Same Time, Next Year

What a beautiful film this is. Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn are simply marvelous together. This is not just a romantic comedy, it's a tale about finding one's soul-mate and how we sometimes do the wrong thing in life but if we're lucky, we have a chance to redeem ourselves. Ellen Burstyn turns in a subtle, nuanced performance.She can act more with her eyes than most can with their entire bodies.What can we say about Alan Alda? He plays a very funny neurotic character who we get to like instantly. A really lovable guy. If you've ever wanted to see what chemistry between two movie characters is all about, see this film. A definite must-see.

Here is the story of two seemingly happily married people who share intimate and extremely emotional times together over the course of twenty-five years. Through their budding and developing relationship through the years, we see how the world changes from 1951 to 1978 (through still images and music between the years). I found myself completely involved in these characters even though they are doing an awful thing--cheating on their respective spouses for such a long period of time. I have to credit this to the character development and to the actors. This is Alan Alda's finest acting hour. He has always been able to balance comedy and serious drama, going back to M*A*S*H on TV. However, occasionally his dramatic acting style is a little self-important. In this movie, he finds the right note, and there is a scene where he breaks down that is the best acting he's ever done. Ellen Burstyn can deliver a wonderful performance in any movie--whether it's drama, comedy, or horror. The changes their characters go through in the course of two hours seem a bit extreme (she goes from flower child to tough-as-nails business woman, for example), but the changes are meant to symbolize the way the world is changing. A little trite, and not that groundbreaking, but I found this film moving all the same. And that silly song heard throughout has stayed with me.

I'm an old romantic, and the thought that something like this could happen to me fills me with emotion. Most men would say that this is a chick flick and not give it a second look, but if they would take the time and watch it through they would see more than just a little of their own fantasies wrapped up in this package. The movie is full of some very powerfully emotive scenes, and as masculine as I like to think I am it has me on the verge of tears more than once. A wonderful movie with two great actors, can't wait for the DVD my tape is getting thin.

This film is a great tale of the 50s,60s and 70s. It is another in the films which have made a wonderful transition from Broadway to Hollywood. It is undoubtedly schmaltzy. But Alda and Burstyn make up for any sentimentality with star performances. I have heard it called a chick flick, but here is one guy who believes it is a simply absorbing comedy/romance. Hand me a hankie and let me see it again!

Finally released on DVD this month (April 2004), and plays really well 26 years after its initial release. Unfortunately, no added extras in the DVD re-release (would love follow-up interviews with the principals, but alas...). Sure, it's not a Henry Miller or Harold Pinter play, or teleplay, but there should be room for lighthearted drama in the world. I watched it again after maybe 20 years, and still laughed and cried. Stories about the passage of time, and how people change, are irresistible. There's a reason Same Time, Next Year remains a staple of community theatre. Solid laughs and painful drama if you accept the characters. And now you can add the patina of even more time having passed, from 1951 to 1977, to 2004. Poignant. (Too bad the REAL Sea Shadows Inn -- the Highlands Inn at Carmel, CA -- is $500+/night!).