SAME TIME NEXT YEAR 3.5*** (almost 4.0****)
This is an “oldie but goodie” from 1978 that you can find on DVD. It happens to be one of my all time favorite “feel good” movies and I heartily recommend it to anyone who believes in the spirit of love and friendship. And what a beautiful movie it is…especially from a story standpoint …not much for scenery as it pretty much all takes place in one small cottage on the California coast.

Here is the story: A man (Alan Alda) and a woman (Ellen Burstyn) meet by chance at a romantic inn over dinner. Although both are married , they find themselves in the same bed the next morning questioning how it could have happened. Well, it was love at first “smile”. They agree to meet on the same weekend each year even though the story only chronicles their meetings every five years. Each 5 year vignette has its own special charm...my favorite is the year they meet and they can't have sex because Doris is pregnant, and that’s 8 months’ pregnant…so you guess what happens. As you can see, they share intimate and extremely emotional times together over the course of the twenty-five years. Through their long going relationship, we see how the world changes from 1951 to 1978 (through still images and music between the years). I found myself completely involved with and thoroughly enjoying these characters. I have to credit this to well done character development, to the excellent writing and, of course to the terrific performance of the actors.

Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn are simply marvelous together. Ellen Burstyn turns in a subtle, nuanced performance. She plays the part of a naive "stay-at-home" mother who blossoms into a confident, talented businesswoman She can act more with her eyes than most can with their entire bodies. What can we say about Alan Alda? He plays a very funny neurotic character whom you like instantly. A really lovable guy. If you've ever wanted to see what chemistry between two movie characters is all about, see this film.


Burstyn's rich performance earned her an Oscar nomination. Mention should also be made of the beautiful love theme for the film sung by Johnny Mathis and Jane Olivor, "The Last Time I Felt Like This". This is wonderful “feel good” film for the romantic in all of us.

Clark