Changement de saisons

A middle-aged husband (Anthony Hopkins) falls for a beautiful young woman (Bo Derek). His wife (Shirley MacLaine) starts her own affair in retaliation.

I caught this in a theatre in Massachusetts in 1980. It was filmed on location around there and I was curious to see how the state looked on the big screen. There was a bit of controversy while the film was being shot here--Hopkins HATED working with Derek because she refused to rehearse. He threatened to quit more than once. After seeing the film I wish he had quit! The script is by the numbers and not even remotely funny (this was supposed to be a romantic comedy). MacLaine and Hopkins do their best with the material but not even their considerable acting talents can save this. Every single event was predictable and boring. Also Derek's complete lack of acting talent is almost painful to watch. I don't care how beautiful she is--the woman just can't act! Hopkins hatred for her comes through loud and clear.

This did nothing for the stars careers. Derek already had "10" out and Hopkins had "The Elephant Man" but MacLaine did this and another dreadful "comedy" called "Loving Couples" at the same time. She did point out in her book that they were both awful and almost ruined her career. Good thing she did "Terms of Endearment" a few years later.

I had blocked this movie out completely but I saw a bit of it on TV recently and all the bad memories came rolling back. Also if you're just watching this to see Derek nude it happens during the opening credits and that's about it. A really bad film--1 all the way.

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.

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 ****

"A Change of Seasons" is a film that makes polyamory seem fun and sophisticated. Call me old fashioned, and I really am, I can't relate to the plot...and that might explain why the reception to this film was cold, at best--with three Razzie Award nominations.

Shortly after the story begins, Karyn Evans (Shirley MacLaine) guesses that her husband, Adam (Anthony Hopkins), is having an affair with one of his college students (Bo Derek). But instead of being angry or hurt, Karyn gets herself a young stud of a boyfriend. And, to make things REALLY weird, the four of them go on a couples vacation together! Complications arise when the Evans' daughter shows up...and is naturally shocked by her parents' behavior.

I think how much you enjoy the film certainly will be affected by your views on polyamory and adultery. For me, it's not a funny topic and I found it hard to relate to the characters. Some might not feel this way and might enjoy the plot.

But for me, it wasn't just the story that left me flat. I rarely talk about this with any film, but the music in this movie was just godawful!! Every time the singing began, my skin crawled....it was THAT saccharine and awful. The music of the Carpenters was like acid rock compared to the stuff in "A Change of Seasons"

Overall, a couple good actors in a script that might have worked better had the film actually been a comedy. Some real laughs would have improved it...as well as ANY other soundtrack!

Anthony Hopkins plays a University professor engaged in an affair with a young student(Bo Derek, the perfectly cast "10"). His wife(played by Shirley MacLaine)finds out about it, but rather than divorce him, instead has an affair of her own with a young carpenter who just so happens to be doing work in their home. Hopkins is none to pleased by this, yet the four of them nonetheless go on a skiing trip together at their vacation cabin, where relationships will come to a head, since their college age daughter also arrives with her boyfriend...

Good actors cannot do much with such mundane material. Its attempts to be "modern" about the morality of affairs is awkward and unconvincing, and the film is mostly dreary and unsatisfying, though Bo Derek lights up every scene she is in(especially in the hot tub!)