I did not see this movie when it came out in the theaters in October 1980 (single mom-to-be and not in the mood for romance movies) but from the first time I saw it on VHS several years later, it immediately became one of my favorite movies. Since becoming a widow in 2000, I have loved it even more as I am waiting for the reunion I will have with the love of my life when my earthly existence is over.
I realized that watching a movie released 33 years ago might seem dated but almost always, a good story is timeless. The first thing that struck me was how handsome Christopher Reeve was and if Jane Seymour was one degree more beautiful in this movie, I think it would hurt my eyes. Christopher Plummer also costars in the movie. I had always loved the soundtrack which was written by John Barry featuring Rhapsody On A Theme of Pagnini by Sergei Rachmanioff. As soon as I heard the first few notes, I was even more excited about seeing the movie again. And I would still like to visit the Grand Hotel (opened in 1887) on Mackinaw Island, Michigan where the movie was filmed. http://www.grandhotel.com/aboutgrandhotel/our-story
The movie was not very well received when it came out but has since gone on to become a cult favorite and has its own fan club and website. I love it so much that I bought and framed the movie poster.
This movie was adapted from the book Bid Time Return by *Richard Matheson (02/20/26-06/23/13) who also wrote the screenplay. Matheson is one of my favorite authors who was also a screenwriter known for his writings in the fantasy, horror and science fiction genre. Matheson also appeared in a cameo role in the movie during the 1912 timeframe. He got the idea for the book when he saw a portrait of an actress by the name of Maude Adams hanging in the Opera House in Virginia City, Nevada. Jean-Pierre Dorleac did the beautiful period costumes for the film and it was directed by Jeannot Szwarc.
The movie begins in 1972 with young playwright, Richard Collier celebrating after the debut of his first play when an elderly woman presses a pocket watch into his hands with the words “Come back to me”. Flash forward to eight years later and Richard suffering from writers block decides to drive to the Grand Hotel to see if he can clear his head. There he sees a photograph in the hotel’s museum of an actress, Elise McKenna and after further research discovers she is the same woman who gave him the pocket watch eight years earlier. After going to see her former housekeeper, he finds among her belongings a book on time travel written by one of his former professors. After visiting with the professor he sets out to see if he can travel back in time from 1980 to 1912 and find Elise.
His time travel trip successful, Richard sets out to meet Elise and their subsequent time together is one of my favorite parts of the movie because it is so simple and romantic; two people discovering love. In a sequence of events, Richard tragically finds himself back in 1980 devastated and heartbroken but they do find their way back to each other. Some may not like how the movie ended but I think it is a great ending to a timeless love story.
**Authors Note:
Richard Matheson was a prolific writer who wrote books, short stories and numerous screenplays for television and movies. Among his works, “What Dreams May Come” adapted for the film “What Dreams May Come” (another one of my fave movies) in 1998, “I Am Legend” which was adapted for the big screen three times; 1954 as “The Last Man on Earth”, 1971 as “The Omega Man” and in 2007 as “I Am Legend”. “Hell House” which was filmed in 1973 as “The Legend of Hell House”. “A Stir of Echoes” which was adapted into “Stir of Echoes” in 1999. He also wrote” Steel” which was adapted into the 2011 film “Real Steel”. 
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