Kino Lorber
I have always loved a good time travel movie so I really looked forward to seeing Somewhere in Time back in 1980. The fact that it starred Superman, Christopher Reeve, alongside my favorite Bond Girl, Jane Seymour, made it look especially inviting. The icing on the cake was that it was written by one of my favorite Twilight Zone writers, Richard Matheson, based on a novel of his. This, I knew, was going to be good.
Sorry to say that it turned out to be one of my biggest disappointments as far as movies go. Even sorrier to say that revisiting Somewhere in Time here in 2026 has not changed my opinion.
The plot gets off to a slow start and is fairly confusing. Basically, a modern-day (more-or-less) playwright is given a watch by a very old woman after his new play debuts. She whispers “Come back to me,” then goes home and dies.
Eight years later, he’s just moping around and suddenly finds out that she was a famous actress from the beginning of the century. After that, our hero becomes obsessed not just with finding out more about her but with going back in time to meet her. Because…sure. Why not?
Okay, fine. He tracks down his old science teacher who explains to him that he traveled in time once, briefly, via self-hypnosis. Umm…? What follows is a long sequence in which Reeve’s character gets a haircut, dresses up in vintage clothes, and attempts to use self-hypnosis to send himself physically back to 1912, on a day he knew the woman was staying at the same hotel he was at.
And against all odds, even movie logic, it works. He falls asleep and wakes up in a room decorated completely differently, listening to the sounds of horses outside.
I have rarely had a problem suspending my disbelief for the sake of a good story, especially when it comes to time travel plots, but in this case it just doesn’t work for me. It reminds me of author Jack Finney’s 1970 book Time and Again, where time travel is achieved similarly, simply by staring at old photos long enough that you actually end up in the past. As if to show that the similarities aren’t coincidental, the name of the protagonist’s old professor in this movie is “Finney.”
Oscar-winning composer John Barry’s score for this film feels overwhelming to me but remains highly acclaimed. Oddly enough, while Barry was known for scoring the early James Bond films, he did NOT score Live and Let Die, the 007 picture that featured Jane Seymour. Nevertheless, she reportedly recommended him for Somewhere in Time.
One thing that became obvious to my 21-year-old self when I first saw this movie is that Christopher Reeve, although visually the definitive live-action Superman, wasn’t really much of an actor in other roles. I stand by that. He’s handsome as can be here but he’s as dull as the proverbial dishwater. He hems and haws a lot as if he’s still playing Clark Kent, but here we know there’s no super suit underneath it.
We’re halfway through the picture before we even catch more than a glimpse of Ms. Seymour in a photograph. When the two finally do get together, he finds any actual connectivity is continually blocked by her jealously controlling and overprotective manager, as played by the estimable Christopher Plummer.
Seymour is not only gorgeous but her performance is first rate every step of the way. When they inevitably do get together, there actually is some chemistry at least with Reeve and there’s no denying that they make quite an attractive couple. They give whole new meaning to the concept of long-distance romance, though, at least until he’s thrown back to the present by an even sillier plot device, leading up to an unsatisfying ending.
Directed by Jeannot Szwarc (who also directed Supergirl), the production values are high, with some lovely locations, impressive cinematography, and opulent costumes. Visually, Somewhere in Time was and is a treat, but I can’t help thinking that it might have worked so much better as one of Richard Matheson’s half-hour episodes of the Twilight Zone.
It’s going on 50 years since this movie was released and its reputation has grown. I’ve watched as it’s become a cult favorite, possibly influenced by the tragic accident that eventually befell Reeve, and made his fans treasure his film appearances all the more.
As I said, I’ve always loved a good time travel movie. I just wish I could say Somewhere in Time was one. As I seem to be in the minority with my opinion, your mileage may vary.
Extras include multiple commentary tracks, feature length documentary by Laurent Bouzereau, a featurette and trailer.
