Chilly Scenes of Winter
October. 19,1979 PGCharles is a bored civil servant struggling through a harsh Utah winter. He spends most of his time reflecting on his romance with Laura, a coworker who left him to return to her husband, an A-Frame salesman.
Similar titles
You May Also Like
Reviews
Great Film overall
Good concept, poorly executed.
Admirable film.
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Original title is "Chilly Scenes of Winter" and it's an appropriate one. Described by some (fancifully) as a romantic comedy, it is actually the uncomfortable story of a creep ( the excellent John Heard) who becomes obsessed with a married woman (Mary Beth Hurt). Hurt's reluctance to commit to Heard causes him to become unstable and angry. The film is a very real study of delusion, obsession, low self esteem, and the selfishness of love. In one unexpected scene, Heard and Hurt are having a heated discussion. He has upset her and she doesn't want him to be there. As she exits frame, he mumbles: "I want to rape you." After this, I decided that this is definitely not a romantic comedy. Did anybody who described it as such actually hear this line of dialog? The Heard character has mountains of anger and is close to sociopathic. Watching him embarrass himself and act inappropriately in his pursuit of Hurt's commitment makes for an uncomfortable viewing experience similar to Martin Scorses's "The King of Comedy". In the version I caught, Heard does not end up with Hurt. Lucky for her, I say. She dodged a bullet.
I first saw this film in Berkeley around 1982 or '83, wasn't aware until now that it had been made 3 years earlier. At the time, I had already read and was a fan of Beattie's Chilly Scenes of Winter, upon which this is based, and was confused as to why Silver had retitled it "Head Over Heels", but it's not uncommon, and I thoroughly enjoyed the film, especially as it was true to the book. I then heard that Silver had been unsatisfied with the ending, re-cut it for video, and changed the name back to "Chilly Scenes of Winter". I rented the video to see the changes, and discovered that she had cut the last ten minutes or so of the film, which totally changed it from the way the book ends, and, incidentally, lessens the quality of the film. Thus, it went from a 9 to an 8 for me. As for the previous poster, Mary Beth Hurt was in fact in a relationship with William Hurt, to whom John Heard bears a resemblance; MB and William were married for 10 years.
I have always loved this film, ever since I first saw it in its re-release as "CSOW" in 1982. I have never seen the "Head Over Heels" version, thankfully. What really hit me then was the parallel to an obsessive love affair I had just experienced. I was dumped by a woman I met at work, and it was several months before I got over it. I had an unfulfilling, drab office job, and an unemployed roommate sharing a house with me.As a film, what makes this so special is its lack of pretense. The characters are as flawed as they are lovable. The relationship between Charles and his mother is as unsettling as it is comical. Even though Charles is a self-obsessed jerk, his simple devotion to the one wonderful, transcendent thing in his life - the love he and Laura shared - is endearing. He is not so much a stalker as someone who simply cannot bear the thought of returning to the uneventful, empty life he knew before Laura.
I fell in love with this film in it's original form as "Chilly Scenes of Winter." I admit the new truncated version is more "realistic" in a worldly sort of way, but the original ending offered a redemption in keeping with the fantasy. This is one of the few times I prefer the fantasy ending.If I'd a wanted an affair with a real ending I would have had one. If I wanted a brilliant and satisfying escapist dream I'd see "Chilly Scenes of Winter."Maybe with DVD will have a chance to see it both ways.