Charles is a bored civil servant struggling through a harsh Utah winter. He spends most of his time reflecting on his romance with Laura, a coworker who left him to return to her husband, an A-Frame salesman.
Similar titles
Reviews
Just saw it for the first time last night with the unhappy ending... Great movie. Mary beth Hurt was much better in "The World Accourding to Garp"The World According to Garp".Chilly Scenes of WinterDirected by Joan Micklin Silver. Starring John Heard, Mary Beth Hurt, Peter Riegert, Kenneth McMillan, Gloria Grahame, Nora Heflin, Jerry Hardin, Frances Bay, Griffin Dunne. A young man becomes obsessed with winning back the affections of an ex-girlfriend who decided to return to her husband. 95 minutes- PG, USA, 1979, Video, Adult situations Fri May 20 05:10A on Showtime Family Zone Mon May 23 05:15A on Showtime Family Zone Tue May 24 08:00A on Showtime Showcase Tue May 24 04:30P on Showtime Showcase Thu May 26 01:30A on Showtime Family Zone
The pivot on which this story turns is Laura's character; unfortunately, that character is drawn less thoroughly than one might wish. How are we to understand her vacillations? (We have to guess, because the picture doesn't explain them, and she herself is apparently unable to explain them.) Saying that she is confused by her choices tells us nothing worthwhile about her character. Does she - out of a sense of guilt - feel compelled to draw away whenever her lover draws nearer? An interesting enough concept, but it isn't brought out in the film, so such an interpretation is no more than speculation. If Laura's attachment to her daughter is so strong, how was she able to walk away? (There is, by the way, little in the film itself to suggest that the two were especially close.) As for the men in her life: her husband seems no better or worse than average, and her lover - except for his persistence - also seems unremarkable. As for the ending: the one in the version I saw (running, running, running faster in the park) is no ending at all. It just happens to be the last scene of the picture.
Loved it as Head Over Heels, liked it even more with the ending changed to conform to Beattie's novel. It's a thoughtful and quirky picture; Gloria Grahame's performance is worth the rental. Silver's ensemble comedy Between the Lines is well worth looking for also.
This is the only American movie I have ever seen that captures the rhythms & nuances of a real "relationship" with perfect pitch. Funny, sad & very rich, perfectly cast, sublimely written, brilliantly directed. I watch it as often as I can & am always delighted. Like listening to a Beethoven sonata.
