The Four Seasons (1981)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Alan Alda

Writer:

Alan Alda (written by)

Release Date:

22 May 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Here's to our friends... and the strength to put up with them.

Plot:

Three middle-aged wealthy couples take vacations together in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Along the way we are treated to mid-life...

Plot Keywords:

Skiing | Log Cabin | Directed By Star | Yachting | Friendship

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Alan Alda	...	Jack Burroughs
Carol Burnett	...	Kate Burroughs
Len Cariou	...	Nick Callan
Sandy Dennis	...	Anne Callan
Rita Moreno	...	Claudia Zimmer
Jack Weston	...	Danny Zimmer
Bess Armstrong	...	Ginny Newley (Callan)
Elizabeth Alda	...	Beth Burroughs
Beatrice Alda	...	Lisa Callan
Robert Hitt	...	Room Clerk
Kristi McCarthy	...	Waitress
David Stackpole	...	Doctor

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Norway:12 | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Agnes Scott College - 141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, Georgia, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Alan Alda said what inspired the film was an actual incident where he judged a friend too harshly. He realized that not only was he wrong, that friendship goes through "seasons"; so he wrote the script based on that notion.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the very beginning of "Autumn," we see leaves falling as a blue Mercedes sedan whooshes by (the camera catches the right side of the car) on a curvy road. All we see is the right side/front of what is very clearly a late '70s/early '80s S-class Mercedes (likely a 450 SEL or a turbodiesel variant of the same body style). However, in the next shot, the car shown is the same color, but very clearly a 300 class (300 Diesel or 300 Turbodiesel) model. The latter is used in all interior and exterior shots throughout the Autumn (at the Connecticut inn) and eventually sinks on thin ice in "Winter."

Quotes:

Danny: [when the boat is stuck on a sandbar] We are three-hundred-sixty dollars overbudget. Each. I don't see how we can make a trip to St. Croix unless we have a meeting first.
Jack: I don't see how we can make a trip to St. Croix unless it floats by.
Danny: Yeah.

Movie Connections:

References Two Years Before the Mast (1946)

Never Reaches it's Peak

Very easygoing comedy-drama detailing three couples who all take a vacation together during each season of the year. As the seasons change so does the level of their friendship.

Certainly an interesting idea with lots of potential. The film shows a good handle on the 'politics' of friendship. How even the best of friendships can have underlying jealousy and misunderstandings. It also shows the tendency of how friends like to 'smooth' things over by putting on a happy face and never really getting to the issue.

It's also really refreshing in our youth obsessed culture to have a film focus solely on middle aged people and have them actually act the part. The situations and their responses to them seem authentic. There's also some terrific outdoor photography and a great classical music score by Vivaldi.

The problem with the film is that it is just too light. There is not enough conflict and it never reaches any dramatic peak. The dialogue needs to be much crisper and some of the little 'spats' seem forced. In the end the whole thing is just empty and extraneous.

Burnett is the real surprise here. Usually known for her over the top comedic performances she really puts together a very good low key dramatic one here. Weston though really steals the film with his somewhat hammy performance as Danny the dentist.

The film also features the worst rendition of "Strangers in the Night" that you will ever hear.