User reviews

I saw this movie starring Angie Dickinson and Cliff Robertson only twice. It is worth issuing back on video, or dvd. My opinion is that it is more to the point of the topic of "Overboard". There is a "realness" out on the sea, and I of course am an Angie fan. Anyone who liked this movie, would definitely like "Adrift" with Kate Jackson and Kenneth Welsh...chilling, and suspenseful, and also on the Pacific. I have been searching for this "Overboard" for years..an exhaustive search. Please help.

Newport Beach lawyer, anxious to leave the rat race and chase his lifelong dream of sailing to the South Seas, is encouraged by his wife to purchase a yacht and "be free"; unfortunately, while steering in shifts, she falls overboard some 100 miles northwest of Tahiti (blame it on that pesky cat!). Hank Searls' adapted his novel for television, framing the majority of his story--the couple's rocky marriage--in that old TV device, The Flashback. However, since nothing but internal misery has dogged this bickering couple in the past, and the present offers us little more than Angie Dickinson treading water in a life-jacket, there's nothing to look forward to but their reunion. As an actress, Dickinson must have been attracted to the possibility of fireworks between the spouses--but with monotone Cliff Robertson playing opposite her, the chances for anything dramatically exciting are slim.

Boopsie has hit my feelings and thoughts about this movie right on the nose. I saw this movie many many years ago and was stunned at the ending. It started as a fairly interesting story-line and I was enjoying that. Angie Dickenson and Cliff Robertson were a good match for these characters. Yes, Boopsie,..haunting, chilling, beautiful.... I was stunned at the ending. To this day..I think about this movie, often, which is odd. I see the tvguides for overboard with Goldie Hawn and WISH that once, (maybe twice or as much) that instead of the overboard with Goldie Hawn coming on every week, this overboard would show up.....i wish i wish. If you can see this movie anywhere, do so.

I saw this 1978 "made-for-TV" film the first time it was aired, and once or twice since then (though not recently) and have never been able to forget it. It is one of the most haunting, beautiful, and chilling movies I have ever seen. Stunningly filmed in the Pacific and Tahiti, it is believably acted, and the story is original(though its theme is universal). This was made WAY before "Dead Calm," another favorite of mine, but in "Overboard" fate is the villain. The story involves an attractive, affluent married couple (Dickinson and Robertson in their primes) who -- at sailing fanatic Robertson's suggestion -- decide to sail their gorgeous yacht together to Tahiti (along with their cat) to recharge their relationship and add some spice and excitement to their somewhat dull upper-middle-class lives. Their adventure accomplishes both of these goals as it progresses from the ordinary and banal to its unexpected and chilling conclusion. It is especially fulfilling because it was made before American movies became dominated by crass taste, coarse language, and adolescent mindsets.

"Overboard" was broadcast on daytime TV today. It's a fascinating character study of two flawed individuals who are constantly seeking answers and fulfillment in their lives.

Beautifully photographed and tragic in its execution this is one TV movie that has been shamefully overlooked. One of Angie Dickinson's best ever performances - on a par with her turn in "A Sensitive, Passionate Man" - also broadcast on Irish TV last year.

7/10

I saw the movie once (when originally aired). Been wanting to see it again but have never seen it re-broadcast. Have been looking in the TV guide for at least 25 yrs. ! The Kurt Russel version is on constantly! It's a different movie, as you all know. Cliff R. and Angie D. were both great, and this movie is deep in character and development. My wife, somehow, found a copy on DVDr and got it for me for Christmas! Holy Macrell!! It plays on my regular DVD player and I watched it last night (first time since 1978). It IS as good (or better) than I remembered. Much deeper than most TV made stuff, and no computer special effects like are so popular today. It's refreshing. Hollywood should go back and play it again - and pay friggin attention on how to do a movie! Beautiful boat and filmed on site. Nice!

The scenery alone is enough to make you want to see it again and again. Add to that the acting of both Dickenson and Robertson and you have the perfect movie. As for having a "duplicate" title, I feel that that was a shame. The "other" "Overboard" with Goldie Hawn and Curt Russell, while a cute comedy that takes place on the ocean, has nothing in common with this older or original "Overboard," which is certainly far from being comical. Both my husband and I remember the final scene (we think) to a tee; but we are not in agreement on the rest of the movie. We've been arguing about this all these years and would love to be able to end our dispute by seeing the movie again.

