Chilly Scenes of Winter (film)

Last updated
Chilly Scenes of Winter
Chilly Scenes of Winter (film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Joan Micklin Silver
Screenplay byJoan Micklin Silver
Based on Chilly Scenes of Winter
by Ann Beattie
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Bobby Byrne
Edited by Cynthia Scheider
Music by Ken Lauber
Production
company
Triple Play Productions
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • October 19, 1979 (1979-10-19)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.2 million [1]

Chilly Scenes of Winter is a 1979 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Joan Micklin Silver, and starring John Heard, Mary Beth Hurt, Peter Riegert, Kenneth McMillan, and Gloria Grahame. Based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Ann Beattie, it follows a civil servant worker in Salt Lake City who falls in love with a recently-separated woman who works in his office building.

Contents

Filmed on location in Salt Lake City, it was released by United Artists in October 1979 under the alternate title Head Over Heels, and promoted as a lighthearted romantic comedy, much to the disapproval of director Silver as well as the film's actors. [1] The cast and crew unsuccessfully petitioned for United Artists to release the film under its original title. Following an unfavorable box-office performance, United Artists re-released the film in 1982 as Chilly Scenes of Winter, featuring an alternate cut which concludes with a downbeat ending, unlike the original version and its source novel.

The film has been cited as a cult film by multiple cinematic sources. [2]

Plot

Charles Richardson is a civil servant in his early thirties, working in the Department of Development in Salt Lake City, Utah. A depressed and impetuous romantic, Charles drinks on the job, lamenting his former lover, Laura, an administrative assistant in the office's filing department. Though their brief affair ended over a year ago, Charles remains obsessed with Laura, who has reunited with her husband Jim, a log-home salesman. Charles insists to his younger sister, Susan, and best friend, Sam, that he intends to win Laura back.

In nonlinear flashbacks, Charles reflects on his affair with Laura, and its swift disintegration, marked by jealousy and possessiveness: After he asked to marry her, Laura distanced herself from Charles. Following their breakup, the two briefly met in the parking lot of Laura's stepdaughter's school, but their meeting devolved into an argument in which Laura proclaimed to Charles that he has an "exalted" view of her that is not grounded in reality.

Consumed by his obsession with Laura, Charles frequently parks outside her and Jim's A-frame house, and at home constructs a miniature replica of it, complete with figurines and furniture. Sam, who is unemployed and staying with Charles, grows worried over his obsessive behavior. Meanwhile, Charles attempts to cope with his eccentric mother, Clara, who consumed by suicidal ideations, as well as his incredulous stepfather, Pete.

Charles learns that his coworker, Betty, has remained friends with Laura since Laura quit her job at the office. He casually attempts to court Betty, though his efforts prove unsuccessful as his feelings for her are not genuine. Charles visits Jim's custom home building company with Sam, the men posing as a gay couple under the guise of wanting to purchase one of Jim's houses. Jim allows Charles and Sam to view his home, shocking Laura, who returns during their tour. Jim explains to a visibly rattled Laura that Charles and Sam are lovers and potential clients. While Jim converses with Sam, Charles approaches Laura in the kitchen and hugs her. The four have drinks together in the living room, during which Charles startles Jim by proclaiming that he is in love with Laura, leading Jim to force the two men out of the house.

Weeks later, Charles is remorseful for his outburst, and decides to have dinner with Betty to distract himself. Charles is enlivened when he learns from Betty that Laura has again left Jim and moved into an apartment on her own. After retrieving Laura's phone number, Charles arrives at her apartment with a bouquet of tulips. Laura is ambivalent about his arrival, and wary of resuming a relationship with him given their past and the current tumult of her life. The two argue, and Charles eventually bids her farewell.

That night, Charles returns to his home and throws the A-frame replica dollhouse in the garbage, declaring that he is finally done pursuing Laura. Weeks pass as winter transitions into spring. One day after returning home from work, Charles finds Laura there, cooking a dessert soufflé in the kitchen.

