sem@inuxc.UUCP (Stephen Klaren) (01/23/85)
If you like Jane Seymour, you should love SOMEWHERE IN TIME. Although it was
critically disliked, it is a film which deserves better than the *1/2 stars
which Leonard Maltin awarded it in "TV Movies". I find some kind of fascination
with the time traveling theme of the movie but what really makes the film
worthwhile is the sheer beauty of the photography. Add to this the period
costumes, the complete redecoration of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island plus
the grandiose symphony soundtrack; and you will find a romantic film which has
few peers outside of the 1930's and 1940's Hollywood.
Someone on the net said that their friends cry at every viewing on their VCR.
I have seen this happen as well. It is a film which is blatantly sentimental
and romantic but somehow draws the viewer into its unique world of past and
present.
There are scenes which are truly unforgettable because of the combination of
cinematography, acting, and music. Three of which follow:
Reeve first spots Seymour walking along Lake Michigan -- her
reflection can be seen in the window of the building next to him. His slow
walk along the tree-lined path as she strolls unaware next to the water is an
almost dreamlike sequence.
Act One of the play in which Seymour begins a soliloquy (not in the play's
dialogue) in which she describes what she would say to the man of her dreams
while she stares at Reeve in the audience. This secret and yet public
confession of her love for him never fails to send chills down the spine.
A truly moving film scene.
Finally, when Reeve has been kidnapped, bound and gagged and upon escape,
discovers that she is gone; slumps on the porch of the hotel. The screen
shows Seymour far behind him, walking aimlessly in the garden on the lower
hillside. She pauses, looks up at the hotel, and suddenly recognizes Reeve
sitting on the wall. Another moving and beautifully filmed scene.
I have many films on tape, but I must admit, this is one of the few which
I have viewed multiple times and still enjoy with each screening. I don't
believe Jane Seymour's classic beauty in this film has ever been surpassed.
For the person who asked about the soundtrack: yes it is available. I bought
a copy for a friend who loves this movie and the magnificent love theme by
Rachmaninoff. If you can't order it in your local record store--it is available
from R.T.S., P.O. Box 1829, Novato, CA 94948, tel: (415) 883-2179. They have
the largest selection of movie soundtracks I have ever seen and would be glad
to send you a copy of their latest catalog.
On the question of the watch : I found this a fascinating enigma in the film--
sort of "Which came first? The chicken or the egg?"
What I find to be a more interesting situation is the period of time Reeve is
knocked unconscious in the past while still in his self-induced hypnotic state.
How does he maintain his connection to the past without consciously willing it.
If you want true time confusions watch THE PHILADELPHIA EXPERIMENT and explain
the plot loopholes in that mess.
"Time waits for no one, and he won't wait for me"
-Mick Jagger-owen@uw-june (Owen D. Beckley) (01/24/85)
I'm not sure if the movie was set on Lake Michigan or not, but
I do know that it was filmed on Macinac Island, MI which is in
Lake Huron.
From the Land of Never Ending Rain....
Owen Beckley "Within the valley of shadowless death
owen@uw-june They pray for thunderclouds and rain;
ihnp4!uw-beaver!uw-june!owen But to the multitude who stand in the rain
Heaven is where the sun shines."
Tony Banks of Genesisedward@ukma.UUCP (Edward C. Bennett) (01/29/85)
<bite, chew, swallow> About the watch. I think everyone here is getting terribly nitpicky. The story wasn't written to be scientifically accurate, it was written as a love story. On that count, it succeeds wholeheartedly. It is one of my favorite movies. About Jane Seymore: L U S T ! ! ! edward ...cbosgd!hasmed!qusavx!ukma!edward