Somewhere in Time (1980)
Somewhere in Time could have been such a huge tearjerker, and to some people it might be, but I didn’t even get a lump in my throat. Had the story been tweaked just a little, it could have been beautiful. As it is, it’s predictable, disappointing, and holds surprisingly little meaning. Yes, Christopher Reeve looks like a flawless Ken doll, but he looks like that in every movie. What’s so special about this one?
It's supposed to be a special romance that transcends time and space. Chris is a modern playwright who sees an old photograph of an actress from the 1910s and becomes obsessed by her story. At the start of the movie, he’s celebrating the premiere of his debut play. An elderly woman he doesn’t know approaches him and says, “Come back to me,” while putting a pocket watch in his hand. He’s confused, but if the audience has half a brain, they’ve already put together the entire plot in their head.
Meanwhile, eight years later, he’s a huge success. Randomly, he gets hit with writer’s block, and just as randomly, he decides to hide away at an old hotel for inspiration. He sees a photo of Jane Seymour mounted in the lobby and, through research, talking to people who used to know her, and an abundance of mystery regarding her personal life, he falls in love with her. There’s so much build up to the actual story of this movie that when it finally takes off, the audience has already imagined it so much better than it turns out to be. Couldn’t the exposition been cut a little so Chris and Jane could develop their relationship more? I appreciated seeing Teresa Wright still acting in her sunset years, but the beginning portion of the movie could have been severely tightened up.
Without a doubt, the best parts of the movie are when we see the beautiful 1910s period setting. The costumes are gorgeous, the sets and props are lovely, and the slow pace of living is romantic and appealing. Jane looks totally gorgeous, it’s no wonder she becomes the object of obsession. Why wasn’t she the queen of period pieces during the coming decade because of this movie? She could have easily played in The French Lieutenant’s Woman, The Age of Innocence, or another remake of Anna Karenina. Christopher Plummer looks really nice in his period clothes as well – though not nice enough to even hold a candle to the other Chris in the movie. It’s hard to compete with perfection. This one is a classic if you want to rent it, but just don’t expect it to be your new favorite.
More Teresa Wright movies here!
It's supposed to be a special romance that transcends time and space. Chris is a modern playwright who sees an old photograph of an actress from the 1910s and becomes obsessed by her story. At the start of the movie, he’s celebrating the premiere of his debut play. An elderly woman he doesn’t know approaches him and says, “Come back to me,” while putting a pocket watch in his hand. He’s confused, but if the audience has half a brain, they’ve already put together the entire plot in their head.
Meanwhile, eight years later, he’s a huge success. Randomly, he gets hit with writer’s block, and just as randomly, he decides to hide away at an old hotel for inspiration. He sees a photo of Jane Seymour mounted in the lobby and, through research, talking to people who used to know her, and an abundance of mystery regarding her personal life, he falls in love with her. There’s so much build up to the actual story of this movie that when it finally takes off, the audience has already imagined it so much better than it turns out to be. Couldn’t the exposition been cut a little so Chris and Jane could develop their relationship more? I appreciated seeing Teresa Wright still acting in her sunset years, but the beginning portion of the movie could have been severely tightened up.
Without a doubt, the best parts of the movie are when we see the beautiful 1910s period setting. The costumes are gorgeous, the sets and props are lovely, and the slow pace of living is romantic and appealing. Jane looks totally gorgeous, it’s no wonder she becomes the object of obsession. Why wasn’t she the queen of period pieces during the coming decade because of this movie? She could have easily played in The French Lieutenant’s Woman, The Age of Innocence, or another remake of Anna Karenina. Christopher Plummer looks really nice in his period clothes as well – though not nice enough to even hold a candle to the other Chris in the movie. It’s hard to compete with perfection. This one is a classic if you want to rent it, but just don’t expect it to be your new favorite.
More Teresa Wright movies here!