Cast

Production

Development

Mark Metcalf, Amy Robinson, and Griffin Dunne, all actors and novice film producers, purchased the rights to Ann Beattie's novel Chilly Scenes of Winter , hoping to produce a feature film adaptation. [3] Director Joan Micklin Silver, who was also a fan of the novel, read a news piece regarding their acquisition of the film rights, and [4] Silver, who was an acquaintance of Metcalf, contacted him and asked to write and direct the feature, to which the producers agreed. [4]

The film's distributor, United Artists, rejected the title Chilly Scenes of Winter, and a joke title that Metcalf and the other producers suggested thinking it would be rejected—Head Over Heels—was accepted after 20th Century Fox would not surrender the rights of another proposed title, Laura, because it was the title of one of their classic films. [5]

Casting

Producer Metcalf says that United Artists, who financed the picture, offered to double the film's $2.5 million budget to $5 million if John Heard was replaced by one of three actors (John Ritter, Robin Williams or Treat Williams). Metcalf and his fellow producers Griffin Dunne and Amy Robinson had always intended Heard to play the lead, and turned down the offer. Silver, who had previously directed Heard in Between the Lines (1977), also championed his casting in the lead role. [4]

Metcalf has stated that Meryl Streep originally agreed to play the role of Laura, but only if Sam Waterston was cast as Charles. The producers, who did not have a casting director and cast the picture themselves along with director Silver, cast Mary Beth Hurt instead since Streep would not act opposite Heard. In addition to Hurt and Streep, Anne Archer and Jamie Lee Curtis also auditioned for the role of Laura. [3]

Ann Beattie, who "loved" Silver's script, gave the producers an option for her book with the proviso that they give her a bit part in the movie. She was paid $26 for appearing as a waitress in a diner scene, not given dialogue as she would have had to be paid $225 for a speaking part. [6]

Filming

Principal photography began in Salt Lake City on February 22, 1979. [1] [7] According to director Silver, the producers initially planned to film in Albany, New York but the local films unions' demands were economically prohibitive. [1] By March 1979, the production had moved to sound stages in Culver City, California. [1] According to producer Robinson, the bulk of the interior sequences were filmed in Los Angeles. [3]

Release

Original theatrical run

The original version of the film was titled Head Over Heels at the insistence of United Artists, who financed and distributed the film, and felt this was a more commercially viable title. [1] [8] The name change was protested by the film's crew members, who signed a petition protesting it. [9] This original cut of the film features a happy ending in which Laura is reunited with Charles, as in the source novel. The film premiered in New York City on October 19, 1979, [1] and opened in Los Angeles the following week. [1] During its original two-week run in New York City, the film earned $17,000. [1]

1982 re-release

In 1982, United Artists launched its United Artists Classics division that re-released the film under the title of its source novel, Chilly Scenes of Winter. [10] This version omitted the uplifting ending featuring Charles and Laura's reconciliation, instead resolving with a more ambiguous conclusion that does not result in the couple remaining united. [10] [11] The film had a more successful theatrical run during its re-release, [12] earning approximately $20,000 during a single week. [1]

Critical response

Reviewing the original cut of the film, Vincent Canby of The New York Times described it as "seeming to be on the verge of some revelation of profound feeling that, at long last, never comes." However, he gave high praise to the acting, writing "there's not a false performance in the film." [13] Leonard Maltin referred to the film as divisive: "it will either charm or annoy" the viewer. He awards it two-and-a-half stars. [14] Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times described it as “an intelligent and attractively acted, wry study of a human relationship."

Reviewing the film during its 1982 release, Michael D. Reid of the Times Colonist praised the film as "a splendidly refreshing romantic comedy—a true tale of love's firm grip on the psyche." [15]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 90% of 10 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. [16]

Home media

Twilight Time release a limited edition Blu-ray of Chilly Scenes of Winter in 2017. [17] The Criterion Collection released a new Blu-ray edition on March 28, 2023 with a newly restored 4K digital transfer. [18]

Influence

Writing for DVD Talk , Justin Remer noted: "Chilly Scenes of Winter might be the best American movie about a romantic break-up. The film is not well-known now, but it wouldn't be hard to imagine someone on the creative team of High Fidelity half-remembering this smart little flick and taking just a little inspiration from it." [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Love Affair</i> (1939 film) 1939 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey

