Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979) User Reviews

A romantic comedy this is not

[fertilecelluloid · 7/10 · 15 April 2008]

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.

Original was sweet and poignant, the re-cut for video a disappointment

[rcedison · 8/10 · 9 June 2006]

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.

Quiet comment on an intense love affair

[Gerry-12 · 8/10 · 24 December 2000]

I am a little unclear about what moves the female protagonist to act as she does, but since a woman wrote the novel and another woman wrote the screen play and directed the film, who am I to quarrel with that? The male protagonist is older than I was when I suffered the way he does. I sympathize with his pain, and the movie makers are right about the common response to it - trivial violence, rather than the tragedy of commonplace film.

I think it is a very good film. My only reservation is that an excessive amount of it occurs in the man's car, but I guess that's life in Salt Lake City.

Wonderful

[gansvoort · 23 October 2002]

A brilliant film. Check it out. Marvellous in so many ways. Acting, script, you name it, it's great. It's a fantastic "little" film as they would say, but the "little" ones are often the best. So many small and subtle moments that make it quite memorable.

Love is Strange

[sol1218 · 7/10 · 10 October 2008]

**SPOILERS** Bittersweet romantic comedy that takes place in Utah with love-struck civil servant Charles, John Heard, who gets stung by the love bug and almost ends up going out of his head because of it. Charles falls literally heads over heels in love with his fellow worker the just separated from her husband Ox (Mark Metcalf) Laura,Mary Beth Hunt.

Catching Laura on the rebound from her breakup with her estranged husband Ox, who at 6 foot three and all muscles is an ox of a man, has Charles go completely bananas over her to the point where Laura agrees to share an apartment, as well as sleep, with him. As times goes by with Laura starting to get a bit tired of Charles' possessiveness and pandering to her she decides to leave him and go back to Ox and her stepdaughter, from Ox's previous marriage, nine year-old Rebecca, Algela Philips.

It's then that Charles start to lose it with Laura out of his life and him now being pressured by his constantly threatening to kill herself mother Clara, Gloria Grahame, and unemployed live-in best friend Sam, Peter Reigert.

It's Charles attempt to win Laura back that really drives him off the edge but in a harmless sort of way. Charles, together with Sam, goes so far as to used the excuse to see Laura that he goes to her home where she's living with Ox and Rebecca to have him, a carpenter, build Charles some wall panelings. It's then, to Ox's both shock and anger, that Charles risking getting his arms twisted out of place pledges his love for Laura who's, embarrassingly, there with him!

As Charles' efforts to win over a very reluctant Laura goes nowhere he starts to turn nasty towards those at his job who try to be friendly towards him. Charles really turns off Betty, Nora Haflin, who he's been, without her knowledge, using as a go between himself and her best friend at the job who just happens to be Laura.

It's out of hurt and frustration that Charles becomes down right nasty to Betty, who seemed to have fallen in love with him, in that she can't bring him and Laura back together. Charles also takes his frustration out at his very kind and accommodating boss Mr. Patterson, Jerry Hardin, who wants him to help his immature son get his head, and love life, on straight.

As it turned out the person who could, and in the end did, help Charles out of his pressing problems with Laura is the blind man, Allen Joseph, who has a newspaper & candy stand in the lobby of the building that Charles works in. Always taking Allen for granted and at the same time spilling his heart out to him, about his love Laura, Charles gets the best advice about straightening out the mess that he's got himself into. And sure enough by the time the movie ends Charles finally acts on it. Charles finally gets over his obsession with Laura and at same time gets himself back to sanity.

Lovely story about love and how it can drive one crazy if he, or she, can't-when it turns sour-let go of it. A very important lesson in life which took Charles almost the entire movie to figure out.

***SPOILERS*** Allen's advice did help but in the end it was Charles who had to take the first step, running what looked the hundred yard dash in less then 10 seconds, to finally have him get over his illogical and almost destructive, to himself and those close to him,love for Laura.

P.S The novel "Chilly Scenes of Winter" whom the film "Heads Over Heels" is based on was written by Ann Beattie who has a cameo role in the movie as a waitress.

low-calorie Woody Allen

[mjneu59 · 6/10 · 10 November 2010]

This whimsical if inconsequential romantic comedy owes a lot of its idiosyncrasies to 'Annie Hall', but while not in the same league as Woody Allen it has an offbeat charm all its own. The original, numbskull title 'Head Over Heels' aptly describes love struck civil servant John Heard's fixation with married girlfriend Mary Beth Hurt. Neither character is particularly complicated, but an eccentric secondary cast and some unpredictable plot lines keep the film buoyant and enjoyable even at its most superficial, although it helps to share some of the couple's featherweight romantic angst. The script was adapted from a novel by Ann Beattie.

