Recently, I have been intrigued with some old movies. I always hear from my friends that "Somewhere In Time" is a one-of-a-kind! I must watch it. So, I bought my own copy though it's on VCD format because it's cheaper. One thing I liked in this film was that Christopher Reeve's here. I have been a fan of his Superman films. The plot was well-described though I don't believe in time travel. Richard and Elise's love story made me feel loved then.
Anyway, I'll just post here a plot summary of the film taken from Wikipedia. I don't know who wrote this article so I can't give proper credit to the author but just Wikipedia.
Plot Summary:
The film begins in May 1972, when playwright Richard Collier is approached by an elderly woman who places a pocket watch in his hand while pleading with him to "come back to me." Eight years later, Richard stays at the Grand Hotel and becomes entranced by a strangely captivating photograph of a mysterious, beautiful young woman. With the assistance of Arthur Biehl, an old man who's been at the hotel since 1910, Richard discovers that she is Elise McKenna, a famous early 20th-century stage actress. Upon digging deeper, he learns that she was the aged woman who gave him the pocket watch eight years ago, but who subsequently died later that same evening.
Richard learns about auto-suggestive time travel from an old college professor of his. To accomplish this feat of self-hypnosis, one must remove all things from sight that are related to the current time. He is also warned that such a process would leave one very weak, perhaps dangerously so. Back in his hotel room, Richard tries to will himself into the year 1912 using tape-recorded suggestions only to fail for lack of real conviction. After a trip to the hotel's attic, Richard finds an old guest book from 1912 with his signature in it, and realizes that he will/did eventually succeed.
Richard again hypnotizes himself (without the benefit of a modern tape recorder) and allows his absolute faith in his eventual success to become the tipping point, or trigger for the journey back through time. He drifts off to sleep in 1980 and awakens to the sound of whinnying horses in the year 1912. Richard looks all over the hotel for Elise, even meeting Arthur as a little boy, but he has no luck finding her. Finally, Richard stumbles upon Elise walking by a tree near the lake. She seems to swoon slightly at the sight of him, but then suddenly asks him if he's the one. McKenna's manager, William Fawcett Robinson, abruptly intervenes and sends Richard away. Richard stubbornly continues to pursue Elise until she finally agrees to accompany him on a stroll throughout the surrounding idyllic landscape. Richard ultimately asks why Elise wondered aloud if he was the one and she replies that Robinson somehow knows that she will meet a man one day who will change her life forever. Richard then shows Elise the same pocket watch which she will give him 60 years hence.
Upon returning to the hotel, Elise invites Richard to her play. Richard attends the comedic farce and during intermission finds her posing formally for a photograph. Upon spotting Richard, Elise breaks into a radiant smile and veritably glows with soft affection. Just then the camera's flash goes off and forever captures that wondrous moment in time. We realize now that this picture is the same one which Richard will see 68 years later on a wall near the lobby at the selfsame Grand Hotel. He later receives a letter from Robinson asking to meet him immediately and saying that it is a matter of life and death. Robinson tricks Richard and has him tied up and thrown into the stables. Later, Robinson tells Elise that Richard has left her and isn't the one, but she replies that she doesn't believe him and he's wrong. Elise admits to Robinson that she loves Richard and that he will make her very happy. Dispirited, Robinson leaves her dressing room and reminds her that they leave within the hour.
Richard wakes up the next morning and escapes his constraints. He runs to Elise's room only to discover that her party has left. Richard then goes out to the hotel's capacious deck and begins giving in to despair, but presently perceives Elise calling his name and running towards him. They return to his room together and it is there that Elise becomes truly intimate with a man for the very first time in her life. Later that evening, she asks Richard to marry her and he readily accepts. She then tells him that the first thing she will do for him is buy him a new suit (the suit Richard has been wearing the entire time in 1912 is about ten to fifteen years out of style). Richard begins to show his true love what a wonderful suit it is because of its many pockets. He is alarmed when he reaches into one and finds a shiny new Lincoln penny that has the date of 1979 on it. This has the effect of wrenching him out of his hypnotically-induced time trip, and Richard feels himself rushing backwards from 1912 as though through a tunnel with Elise screaming his name in horror as he is pulled inexorably back to 1980.
Richard then wakes up in the same room he just left although now it is 68 years later. He is very weak, physically and emotionally exhausted from his trip through time and from the devastating unexpected return. He scrambles desperately back to his own suite and tries to hypnotise himself again without success. After wandering around the hotel property and sitting interminably at the places where he shared his innermost thoughts with Elise, Richard eventually retires to his room and remains there until discovered by Arthur who then calls for a doctor. Richard then sees himself drifting above his body, and he is drawn to a light shining through the nearby window framed with gently billowing white gauzy curtains. In the Light that lies between Earth and Eternity is Elise, waiting for him just as he remembered her and where they will remain together at last in a place beyond time itself.
* Hope you have enjoyed my featured movie.
