An odd but sometimes funny reworking of the old body-switch formula, "Prelude to a Kiss" is a charming romantic comedy in its first half but in the end settles too easily into its warmed-over gim-mick.
The film opens with Peter (Alec Baldwin), who occasionally offers a voice-over narration, meeting Rita (Meg Ryan) at a party. They feel a spark, and the next night he drops by the club where she works as a bartender.
Over the next six weeks they see each other constantly. Then, after their whirlwind courtship, decide to marry. The wedding takes place in the back yard of her eccentric parents' home.
In the middle of this scene, the film makes a slightly jarring transition as we see an old man (veteran stage actor Sydney Walker) wander away from his home. He soon finds himself at the wedding, but when he's spotted as an interloper he's asked to leave. Before he does, however, he asks to kiss the bride. As he does so, the sky goes dark and a big wind picks up.
From that point on, Peter begins to notice that Rita has changed remarkably — in fact, she doesn't seem to be the same person. And, eventually, he concludes that she has somehow switched souls or spirits with the old man. Not wanting to appear insane, Peter at first tries to ignore all the differences he sees, but he eventually finds the old man and discovers that Rita is indeed inside him.
So, how did this happen? And, more to the point, how do they get switched back?
Some of this is funny stuff, especially the clever, witty dialogue in the film's first half as Peter and Rita are courting. But the second half is awash in sentimentality and long, preachy monologues about soul-mates and true love, resulting in a lot of missed comic oppor-tun-ities.
Baldwin and Ryan are good in the leads, and Walker is great as the old man. But the very talented character players in supporting roles — Ned Beatty and Patty Duke as Rita's parents, Kathy Bates as the old man's daughter — have virtually nothing to do.
"Prelude to a Kiss" was written by Craig Lucas (adapting his successful stage play) and directed by Norman Rene, who last collaborated on the more successful "Longtime Companion." They have some clever ideas here, especially in the writing and delivery of that crisp dialogue and a few amusing sight gags. But on the whole, this is a disappointing effort.
"Prelude to a Kiss" is rated PG-13 for quite a bit of vulgarity and sex-related dialogue, a few profanities and mild sex and violence.