ABSTRACT
When best friends have known each other too long platonically and one falls in love with the other, the transition can be tricky. Sometimes impossible. Physical distance can be a real obstacle. So can distance in time. Difference in Class/Station is seen less often in current times, but this obstacle has frequently been used to good effect in period love stories. Like class, religion used to be a bigger barrier than it is today, but it can still work if the setup is believable. Even today, religious differences can be a real obstacle. When lovers are from different worlds this can be a huge obstacle. There have been many films where racial difference was the obstacle to union. When one of them is no longer living this is a problem. Sometimes the couple was in love before the death. When one or both lovers are addicted to drugs/alcohol, it can be a love-challenging and even life-killing problem.
