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From: boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: re: SOMEWHERE IN TIME
Message-ID: <319@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Jan-85 08:19:20 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.319
Posted: Fri Jan 25 08:19:20 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Jan-85 10:24:54 EST
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From:	cyb-eng!ables

> Having just seen "Somewhere In Time" (Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and
> Christopher Plumber) on cable the other day... I've got some things that bug
> me about this movie that I'd like to throw out here.
>
> I noticed that it was based on the novel "Bid Time Return" by Richard
> Matheson.  Has anybody read this?  Is it any good?  I assume this is the
> same Richard Matheson that wrote so many Twilight Zone episodes, it's
> just like one of his stories.

Yes, I've read BID TIME RETURN. It's quite a good book (it won the World
Fantasy Award for Best Novel the first year that the awards were given), but
I didn't like it as much as the film. There were some things in it that
bugged me. One example (this isn't really a spoiler, since this info is given
right at the beginning of the book) is that Collier is dying from some fatal
disease (I don't recall if Matheson ever says what it is), but seems to be
running on the assumption that by staying in the past, he won't die from it.
The symptoms that he has in the present don't appear in the past. This point
is never addressed in the book.
	And yes, this is the same Richard Matheson. And what's more, the
book is based on something that really happened (sort of) to Matheson.
Apparently, he ran across an old photo of a turn-of-the-century actress named
Maude Adams (no relation to the current actress with the same name) and fell
in love with her. As far as I know, he didn't actually travel back in time
to woo her. As a matter of fact, in the book, Collier's description matches
Matheson's --- he basicly looks like Paul Newman.
	Matheson makes a cameo in the film, too. In the scene where Collier
cuts his face shaving, and comes out of the men's room with toilet paper
stuck to the various cuts, Matheson is the man who walks by, looks at Collier,
and says, "Astonishing!"
	Another point is that Matheson wrote the screenplay for the film,
and approves of the way the director handled it. Of course, Herbert liked
DUNE, but in this case, I have to agree with the author's sentiments.

> What was the deal with her manager, did he really know about Collier or
> was it just his knowning that someday some guy would come along...

Yes, this point seemed confusing at first, but I think your latter explanation
is correct. Robinson wanted Elise to devote herself totally to her profession,
leaving no room for love in her. He was sure that someday, someone would come
along to try to ruin that idea.

> Was there some point to the nameplate on Elise's picture in the Hall of
> History not being there? Or was it just to draw the suspense out a little
> about who she was?

I don't think it was to draw the suspense out, but to give her identity a sense
of mystery that would spur Collier into finding out who she was. If he knew
right off the bat who she was, he might never have pursued his course of
action.

> Who got the watch first??  He gave it to her in 1912 and she gave it to
> him in 1972.  Who owned it originally?  Also, how old is that damn thing??
> It keeps going in a circle from '72 to '12 and then the long way back to '72.

Ah, but I loved this point. The watch is a time paradox, which by definition
has no solution. Just sit back and enjoy the beauty of the paradox. The other
nice paradox was that the smile in the photo that attracted him to her so
much came about when she saw him.

I'm an unabashed romantic, and I loved this film.

--- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA)

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