Funny, Powerful Film On Obsession

[shark-43 · 9/10 · 31 August 2001]

This is one of my favorite films and the lead performance by John Heard is sterling. It is one of the most honest, heartbreaking performances I have ever seen on someone's obsession with another person. Heard plays a state government worker who happens to meet a pretty girl who is on the rebound. They have amazing times together until she decides to move back in with her husband and the young stepdaughter (who she misses). Heard won't let it be over and plans and plots on various ways to get her back. The film is based on Ann Beattie's brilliant novel, CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER (which is the title the movie was released as). I prefer that title to the generic HEAD OVER HEELS. I own a copy of this film and have watched it so many times. Aside from Heard, there is an amazing cast of supporting players: the late, great Ken McMillian, Gloria Grahame (as his crazy mother), Peter Riegert as his deadbeat friend and even Mary Beth Hurt gives a strong performance (I'm not usually a fan of hers). This movie is worth seeking out.

Delicious.

[Fire-WalkWithMe · 6/10 · 6 July 2003]

I couldn't find this anywhere to rent, so I bought it. I wasn't going to MAKE myself like it, just because of John Heard, but I actually turned out to love it. It took another watching to really like it though. It's not that exciting, it's laid back. The plot isn't really unique, but Heard does GREAT with the role. I think it's his best to date. The movie is cute, but serious at the same time. I'm now convinced, that if he was young today, he'd be as popular (should be more) than people like Tom Cruise. He had it all! Mary Beth Hurt was good in the other role, too. Well, good movie, it's not for everyone though. 8/10.

the highs and lows are REAL

[raymond_chandler · 9/10 · 8 November 2001]

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.

Underrated & overlooked

[tone143 · 7/10 · 17 March 2004]

I never knew this was retitled(I'm sure it really cleaned up as a result!).I normally don't like romantic comedies,but this one stands out as a realistic and melancholy rendering of a love affair,with subtle laughs all throughout.It ain't Annie Hall,but it ain't bad either.I gave it a 7 only because most romantic comedies suck. You HAVE to write 10 lines.You'd think they'd want to curb long-winded diatribes(like some of the ones I write).Well,don't you find it oddly coincidental that John Heard(who is confused by name with John Hurt)stars with Mary Beth Hurt in this movie,and that for fleeting moments,John Heard (somewhat) resembles William Hurt in this film?And that none of these people are any more closely related to each other than we are?(excepting that you're my cousin Gino reading this,which is unlikely,since Gino is mentally-challenged)

Who saw the first version?

[pdawgpro-757-144194 · 5/10 · 5 August 2013]

"Chilly Scenes of Winter"was originally called, "Head Over Heels" and had its ending re edited and dramatically changed so that the film swerved from a positive, uplifting little character study of quirky, interesting and flawed people into a sad, depressing portrayal of losers mired in their failures with no hope of redemption. I always wondered why Joan Micklin Silver decided to re edit the original film,which had an ending that fit the tone so much better. Was she forced by a studio? Did she actually think that she was improving it by abandoning the positive and embracing the dark? The title "Chilly Scenes of Winter"may fit its edited ending, but diminishes the film.

Petition MGM/UA for a Proper DVD Release

[drmilo · 10/10 · 15 May 2006]

Chilly Scenes of Winter is one of the best films of the 1970s. The film has a devoted cult and yet it is difficult to find in video stores. Why?! In an age where every Pauly Shore film is available in every format there is something terribly wrong if a film like Chilly Scenes of Winter can't be seen.

It is a crime that this movie isn't out on DVD in widescreen with a Joan Micklin Silver / John Heard commentary. It would also be nice to see the original ending and perhaps other deleted scenes. A "making of" documentary would be great.

Go to http://www.mgm.com/help.do and submit a comment stating you want the company to release the film on DVD with extras!

Slightly above average, monotone character study

[mollytinkers · 6/10 · 26 August 2021]

I would label this a dramedy. Unfortunately, I found it unsatisfying; and it left me asking, so what? Heard's character is romantically obsessed with a married coworker. That's it; that's all there is.

