ViewGuide

Created Mar 29, 2011 11:26AM PST • Edited Mar 29, 2011 11:26AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   Good 3.0

   Based on a Broadway play of the same name, Same Time, Next Year is an entertaining comedy/romance about two people who see each other for a romantic getaway once a year. What starts as a one-night fling when they are young, develops into a yearly event for Doris (Ellen Burstyn) and George (Alan Alda), even though they are both married to others.

   The film takes place predominately in the one-room cabin they rent each year. Spaced out over a 25 year process, we see each of them grow, often bending to the societal changes and interests, but never losing fondness for each other. In fact, they unwittingly help each other through many serious problems, strengthening the bond between them.

   Great acting helps to keep the story moving forward, as the leap to the big screen from theater stage can be tricky at best. Although the sets are kept to a minimum, the conversation and dilemmas are strong enough to hold our interest.

   If you enjoy theatrical performances, such as Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, then you’d probably like this one as well.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   Focusing almost entirely on Alda and Burstyn, the two have their hands full in this performance, yet both deliver the necessary chemistry to hold our interests.

5. Male Stars Good 3.0

6. Female Stars Good 3.0

7. Female Costars OK 2.5

8. Male Costars OK 2.5

10. Film

    OK 2.5

11. Direction Good 3.0

    Director Robert Mulligan does a fine job of utilizing a smaller physical space to tell the story.

12. Play OK 2.5

13. Music OK 2.5

    Marvin Hamlish write the theme song, and while its catchy, it tends to become a bit overplayed throughout the movie.

14. Visuals Good 3.0

    I thought it was interesting the furniture in the cabin didn’t change that much over the 25 year period of the movie.

15. Content

16. Edge

    Risqué 1.8

17. Sex Titillating 1.9

18. Violence Gentle 1.0

19. Rudeness Salty 2.5

    The movie is based on an adulterous relationship. There are several swearing words, and one f-bomb. Discussion of erectile dysfunction comes up (pun intended).

21. Reality

    Natural 1.0

22. Circumstantial Natural 1.0

    I enjoyed the brief montages of pictures used to represent time passing between meetings.

23. Biological Natural 1.0

24. Physical Natural 1.0