredited)
- Raymond H. Johnson Dignitary at the Ball (uncredited)
- Cal Johnson Confederate Soldier (uncredited)
- Myra Carter Clarice Whitcomb
Show all 25 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Edgar Smith Potts the Postman
- George Gaffney Bike Rider (Mike)
- Sandra Martin Hudgins Mrs. Reed (uncredited)
- Dick Cheatham Union Officer with Dance Invitation (uncredited)
- Timothy J. Crowe Charging Union Soldier (uncredited)
The Love Letter Plot Summary
What happens in The Love Letter from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 6-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Helen MacFarquhar, a recently divorced middle‑aged bookseller, has begun to rebuild her life after sending her daughter off to summer camp. Each day blends into the next until a small, vivid surprise arrives in the mail: an anonymous blue love letter without an envelope or a name. The letter feels personal and intimate, and in the quiet of the bookstore it seems to belong to her, a private confession that begs to be read aloud. She ponders who could have written it, weighing possibilities with a cautious curiosity that hints at something both dangerous and thrilling.
Full summary
The whole story of The Love Letter, scene by scene
The Love Letter Box Office & Budget
The Love Letter grossed $9.1 million worldwide on a $20 million budget, 46% of what it cost. $8.3 million came from the US and Canada and $836,667 (9%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$9.1M
46% of its budget back
- US & Canada
- $8.3M
- International
- $836.7K
- Budget
- $20M
How Well Do You Know The Love Letter?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
What is Helen's profession at the start of the film?
Cars in The Love Letter
11 cars on screen, including the 1998 Ford Explorer and the 1992 Chevrolet Suburban.
-
1998 Ford Explorer Important role -
1992 Chevrolet Suburban Minor role -
1992 Ford Crown Victoria Minor role -
Pierce Arrow Minor role
The Love Letter Also Known As
11 alternative titles, including “Lettera D'Amore” and “Lettres secrètes”.
- Also known as
-
- Lettera D'Amore
- Lettres secrètes
- Carta de amor
- Der Liebesbrief
- Любовное письмо
- מכתב אהבה
- 情书
- Любовний лист
- Par-delà l'éternité
- Scrisoarea de dragoste
- La carta d’amor
Seen The Love Letter?
Movies Like The Love Letter
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Love Letters, The Love Letter and Love Letters.
The Love Letter FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office and post-credit scenes of The Love Letter, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Love Letter?
The Love Letter runs 1 hour 38 minutes (98 minutes).
When was The Love Letter released?
The Love Letter was released on February 1, 1998.
Who directed The Love Letter?
The Love Letter was directed by Dan Curtis.
More films by Dan Curtis Who is in the cast of The Love Letter?
The Love Letter stars Jennifer Jason Leigh as Lizzie Whitcomb, Campbell Scott as Scotty Corrigan and Gerrit Graham as Warren Whitcomb, among 25 credited actors.
Where can I watch The Love Letter?
In the US, The Love Letter is streaming on fuboTV, Hallmark TV and Hallmark+ (availability from JustWatch).
How much did The Love Letter make at the box office?
The Love Letter grossed $9.1 million worldwide ($8.3 million domestic, $836,667 international) on a budget of $20 million.
Does The Love Letter have a post-credit scene?
No. The Love Letter has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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