In 1980, the movie Somewhere in Time stole the hearts of viewers. Christopher Reeve stepped out of his Superman suit to take on the romantic role of Richard Collier. The film showed a different side of the actor, and fans were enthralled with his character and the story. It is now available in a 4K UD/Blu-ray combo pack from Kino Lorber.
Collier, a playwright, was stuck. He decided to get away to refresh his mind, and ended up at the Grand Hotel where his life changed. He saw the photo of Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour), an actress who had starred in a play at the resort. Collier was immediately entranced by the photo and fell in love with McKenna, even though she lived a lifetime ago.
Thus began his research about the actress, which led him to understand something that occurred eight years earlier when an old woman approached him, gave him a pocket watch, and said, “Come back to me.” That old woman was Elise McKenna, and Collier was intent on finding her. Then he discovered she was dead.
Death did not stop him from pursuing this woman with whom he knew was his destiny. Having learned about the possibility of time travel from someone who discovered hypnotizing the mind could send someone back in time, Collier set out to do just that. And voila, he was transported back to the early 1900s.
The romance between the two began, and their connection was powerful, even though McKenna’s manager Robinson (Christopher Plummer) did everything to keep the two apart. Destiny had other ideas.
Time travel is a tricky topic to tackle. The pocket watch was given to Collier in his time, but then once he traveled back, McKenna took it. Then she gave it back to him in his time. So just how did he get the watch in the first place? But even though there are things that baffle the mind, viewers are tasked with going along with the story, which isn’t hard to do.
The soundtrack is wonderful. And the new combo pack includes an interesting bonus documentary that looks at the making of the film, and has some fun interviews with the cast and crew.
The movie was filmed on location on Mackinac Island, which is where the Grand Hotel is. The story was originally designed to be set in the Del Coronado Hotel in California, however there were too many modern elements that would take away from the feeling of being back in the early 1900s.
Fun anecdotes from the cast add to the documentary. For instance, Reeve had his personal plane nearby, and he and Seymour would take it on outings. Another fun story is told by Seymour who describes one of her scenes on stage as the actress.
And, while the cast and crew stayed together, they became a family, each looking out for the other. It was a good experience for them all.
Beside the documentary, there are new audio commentaries, and a featurette about the movie’s fan club.
With the entertaining and informative bonus feature, this new Blu-ray release is a must-have for fans of the film. It was nominated for an Academy Award for best costume design, and won the Saturn Awards for Best Fantasy Film, Best Music, and Best Costumes.
The movie is a romantic fantasy time travel story that touches the hearts of both men and women, and has stood the test of time (no pun intended) through the 46 years since it premiered.
Somewhere in Time is rated PG.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.