Love Affair is a 1939 American romance film, co-starring Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, and featuring Maria Ouspenskaya. It was directed by Leo McCarey and written by Delmer Daves and Donald Ogden Stewart, based on a story by McCarey and Mildred Cram. Controversial on concept, the official screenplay was re-tooled and rewritten to appease Hollywood censorship and relied on actor input and improvisation, causing long delays and budget extensions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meryl Streep</span> American actress (born 1949)

Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over four decades, including a record 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and a record 33 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning eight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Jackson</span> American actress (born 1948)

Lucy Kate Jackson is an American actress and television producer, known for her television roles as Sabrina Duncan in the series Charlie's Angels (1976–1979) and Amanda King in the series Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983–1987). Her film roles include Making Love (1982) and Loverboy (1989). She is a three-time Emmy Award nominee and four-time Golden Globe Award nominee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Didion</span> American writer (1934–2021)

Joan Didion was an American writer and journalist. She is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism along with Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wolfe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Griffin Dunne</span> American actor and director (born 1955)

Thomas Griffin Dunne is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Paul Hackett in After Hours (1985), for which he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

<i>Wild in the Country</i> 1961 film

Wild in the Country is a 1961 American musical-drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, and Millie Perkins. Based on the 1958 novel The Lost Country by J. R. Salamanca, the screenplay concerns a troubled young man from a dysfunctional family who pursues a literary career. The screenplay was written by playwright Clifford Odets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Beattie</span> American novelist and short story writer

Ann Beattie is an American novelist and short story writer. She has received an award for excellence from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and the PEN/Malamud Award for excellence in the short story form.

Show Boat is a 1936 American romantic musical film directed by James Whale, based on the 1927 musical of the same name by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, which in turn was adapted from the 1926 novel of the same name by Edna Ferber.

Joan Micklin Silver was an American director of films and plays. Born in Omaha, Silver moved to New York City in 1967 where she began writing and directing films. She is best known for Hester Street (1975), her first feature, and Crossing Delancey (1988).

<i>A Force of One</i> 1979 film by Paul Aaron

A Force of One is a 1979 American martial arts action-thriller film directed by Paul Aaron and starring Chuck Norris, with Jennifer O'Neill, Ron O'Neal, Clu Gulager, and martial artist Bill Wallace in his film debut. Norris plays karate champion Matt Logan, who is hired to assist an anti-narcotics police unit, who are being targeted by a killer. The screenplay by Ernest Tidyman was based on a story co-written by martial artist Pat E. Johnson.

<i>Hester Street</i> (film) 1975 romantic film directed by Joan Micklin Silver

Hester Street is a 1975 romantic film based on Abraham Cahan's 1896 novella Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto, and was adapted and directed by Joan Micklin Silver. The film stars Steven Keats and Carol Kane, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for the role of Gitl.

<i>Big Girls Dont Cry... They Get Even</i> 1992 film by Joan Micklin Silver

Big Girls Don't Cry… They Get Even is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Joan Micklin Silver.

<i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents</i> (1985 TV series) American anthology series which started airing in 1985

Alfred Hitchcock Presents, sometimes called The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents, is an American anthology series that aired on NBC from 1985 to 1986 and on the USA Network from 1987 to 1989. The series is an updated version of the 1955 eponymous series.

<i>Chilly Scenes of Winter</i> 1976 novel by Ann Beattie

Chilly Scenes of Winter is Ann Beattie's first novel, published by Doubleday in 1976. The marketing copy from the paperback edition declared, "This is the story of a love-smitten Charles; his friend Sam, the Phi Beta Kappa and former coat salesman; and Charles' mother, who spends a lot of time in the bathtub feeling depressed."

<i>Blindfold</i> (1966 film) 1966 film by Philip Dunne

Blindfold is a 1966 American romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Philip Dunne that was his last feature film. It starred Rock Hudson in his 50th film and the first for his own film production company, Gibraltar Productions. It co-starred Claudia Cardinale, Jack Warden and Guy Stockwell. The film was distributed by Universal Pictures. It was based on Lucille Fletcher's 1960 novel of the same name. Sequences were filmed in Central Park in New York City and in Silver Springs, Florida.

