Product Description

A middle-aged steel-worker finds a new love in the arms of a local widow and is forced to question the value of his thirty-year marriage.
Item Type: DVD Movie
Item Rating: R
Street Date: 07/12/05
Wide Screen: no
Director Cut: no
Special Edition: no
Language: ENGLISH
Foreign Film: noSubtitles: no
Dubbed: no
Full Frame: yes
Re-Release: no
Packaging: Sleeve

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #68240 in DVD
• Brand: WEA
• Released on: 2005-07-12
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.20 pounds
• Running time: 111 minutes

Amazon.com
Harry MacKenzie (Gene Hackman, in a rare domestic outing) has just turned 50. The steelworker lives near Seattle and roots for the Seahawks. He and his wife of 30 years, Kate (Ellen Burstyn), have three kids, Jerry (Darrell Larson), Helen (Ally Sheedy), and Sunny (Amy Madigan, Oscar-nominated for her fiery performance). On the surface, life is good. Truth is, Harry’s bored--until be meets barmaid Audrey (Ann-Margret). Written by Colin Welland (Chariots of Fire) and directed by Bud Yorkin (Divorce, American Style), Twice in a Lifetime takes an even-handed look at the consequences of divorce. Harry doesn't just shatter Kate’s world when he takes up with another woman, but his entire family. The film works double-time as an ode to a city that no longer exists, as when Harry and Audrey take in a game at the Kingdome. Featuring a score by Pat Metheny and title track by Paul McCartney. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

Fine Movie, Shoddy Presentation
"Twice in a Lifetime" is a good drama and worth seeing. Unfortunately, this new DVD is not widescreen as Warner Home Video originally announced, but instead is an especially poorly done pan-and-scan presentation. I do not recommend this disc and am posting this as a public service to those who might be misled by Warner's original announcement or Amazon's "technical details," which are incorrect.

Finally on DVD - Great!
I saw this at the theater when it was released and also purchased the VHS. This is an excellent movie and it really mystifies me as to what took so long for it to be released on DVD when so much plastic is committed to garbage every week for movies that were better left to deteriorate on film (and were a waste of that film to begin with).

This is one of Gene Hackman's lesser known movies but he did a wonderful job of acting, as a long-time married man who meets a new woman bartender (Ann Margaret) on his birthday and begins an affair with her. The film deals with the complications of Hackman's and Margaret's new found love as well as guilt, along with the anguish it causes his wife (Ellyn Burnstyn) and kids. Perhaps Amy Madigan's acting as Hackman's forever-angry daughter is a bit over the top but I felt all of the acting was superb, as was the script. True, adultery is not an acceptable behavior but it happens and in this movie we see the temptations that led to this happening, as well as the effect is has on everyone in a very realistic and emotional portrayal.

As an aside, I also enjoyed the bits of Pat Metheny's music that was used in the score. This is a "talky" movie and contained too much profanity for my tastes but I also thought it fit with the movie. Now that it is on DVD I am looking forward to its release because this is one of my favorites, and I prefer DVD over VHS. Highly recommended if you are a fan of relationship movies.

One of Gene Hackman's best movies
This is a tender movie in which you can really feel for each of the characters....the fiftyish man in midlife crisis(Hackman), his devoted wife (Burstyn), the "other woman" (Ann Margaret)with whom he falls in love, and his grown children who are grappling to understand. The story line keeps your interest as the characters grow and deal with their life altering situation. The acting by these three veteran actors is superb. Brian Dennehy is also excellent in his supporting role as Hackman's best friend. The only negative comment I can make about this movie pertains to the performance of Amy Madigan, who plays Hackman's daughter. Throughout the movie, she loudly over-acts and is so over emotional (about her father's affair) that it distracts from what is otherwise a wonderful movie.