Things I Love - Somewhere In Time

I can't remember the first time I saw this film. In fact, I can't remember a time in my life when I hadn't seen this film. 

Image from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081534/

I should start by saying, I am not really a fan of soppy, romantic films (except for The Notebook!!), but for some reason this film really captured me. Let me try to explain why.

Somewhere In Time tells the story of a young playwright, Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve). On the opening night of his first play, he is approached by an elderly woman he doesn't recognise. She gives him a pocket-watch and says to him "Come back to me". He is bemused by this encounter. Several years later and, the now successful, Collier is suffering from a severe case of writer's block and decides to leave the city to find some inspiration. His journey takes him to the Grand Hotel, where he sees a photograph of a beautiful young actress, Elise Mckenna (Jane Seymour), who performed in a production at the hotel in 1912. He immediately falls in love and decides to find out everything he can about her. During his investigation, he finds a picture of Elise taken just before her death. Elise Mckenna is the same lady that gave Richard the pocket-watch 8 years previously. This knowledge and his intense feelings for her drive him to travel a strange path.

(I would like to think that anyone that sees this post and hasn't seen this film will give it a watch after reading this, so I won't give any more details)

But why did I love the film?

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somewhere_in_Time_%28film%29

1. Christopher Reeve - he plays this role beautifully - from the bemusement of the original meeting, to the passion and the heartbreak. He is also very handsome. He also has a beautiful chemistry with . . .
2. Jane Seymour - you really do believe they love each other. 
3. The location - the Grand Hotel is the perfect location - so timeless and elegant. It is a character in itself.
4. The story - well written and though fantastical, is believable.
5. The Soundtrack - the music is sublime!! I cannot hear it without crying - it is so evocative. This, too, is a character in its own right. There are two pieces that mean the most to me. The first is a piece by Rachmaninov, Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. The second is the main theme written by John Barry. Perfect.

The film is based on a book, Bid Time Return, by Richard Matheson. The book has now changed its name to be the same as the film title. I recently read the book for the first time. It too is fantastic. Very cleanly written, with little 'waffle'. It differs slightly from the film in a few places, but overall, the book and the film are very similar. My personal preference is for the film.

I would love to hear thoughts from anyone else who has seen the film and also from anyone who watches the film based on this (fingers crossed maybe one of you will!).

Film (1980)

Starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.

Directed by Jeannot Szwarc

Book (1975)

Author Richard Matheson

Original Title Bid Time Return