Note from zine editor Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy:
The Summer 2024 issue of MovieJawn features articles that discuss Loneliness and Isolation in films. Titles featured include: All of Us Strangers, Kes, Gerry, One Hour Photo, and many others. Melissa wrote this letter in the voice of one character to another from the 2009 film A Single Man. The piece accidentally got lost in the shuffle during the editing process and wasn’t recovered until after we went to print. We bring it to you here as a taste of the type of things we publish in our print zine. To see more fine writing like this, order a copy today.

by Melissa Strong, Staff Writer

Dearest George,

It’s been ages, darling, but I think of you still. Consider this a response to the farewell letter you left for me an eternity ago. I know it wasn’t the exit you anticipated, but don’t worry – I swore Alva to secrecy. And your student, of course, that boy with the fuzzy sweater. What was his name? Johnny? Tommy? No matter. He was a dish, wasn’t he?

Well, darling, it turns out I have something called complicated grief and my therapist suggested writing this letter. That harpy wears overalls, can you believe it?! She said your grief about Jim was complicated, too, back in the closeted 60s. I should say we are more complex than complicated, wouldn’t you?

The whole affair is a terrible bore. It was so terribly lonely after you left, and the Tanqueray stopped helping. I was in a state. Whatever state that was, I stayed there for some time. It’s not your fault, Geo – surely I would have ended up there in every scenario where you died first. Now, don’t worry, I can still put on a face and zip that black-and-white dress. But you see, after Jim died you had the memories of the love you shared. All I ever had was Richard, who didn’t love me and then left. He never even saw me. You saw me, though. You were my true love, darling. And you could never love me the way I wished you would.

That feeling remained a lonely longing in my heart since London, even though I hid it away, even though I would never change you. It all came out, out, out once you were gone. I always thought we would grow old together, even in the way that we were, best friends facing our ups and downs together with laughter and style. You will always be with me, dearest Geo, and now I must move forward without you.

Yours as ever,
Charley