Product Description

A CALIFORNIA HOUSEWIFE AND A MARRIED NEW JERSEY ACCOUNTANT HAVE AN ANNUAL AFFAIR FOR 26 YEARS, STARTING IN 1951.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2691 in DVD
• Brand: UNI DIST CORP. (MCA)
• Released on: 2004-04-06
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Swedish
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 119 minutes

Amazon.com
Bernard Slade's smart, funny, and touching play about an adulterous couple who meet one weekend a year for 26 years is nicely adapted for the screen by Robert Mulligan (To Kill a Mockingbird) in this 1978 film. The two-person story stars Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn, both of whom are outstanding at conveying a rainbow of emotions over a quarter-century as life gives and takes away, and the world convulses with change. Mulligan brings taste and honesty to the film, and Alda and Burstyn give full, living performances. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Well written, well acted . . .
This is one of those rare gems -- a movie based on a stage play that is true to the original.

The premise is simple: a man and a woman happen to meet at a romantic Pacific coast inn in the 1950s, spend a night together, and discover that they're both married -- with children, no less! How do they deal with it? Well, after getting past the initial shock and guilt (she yells into a towel, he lies about his wife's name and the number of children he has), they agree to meet every year, same weekend, same place. We, the audience, are allowed to observe every 5th meeting in the same room.

We see the changes in the relationship, the changes in each of the participants, the changing times. We get to know Doris and George through these slices of time, laugh with them, cry with them, always with the question -- will they ever leave their respective partners and follow their hearts? It's definitely a relationship based more on mutual respect and friendship, despite its extra-marital foundation. You get the feeling that these two individuals are truly soul-mates who just happened to meet.

Alan Alda gives an amazing performance, beginning as a guilt-ridden rather milk-toast-ish accountant. Without giving away the plot twists, he goes through many changes and personal crises, and still manages to stay a reasonably likable, vulnerable man.

Ellen Burstyn, as Doris, enters into this as a rather ditzy young wife on her way to a Catholic retreat with the nuns, who manages to grow up over the years. It's a treat to see the changes in these characters with each change of scene.

Bernard Slade's original two-person play with its witty dialogue is preserved almost intact, with only one new character in the movie that isn't in the play ("old Mr. Chalmers"). If anything, the movie improves the original through the music and photo montages that separate the scenes (the entre-acte song, "The Last Time I Felt Like This" was nominated for an Academy Award).

This is definitely worth seeing for the superb performances of Alda and Burstyn.

Stunningly Realistic and Powerful
This movie brilliantly explores the concept of the stable and sustainable affair, built by two people so responsible and so "nice" they would never seek such a thing, and once there never want harm to their spouses - but who find their new love as compelling as their first and as impossible to leave. The origin of the affair here is almost an afterthought - the real focus is on the maturing of the new relationship across a huge span of years.

This movie resonates with me because it is my story - after finding one who would have been the love of my life more than 20 years ago but who was then engaged, I did the "proper" thing and let her go but never stopped loving her. Meeting again several years ago, we realized the mistake and despite both being married with children we began to meet once a year at a college reunion, holding that time aside for us while the rest of the year belonged to our spouses. The affair was not destined to mirror STNY (how did they ever keep it secret? We couldn't...) but the feelings haven't changed - I just don't have the annual weekend to look forward to anymore...!!

The message of this movie that resonates so strongly is that it is possible to love two people deeply and romantically - and to sustain such feelings - and responsibilities - over a very long period. A moral minefield? Of course - but far from the typical Hollywood fantasy that filmgoers have difficulty identifying with.

The movie for me was a study of a situation that I have lived with for a long time - and I would wager that there are many like me who find understanding and solace in this film. However, it is not only for those who can identify with the message - it brilliantly challenges your assumptions and world view as the best movies tend to do.

I cannot watch this film without crying at the ending - you are brought along in caring about the characters so strongly that their love becomes something that matters to you too.

Having worn out more than one copy of the VHS movie, I have desperately waited for its DVD release - and am absolutely thrilled tonight. I will be pre-ordering it immediately (maybe a couple copies...)

This movie may not be wonderful for those who dismiss adultery as immoral without question - but if you are willing to lower the barriers for two hours to at least hear out another side to the story, you will be richly rewarded.

Highly recommended....

Tender and touching
"Same time,next year" is a very good movie with outstanding performances and a solid script. It tells about the story of an adultereous couple, George & Doris,who have a reunion every year at the same day and the same place, a lovely hotel in California,and everytime we discover a new part of their characters and their own lives. The picture has been represented by six meetings over 26 years. The first one shows us their first meeting in 1951:they both hit by passion at first sight; the second portrayed is in 1956: while they're celebrateing their 5th anniversary they must face their first quarrel;then we move into 1961 when George helps Doris to give birth to her baby;in 1966 Doris has changed her life-style attending the university and becoming an hippie woman while George is getting more and more serious...;in 1972 things change again with Doris as an incredible business woman and finally in 1977 the couple must face for the very first time the meaning of being in love with each other.Among the several meetings there are touching clips representing the symbols of those years.Alan Alda is excellent but Ellen Burstyn takes the cake with a stunning performance.This is a picture who deals topics like regret, love, passion and nostalgia of lost time with sensitivity and good taste.Nominated for 4 Academy Awards:Actress(Burstyn),Adapted script,Cinematography and Original song.