Somewhere in Time (1980)

A Chicago playwright uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time and meet the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in a grand hotel.

Director:

Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

Richard Matheson (screenplay), Richard Matheson (novel)

Stars:

Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Reeve	...	Richard Collier
Jane Seymour	...	Elise McKenna
Christopher Plummer	...	William Fawcett Robinson
Teresa Wright	...	Laura Roberts
Bill Erwin	...	Arthur Biehl
George Voskovec	...	Dr. Gerald Finney
Susan French	...	Older Elise
John Alvin	...	Arthur's Father
Eddra Gale	...	Genevieve
Audrey Bennett	...	Richard's Date
William H. Macy	...	Critic (as W. H. Macy)
Laurence Coven	...	Critic
Susan Bugg	...	Penelope
Christy Michaels	...	Beverly
Ali Marie Matheson	...	Student (as Ali Matheson)

Storyline

Young writer Richard Collier is met on the opening night of his first play by an old lady who begs him to "Come back to me". Mystified, he tries to find out about her, and learns that she is a famous stage actress from the early 1900s, Elise McKenna. Becoming more and more obsessed with her, he manages, by self hypnosis, to travel back in time where he meets her. They fall in love, a matching that is not appreciated by her manager. Can their love outlast the immense problems caused by their "time" difference? And can Richard remain in a time that is not his?

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Plot Keywords:

love across time | time travel | time travel romance | psychotronic film | period drama | 

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Taglines:

Some day in the past, he will find her.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Numerous movies have connections to this film

13 going on 30 where the pattern was included in both time frames.

The Lakehouse where Richard is from 1980 and Elise is from 1912,just like Kate in 2004 and Alex in 2006.

Kate and Leopold where both Kate and Richard were both in the past twice,the first time without knowing about it.

Titanic with the doomed romance and the aftermath scene.

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Goofs

The Grand Hotel's water tower is visible from the lighthouse, despite being built well after 1912 when the film was set.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[various snippets in crowd chatter]
Richard Collier: I got some news. There was an agent in the house tonight, and he said he thinks this play might be good enough for Broadway.
[cheers from crowd]
Richard Collier: Fingers crossed, who knows? Come on, let's all have some cake.

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Alternate Versions

The new 20th anniversary edition DVD and video have been digitally remastered for better clarity, and include a new documentary on the making of "Somewhere In Time" (60 minutes on DVD, 30 minutes on video) featuring current interviews with the cast and crew, as well as a running commentary from director Jeannot Szwarc. They also include new, never-before-released stills from the film, and a documentary on the fan organization INSITE: The Int'l Network of Somewhere In Time Enthusiasts (rare for a studio to acknowledge).

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Connections

Referenced in Vintage Video: When Time Ran Out... (1980) (2020)

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Soundtracks

Somewhere In Time (End Title Theme)
Music by John Barry (uncredited)
Performed by Roger Williams

User Reviews

Only for the imaginative and the warm hearted

One day i was going through my friend's movies and i was picking some of the really good ones to watch. His wife grabbed somewhere in time and told me that it was good. I was very unsure about the movie but i watched it anyways. By the end of the movie i was in awe. The acting is excellent. The story was creative. The dialogue was extravagant. The music was fantastic. The cinematography was terrific. This movie was awesome. Yes it is a romance movie for all you people who hate romance movies but if you have to watchan origina and entertaining love story then i recomend this one. Tust me guys it not your typical love story!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Retrospective / Review [Oliver Harper]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 October 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pide al tiempo que vuelva

Filming Locations:

Grand Hotel, 1 Grand Ave, Mackinac Island, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,203,011, 5 October 1980

Gross USA:

$9,709,597

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,709,597

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rastar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1