Amy Robinson is an American actress and film producer.

<i>Between the Lines</i> (1977 film) 1977 film by Joan Micklin Silver

Between the Lines is a 1977 ensemble romantic comedy-drama from Midwest Films. It was directed by Joan Micklin Silver and produced by her husband Raphael D. Silver. The film was nominated for three awards at the 27th Berlin International Film Festival, winning two of them. Micklin Silver won the 1977 Los Angeles Film Critics Association New Generation Award as writer and director of Between the Lines.

<i>When Tomorrow Comes</i> (film) 1939 romantic drama film by John M. Stahl

When Tomorrow Comes is a 1939 American romantic drama directed by John M. Stahl, and starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. The screenplay concerns a waitress who falls in love with a man who later turns out to be a married concert pianist. Bernard B. Brown won the Academy Award for Best Sound.

<i>Almost You</i> 1985 film

Almost You is a 1985 American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Brooks and starring Brooke Adams and Griffin Dunne. It won the Special Jury Prize at the 1985 Sundance Film Festival.

<i>Old Boyfriends</i> 1979 American film

Old Boyfriends is a 1979 American drama film directed by Joan Tewkesbury and written by the brothers Paul and Leonard Schrader. The film stars Talia Shire, Richard Jordan, Keith Carradine, John Belushi, John Houseman and Buck Henry. The film was released on March 22, 1979, by Embassy Pictures.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Head Over Heels". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . American Film Institute. Archived from the original on April 2, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Chilly Scenes of Winter". TV Tropes. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Metcalf, Mark; Robinson, Amy; Dunne, Griffin (2023). Producing "Chilly Scenes of Winter". Chilly Scenes of Winter (Blu-ray documentary short). OCLC   1367327493.
  4. 1 2 3 Silver, Joan Micklin (2023) [2005]. Joan Micklin Silver on "Chilly Scenes of Winter". Chilly Scenes of Winter (Blu-ray documentary short). OCLC   1367327493.
  5. ↑ "Episode 310: Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979)". The Projection Booth. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
  6. ↑ Shales, Tom (October 25, 1979). "Rough Cuts From Ann". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on April 2, 2023.
  7. ↑ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood Came to Town: A History of Moviemaking in Utah. Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN   978-1-4236-0587-4.
  8. ↑ Champlin, Charles (November 23, 1982). "'Chilly Scenes of Winter', filmed in Utah, gets second chance". The Salt Lake Tribune . p. 6B – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Olsen, Mark (January 2, 2021). "Joan Micklin Silver, director of 'Hester Street' and 'Crossing Delancey,' dies at 85". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on January 7, 2021.
  10. 1 2 Maza, Michael (October 29, 1982). "Re-edited 'Scenes' casts warm look at love grown cold". The Arizona Republic . p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Atlas, James (June 28, 1998). "How 'Chilly Scenes' Was Rescued". The New York Times . Archived from the original on April 2, 2023.
  12. ↑ Stafford, Jeff. "Cult Movies Showcase: Chilly Scenes of Winter". Turner Classic Movies . Archived from the original on June 16, 2008.
  13. ↑ Canby, Vincent (October 19, 1979). "Screen: 'Head Over Heels,' Drama, Opens: Bachelor in Love". The New York Times . Archived from the original on April 2, 2023.
  14. ↑ Maltin, Leonard (2009). Leonard Maltin's 2010 Movie Guide. Signet Books. p. 593. ISBN   978-0-4512-2764-5.
  15. ↑ Reid, Michael D. (September 3, 1982). "Eccentric romantic comedy film is weekend's must-see film". Times Colonist . p. 25 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ "HEAD OVER HEELS". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Remer, Justin (April 2, 2017). "Chilly Scenes of Winter". DVD Talk . Archived from the original on April 2, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Chilly Scenes of Winter". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved April 2, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.