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"84 charing cross road" has another more difficult name called "84 charing cross road, london". the main reason that attracted me to watch this old movie released in 1987 was that i was attracted by the british people who lived in poverty but had elegant temperament in the film, and the film was adapted from a true story.

the heroine helen (anne bancroft), with the consent of the hero frank's (anthony hopkins) widow lola (judi dench), compiled the twenty years of correspondence between the two into a book. the story itself is very touching. later, some people said that this was "love", but after watching it, i felt that it was more like the friendship between "bo ya and zi qi".

number 84 charing cross road corresponds to a bookshop called "mark and cohen". in the late 1940s, the bookshop published an advertisement for the sale of antique books, focusing on low prices and large quantities.

helen, an american literary young woman on the other side of the atlantic, saw the advertisement. she had been looking for books everywhere but to no avail. books produced in the united states were too expensive and she obviously couldn't afford them with her meager income. so she wrote to mark & ​​cohen bookstore, listed a list of books and asked if they had any books she liked.

after reading the letter, the store manager frank decided to send the book to the united states if the other party did not remit the money. this move deeply moved helen, and the two began a twenty-year correspondence.

during their communication, helene and frank changed from a simple buyer-seller relationship to a book friend. they often exchanged their views on some writers and their preferences for poetry. frank thought helene was a straightforward lady with a humorous writing style, and helene also thought frank was a gentleman with a rigorous style and integrity. this friendship gradually spread from helene and frank to helene and all the staff in the bookstore.

when helene learned from her british friend that britain was still implementing a rationing system at the time and each person could only buy one egg per month, she, who had a low income, began to send boxes of food to london, where she had never been. when the people in the bookstore opened the intact wooden boxes and looked at the canned food and ham that were in short supply, the people in the bookstore were excited. including frank, they did not expect a "customer" to be so considerate, so some clerks began to write letters to helene without frank's knowledge to express their gratitude. and in the days that followed, like frank, they described life in london and everyone's life to helene.

frank really wanted to tell helen that she didn't know how happy the store clerks were about the food she sent. they went home to share it with their families and told them that it was a gift from friends in the new world. for the british who were still traumatized by the war, helen was giving them hope of life.

in the following days, helian saved money every month and insisted on sending food to the bookstore. the people in the bookstore also regarded helian's book list as a top priority. whatever ancient book helian wanted, frank would go to various parts of the uk to search for it.

she also treasured the beautiful tablecloths that the store employees had worked together to make, which was the reward for their friendship.

the friendship between the two men, together with that of all the store employees, painted a beautiful picture in those peaceful years.

during this period, helen wanted to visit these "old friends" in the uk, but she gave up every time due to various reasons. on the other hand, whenever helen said she was going to the uk, frank and all the staff were excited, but of course they were also disappointed after the visit.

time came to the end of the 1960s. one day, helen found that frank had not written to her for a long time. after asking around, she found out that frank had unfortunately died of an infection after an operation.

hailian burst into tears...

before this, helian knew that in the past twenty years, some people in the bookstore had passed away, and some had left. only frank still stayed in the bookstore to find books for helian. she also didn't know that sometimes frank would stare at the american lady who came to the store. he always felt that helian would walk into the store one afternoon...

but helen finally arrived in london, her temples were gray. britain, the country she had enjoyed in books, appeared before her. but at this time she no longer had any aspirations, and just went to the "mark and cohen" bookstore at 84 charing cross road according to the address.

at this time, the bookstore was already empty, and the bookshelves that were once full of books were now covered with dust. it was not that she didn't know about the display and layout of the bookstore. ten years ago, her good friend went to london for a performance and came to the bookstore on her behalf, but she didn't reveal her identity to everyone. instead, she wrote a letter to tell helian, "everything is as you expected, the people and books are very good..."

everything in front of her was touched by memories. frank left before he even had time to say goodbye to her. and fewer and fewer people are "collecting books" and "reading books". helian still remembers the first time she received an ancient book in the mail. the parchment cover and yellow paper brought her a sense of surprise. it was a blessing for readers and a testimony to a friendship that lasted for twenty years.

when visiting frank's widow, lola, she said, "i'm really jealous of you because my husband is always delighted when he receives your letters."

there is no doubt about this friendship, because until frank died, the two had never met, although in the past 20 years, the bookstore clerks have speculated what helen looked like. helen also pretended to be mysterious in the letter. she was just an ordinary american woman, neither beautiful nor rich. she didn't have the money to go on a trip, otherwise there would be no regret.

to this day, there is no bookshop at 84 charing cross road in london, but there is a bronze plaque embedded in the wall:

"helene and frank's friendship made 84 charing street, london, world famous..."

this is a very romantic story. it has nothing to do with the romance of love, but it is the romance in the lives of ordinary people.

just like the "pen pals" that were popular in china at the beginning of this century when the internet was not popular, when i touched those yellowed letters and the content again as an adult, it seemed as if those times were vivid in my mind. in the past 20 years, helen has worked, lived, and moved. every time she wrote about her current situation in the letter, frank also told helen that some clerks in the hospital also wanted to listen to frank's thoughts about their friends' lives.

that was the inspiration in their lives that this imaginary perfect lady brought to them. as for frank…

boya and ziqi, you can only meet them by chance in this life.

anthony hopkins was in his prime in 1987. the british actor perfectly interpreted the image of an intellectual who was deeply rooted in his bones. in order to appreciate helene's talent and writing style, he would send books out without any remittance, and he would be grateful when he received food from helene - especially in the era of financial difficulties under the rationing system. he vividly described this simple happiness to helene in his letters.

as a chinese audience who has witnessed the end of the planned economy, i think i can probably understand the feelings of frank and others. especially when the shop assistants were thinking about this friend on the other side, i felt kindness, simplicity and love for life.

"84 charing cross road" is a niche movie that i picked up by chance. what attracted me was the image of the british gentleman besides "hannibal". it is natural for readers to love books, and it is a small happiness to meet a rare companion.

some desires and loves for books have actually transcended the relationship between men and women. this kind of feeling is even more timeless, making people feel emotional and unforgettable after reading it.