"Overboard" is a gem of a movie. It stands far above the vast wasteland of made for TV movies. What makes it so memorable for me, even after 20 years, is that it breaks all of the usual formulas and rules, shedding the obvious action-adventure treatment for something truly different and in my opinion far better, and deeper.

Filmed on location in the South Pacific with excellent photography and production values, director John Newland weaves the tale and the able cast into a rich fabric that will keep you thinking for a long time to come. Though the characters are well developed, they are intentionally ambiguous, inviting personal interpretation.

The director and cast peel back the layers of a troubled couple's relationship: the human emotions; the failings; the ambitions; and the hidden agendas, and strike a very dark, ominous tone. It's moody, broody and nostalgic, but strangely satisfying. It grabs you and pulls you in. Like it or not, you are dragged along as if by a powerful force of nature. You think you know where the sailboat is headed, and perhaps the characters as well. But you don't!

How well do we really know each other? And ourselves?

Last year some friends and I were able to "save" and gain ownership of an original seawitch sailboat built in 1961 at American Marine. She is a beautiful boat but was severely stripped by her previous owner, but fortunately we think all the "pieces" are there. I was lucky to find the VHS version of OVERBOARD and bought it off eBay a few weeks ago. It is an amazing classic film and there were so many beautiful shots of the sailboat in it that makes us daydream about how she will look again one day. What a great movie and a great find since I hear/read it's a hard to get a hold of. I recommend watching this movie if you ever get a chance.

I am among the many who would like to have a copy of this movie. Imagine seeing a made- for-TV movie just once, and never being able to forget it. I had read the book beforehand and found it to be an excellent novel (which led me to read more of Searles' books). What a thrill it was to see the movie so beautifully express this excellent novel. It's a real drama, the characters are real human beings, and it's a very moving story, without car chases and explosions, so unlike most of today's movies. I suppose for that reason, it will never be released on DVD. But I keep hoping.

Cliff Robertson is a great actor, and it's a miserable shame that he should have been "black- balled" by Hollywood. If you like him, you might enjoy the wonderfully melodramatic "Obsession."

This may have been Angie Dickinson's best performance, although she was also terrific in in "Dressed to Kill."

Both Obsession and Dressed to Kill are Brian DePalma films which have a particular flavor all their own. I recommend them.

I heard about this movie and have been hunting for it for several years. I see it listed on IMDb but have been unable to obtain it. I saw it once on ebay listed by an Australian but was outbid. I would so love to see this movie. We heard about it from a sailing club that was talking about the bad luck of "renaming" a sailboat. It sounds like a great sailing movie not to mention about the difficulties the couple seems to be going through. The renaming thing is just a superstition thing the club had been talking about, but I guess that is part of the mystery in the movie about the boat??? Please, if anyone knows how to buy or rent one, please let me know.

OK ....I'll apologize first. I'm just trying to get a copy of this movie. If that's not possible, a schedule,list, time frame ,or anything else that will help as to when or where I might be able to see this movie. I did see a portion of it on TV back in 1978, but have since fallen in love with the make and model of the sailboat in the movie.... A Hugh "Angelman" gaff rigged "Sea Witch" ketch. This specific boats name is "Sea Forthe" .It's currently located in Dana Point California. It's a Wooden hull Sailboat, built sometime in the 60's, and is by far the most incredibly beautiful "Angelman - Sea Witch" I have ever come across. Even if you're not a sailor ,or even into boats for that matter, you would appreciate the boat, as it is not merely a boat but a piece of art that evokes a romantic desire to break free from all the pomp and pretense that is Los Angeles California or anywhere else similarly dysfunctional. I also wouldn't mind checking out Angie Dickenson in her prime again. Cliff Robertson's (Moon Doggie)a pretty damn good actor as well..."Flowers for Algernon"..anyone.. SO who did Cliff p@%s off anyway? Wasn't he black listed in the industry. Kudos Cliff!