Somewhere in Time (1980)
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A playwright becomes obsessed with a vintage photograph and uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time to find a lost love.
The story
In 1972, a theater student receives a mysterious pocket watch from an elderly woman. Eight years later, as a successful playwright in Chicago, Richard Collier becomes obsessed with a vintage photograph of a 1912 stage actress, Elise McKenna. He discovers she is the woman who gave him the watch. Through the guidance of a professor who believes in the power of self-suggestion, Richard prepares to travel back in time. He successfully transports himself to 1912, where he encounters Elise and her manager, who attempts to keep her from pursuing a romance that could derail her career.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1972, Richard Collier receives a pocket watch from an elderly woman. In 1980, while struggling with writer's block, he becomes obsessed with a photograph of Elise McKenna, a 1912 actress. He learns she was the woman who gave him the watch. Guided by Dr. Gerard Finney, Richard uses self-hypnosis to travel back to 1912. He meets Elise and falls in love, despite the interference of her manager, William Fawcett Robinson, who wants her to focus on her career. After being detained by Robinson, Richard escapes and reunites with Elise. They confess their love and decide to marry. However, when Richard checks his watch, he finds a modern coin in his pocket. This piece of the present breaks the hypnotic spell, and he is suddenly transported back to 1980. He finds himself unable to return to 1912 and eventually dies in his hotel room. He is reunited with Elise in the afterlife.
- First release year
- 1980
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jeannot Szwarc
- Writers
- Richard Matheson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Christopher Reeve · Richard Collier; Jane Seymour · Elise McKenna; Christopher Plummer · William Fawcett Robinson; Teresa Wright · Laura Roberts; Susan French · Older Elise; Bill Erwin · Arthur Biehl; Sean Hayden · 5-year-old Arthur in 1912; George Voskovec · Dr. Gerard Finney
- Genres
- romantic fantasy drama
- Themes
- time travel; obsession; lost love
- Tone and mood
- romantic; dreamy
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; romance; fantasy
- Source material / true-story basis
- Bid Time Return (1975) by Richard Matheson
- Reception
- The film received an unfavorable critical reception and modest box office in its original release, but it developed a cult following.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 29 · scale: 100 · review count: 7
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Costume · Win; Academy Award · Best Costume Design · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was mentioned as an example of popular culture time travel in Avengers: Endgame.; The film was a massive success in Hong Kong, setting a record for the longest continuous screening of a film at the time.; The film's score was composed by John Barry, who was suggested by Jane Seymour.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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