Play vs. Film: Same Time, Next Year

     Some time ago, I wrote another post with the same title, in which I discussed a few plays on which some of my favorite films are based. Since then, I've read three more plays which have been made into feature films: 84, Charing Cross Road; Same Time, Next Year; and Shadowlands. Actually, 84, Charing Cross Road was a book and a television play before it was a stage play then a film, and Shadowlands was first of all a television play before it was adapted to the stage, then became a book, then finally a film (did you follow all that?), but I'll get into that later. For now, I'll just talk about Same Time, Next Year.

     The film Same Time, Next Year (1978, Alan Alda, Ellen Burstyn) has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it on cable in the '80s. Here's a very concise synopsis: It all starts in 1951. Doris and George, both in their 20's, meet in the restaurant of a seaside inn in California.



     They immediately hit it off and spend the night together, despite knowing that they're both married with children. By the end of the first scene, they know there's something much more between them than a one-night-stand, and they agree to meet at the inn every year at that same time (hence the title, get it?).



     We follow their relationship every five years or so until 1975. Throughout, we see that their lives reflect various historical events (the Viet Nam war, for instance) and social trends (hippies, women's liberation).

 





     But on a more intimate scale, we see these two endearingly human and quirky people change and grow as individuals, in their separate marriages as well as within their own very special, loving relationship. It's the most palatable portrayal of marital infidelity I've ever seen. And all done with no nudity!



     Ellen Burstyn repeated her Tony-winning portrayal of Doris, winning a Golden Globe and a nomination for the Best Actress Oscar, and deservedly so; she is a marvel, an absolute joy to watch. Alan Alda as George (Charles Grodin played the part on Broadway) gives a typical Alan Alda performance, very entertaining, but we saw pretty much the same performance for eleven years on M*A*S*H. However, the chemistry between him and Burstyn is delightful.

     Bernard Slade himself adapted his play (the first stage play he ever wrote, premiered 1975) for the screen. There is almost no difference in dialogue between the screenplay and the stage script, except a few lines omitted here and a couple of lines altered there. Despite the obvious fact that the film employs more settings than the play, which employs one single set, the film still feels very much like a stage play. Which to me isn't altogether a bad thing. However, I do find that, about halfway through the film, I've grown a little weary of the Oscar-nominated theme song ("The Last Time I Felt Like This" by Marvin Hamlisch, sung by Johnny Mathis and Jane Olivor), which is used as a scene marker to convey the passage of time.

     Final verdict: you don't need to read the play if you've seen the film, but if you haven't seen the film, it's worth reading the play if you can find a cheap copy or a copy in your library.

     You can find the play on Amazon here. Please pay no attention to the one (negative) customer review.