Ask anybody what Academy Award Winning song they got sick of after hearing it over and over, and they'll probably say "My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic". But ask anybody that question for film songs written before that Celine Dion smash hit and any one over the age of 50 will say "You Light Up My Life". Ask them about the movie, and they won't remember a thing about it. Didi Conn, who has gone down in film immortality as Frenchie in "Grease", had a rare lead in this sweet but cumbersome movie, and while she's talented and charming, the dubbing for her here by Kacey Cisyk (not Debbie Boone who had the hit single and sang it on the Academy Awards) does not fit either her personality or her squeaky speaking voice.

The loveable Didi is the daughter of a vaudevillian (Joe Silver), still going even though vaudeville has allegedly been dead forever. He still gets work somehow as an Edgar Bergen like comic, not really very funny, and it's sad to see Conn sitting on his lap as if she was Charlie McCarthy or Mortimer Snerd. What Conn really wants to do is break into the music business, and when she sings (through the dubbing), she seems to have what it takes. A dashing director ("Guiding Light's" Michael Zaslow, then on a break from the soap as the villainous Roger Thorpe) takes an interest in her, but his motivations don't really seem all sincere. They are an interesting example of mismatched pairing, but thanks to the charm of Didi Conn, it appears to have a chance.

This is one of those quickly forgotten films that has pleasant but mostly forgettable songs by Joseph Brooks (who also wrote, directed and acts in the film), although one outside the legendary title song ("The Morning Of My Life") did have potential. Between the dated comedy, sappiness of the theme and the odd pairing of Conn and Zaslow and hamminess of Joe Silver (no relation to Phil Silvers even with a slight resemblance), this seems to have been out of place in a movie year that had "Annie Hall", "Goodbye Girl" and "Fun With Dick & Jane" for light romantic comedies that have stood the test of time and big blockbusters like "Rollercoaster" and especially "Star Wars". By the time of the big build up to Conn's lip-syncing the lyrics to the title song in the conclusion, you are well ready for it to end.

When we ask ourselves, what came first, the chicken or the egg, we look at the other question, what came first, this movie or it's hit song? Didi Conn is a good actress but far from an great actress. More like a field goal kicker, Didi can not run the ball into the end zone for a touch down. She is not a star player. Then again, she is worth a good three points and can add her talent to the (team) cast. For a lead actress, she does not have it. Although this is a movie focused on independent women, Didi can only do so much. The movie shows the 3 men in her life and how all three want something from her as oppose to offering something to her. For her "lip" singing, this adds nothing to her quality of acting. If Didi co-starred in this movie, she would have been nominated for an academy award. Instead, the only thing this movie is remembered for is the academy award for the best song. Nothing more.

Most of us that grew up in the 70s and 80s are the familiar with the song, You Light Up My Life. But was anyone familiar with the movie of the same name? Most people probably weren't, but I remember seeing it advertised in TV Guides and being kind of curious but never getting around to it. I recently found it in YouTube and checked it out.

I do remember hearing about Joseph Brooks (via 48 Hours), who committed suicide after several women accused him of casting couch rapes. Judging from the opening credits he was clearly ambitious. He was the writer, producer, director, songwriter, maybe even catering, I don't know. What I do know is that the movie is one big meh.

Laurie is a struggling actress, singer, and songwriter juggling numerous gigs. She's engaged to Ken, who just looks disinterested in the whole wedding process (can you blame him after seeing the bridesmaids and ushers dragging a giant clamshell down the aisle with Laurie and Ken in it during rehearsal?). Her father Si pushes her to be a comedian like him, but it's not her timing that's the problem (as Si insists), but that her heart just isn't in it.

She meets Cris at a restaurant when she's trying to make a phone call. He wants to spend time with Laurie, but she keeps saying no until she gives in. He still wants to see her, but she says it's just a one night stand. But they do run into each other later in the film when he's the director of a film and she's auditioning to dub the voice. In short, she dumps Ken (finally), she tells Si no more stand up comedy with a dummy and outdated jokes (finally), and gets her heart broken when Cris hires another woman for the movie (and is clearly sleeping with said woman). In the end, she hightails it to New York for a record contract, her future uncertain but a whole lot happier.

It's not a terrible film, but it's not high art either. The movie feels like a 70s time capsule, right down to the fashions. It's more like a Lifetime TV movie, not a theatrical release. The acting is passable (loved Didi Conn since Grease). It's nice that they cast actors that look like everyday people instead of people that look like they're posing for a magazine. The interactions between Laurie and the men in her life feels really dated, especially her interactions with Cris. Cris can't seem to take "NO" for an answer, and in the end treats Laurie like a discarded tissue after she doesn't get hired for the movie.

And the dubbing of Conn's voice is soooooo obvious. Conn has a cutsie speaking voice, but the singing voice (not by Debby Boone) sounds too professional. When Natalie Wood's singing voice was dubbed in West Side Story, it was seamless. Not so much here. If you want to hear Ms. Conn's actual singing voice, look up the animated movie Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure from 1977 (she's the voice of Ann) and you'll hear what I mean.

I'm glad I finally got to see the film after all these years. Just don't expect Oscar-caliber quality (despite the song winning the Oscar). It's just a nice little film to pass the time with.