A Change of Seasons (1980)

Memorable, crazy movie

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Complications ensue when a married couple vacation as a foursome with their respective extramarital lovers in this odd comedy-drama starring Anthony Hopkins and Shirley MacLaine. The film bares striking similarities to fellow 1980 MacLaine movie 'Loving Couples', but this effort is balanced more in favour of drama than comedy (not necessarily a better thing). The way the plot develops almost defies credibility with university professor Hopkins nonchalantly confessing an affair with a student, played by Bo Derek, to his wife. He is then absolutely staggered to learn that she does not approve. Then, rather than get angry, MacLaine gets revenge by taking her own lover in the form of an intruder, and to top it all off, Hopkins is utterly insulted by his wife's infidelity! The film holds little of interest as a tale of Hopkins realising his own double standards and as a story of MacLaine asserting herself. The runtime is also noticeably beefed up by several picturesque but pointless ski montages. Things do improve though after the one-hour mark as the couple's daughter visits their holiday home, only to be amazed, startled and disgusted by her parents' adulterous living arrangements. Edward Winter also makes a hilarious brief appearance as Derek's very conservative father. He steals every scene that he is in simply by reacting so normally to everyone else's abnormal behaviour. Overall though, this is hard film to enthusiastically recommend even with a stronger second half, but it is no better or worse than 'Loving Couples' if that is a yardstick to measure by.

This picture opened in theaters on December 1 1980 starring Shirley MacLane as Karin Evans, Anthony Hopkins as Adam Evans and the young and gorgeous Bo Derek as Lindsay Rutledge. This movie was about Adam Evans who's a professor at the local college is over 40 years old and has had affairs with some of his students. Along comes Lindsay Rutledge who's one off Evans students and the one he's having an affair with now. One night at a friends house the subject of affair came between Adam, Karin and there friends. The subject didn't bother there friends but it bother Karin. So on there way home Karin asked Adam if he indeed was having an affair and he said yes. Adam and Karin have been married for some 21 years and to Karin that means something, but to Adam it really means nothing. Karin stayed home raised the children and kept his house clean and washed his clothes which in these times it hard to find a good woman that would do all those things. Adam is planning to take a trip to Montreal and Karin tells Adam she wants to go and he tells her not this time. Instead of taking Karin, Adam takes Lindsay instead. While Adam is in Montreal, Karin is home by herself when she hears noises coming from the kitchen. So she goes down to investigate and finds a strange man in her kitchen feeding birds a peanut butter sandwich. The young mans named is Pete and his there to build a book shelf for Adam Evans. When questioned by Karin, Pete pulls out a slip of paper to show Karin that work is for real. Karin said okay and tells Pete that she's going to bed and then she asks Pete if he wants to come along. When Adam comes back from Montreal and walks into his house it looks like a storm hit and that's not all he found. Does Adam go with Lindsay or is she just a fling? What else did Adam find in his house? What does Karin do to Adam if anything? I love this movie because it just goes to show you that men can be real ***holes. Adam had a great home life, a great job and a beautiful wife but that wasn't enough. He wants more and he got more and Adam got what he deserved. As far as Bo Derek, she was fantastic. The way she started the film by coming up out of that water was beautiful. The shower scene was even better and I especially liked her part in the ending. I no some people didn't give this movie very go rating, however despite there review I give this movie 10 weasel stars for Bo Derek acting and beauty.

Advertised as a wacky marital sex romp (with allusions to wife-swapping), this Erich Segal script surprises by being a mostly sobering look at a marriage between two middle-agers (Shirley MacLaine and Anthony Hopkins) which has faltered and can't really be rectified. Released alongside a spate of similar middle-age-crazy comedy-dramas (including MacLaine's "Loving Couples", which she made back-to-back with "Seasons"), this one has the added appeal of seeing serious-minded Hopkins romancing Bo Derek (fresh off her triumph in "10" and usually out of her clothes). The writing is often achingly 'cute', with hardly a wink to the audience to let us know co-writer Segal is in on the joke. However, the more thoughtful moments (integrated unobtrusively by director Richard Lang) offer some insight into what breaks up a marital union, and both MacLaine and Hopkins have strong scenes. ** from ****

Quirky, thoroughly offbeat erotic comedy is ultimately worth seeing, despite its talkiness and its occasionally stagy direction. It sure deals with some serious subjects in a less-than-plausible way (the characters are way too calm and civilized), but its gentle eccentricity, and the appealing performances by the entire cast (Bo Derek is stunning!), leave you with a nice impression. Fair film.