The cast saves the film from being a totally boring mess. It's a delight seeing Ms. Grahame, especially if you grew up watching movies from the golden age of Hollywood. Heard does an amazing job of keeping his performance nuanced. Everyone interprets their character well.

But there's little meat on the bones here. Perhaps if the lead's character would have had more mental health issues other than just codependency or perhaps if he had episodes of mania or flew into moments of rage this would have been more entertaining. There's no real highs and no real lows; the film is simply not engaging.

An average and unremarkable rom-com

[blott2319-1 · 4/10 · 17 November 2021]

Chilly Scenes of Winter is a romantic comedy that is big on the romance, but very light on the comedy. John Heard plays a guy who can be a bit wacky and I appreciate the flashes of that silliness we see from him, but it's certainly far from laugh-out-loud funny. The story is an extremely basic one about a guy who falls in love with a married woman and can't seem to get over her even when she has broken things off. I kind of struggle with these relationships that seem doomed from the start. It's hard for me to get invested in the romance of the two characters because I think they should both move on with their lives (and probably shouldn't have started up the affair in the first place.) I do enjoy the actors, and I thought they did a decent job with what they were given in the script, but it's not a story that is interesting or original enough to warrant a feature film. Chilly Scenes of Winter might seem like a good movie if it was released on the Hallmark Channel or something, but when compared with other theatrical romantic comedies, this is a bore.

Something missing

[jaykay-10 · 14 October 2001]

The pivot on which this story turns is Laura's character; unfortunately, that character is drawn less thoroughly than one might wish. How are we to understand her vacillations? (We have to guess, because the picture doesn't explain them, and she herself is apparently unable to explain them.) Saying that she is confused by her choices tells us nothing worthwhile about her character. Does she - out of a sense of guilt - feel compelled to draw away whenever her lover draws nearer? An interesting enough concept, but it isn't brought out in the film, so such an interpretation is no more than speculation. If Laura's attachment to her daughter is so strong, how was she able to walk away? (There is, by the way, little in the film itself to suggest that the two were especially close.) As for the men in her life: her husband seems no better or worse than average, and her lover - except for his persistence - also seems unremarkable. As for the ending: the one in the version I saw (running, running, running faster in the park) is no ending at all. It just happens to be the last scene of the picture.

Touching romantic comedy

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 30 August 2022]

Came for Gloria Grahame in one of her final film roles, and got a touching romantic comedy with an indie vibe to it. Quite a bit of this story is told in flashback, as Charles (John Heard) thinks back to his relationship with Laura, a married woman (Mary Beth Hurt) who left him to go back to her husband. The painful sense of longing is palpable here, as is his sense of regret for having done things to push her away. His plaintive interior monologue and wistful daydreaming tugs on universal heartstrings, and is a reminder of how untenable it can feel to follow everyone's advice to move on and find someone new. Meanwhile, Mary Beth Hurt is beautiful here, reflecting the simple, playful spirit that attracts him, and playing her conflicted character very well.

I thought I would end up loving this more than I did, but what stopped me was how unlikeable Heard's character was. He's possessive, stalks his ex-girlfriend, and jokingly threatens to beat her up in one scene and to rape her in another - and this is the protagonist, the narrator who we're meant to be psychologically invested in. At one point he obsessively builds a replica of the home she's living in and inhabits it with dolls to represent her family, and at another he shows up and makes a big scene with her honest but "boring" husband. I mean, I get it, he's hurting and wants her back because he loves her, but it got to be a little too much. The film probably could have explored the impact all this had on Laura a little bit more, but to its credit, it doesn't resolve itself with a packaged Hollywood ending, at least in its revised form. I admire it for how non-formulaic it was, its cast, and the footage in Utah, but I would have loved to see it from Laura's perspective.

Chilly Scenes of Winter Cable Show times

[6796 · 7/10 · 20 May 2005]

Just saw it for the first time last night with the unhappy ending... Great movie. Mary beth Hurt was much better in "The World Accourding to Garp"The World According to Garp".

Chilly Scenes of Winter

Directed by Joan Micklin Silver. Starring John Heard, Mary Beth Hurt, Peter Riegert, Kenneth McMillan, Gloria Grahame, Nora Heflin, Jerry Hardin, Frances Bay, Griffin Dunne. A young man becomes obsessed with winning back the affections of an ex-girlfriend who decided to return to her husband. 95 minutes- PG, USA, 1979, Video, Adult situations

Fri May 20 05:10A on Showtime Family Zone Mon May 23 05:15A on Showtime Family Zone Tue May 24 08:00A on Showtime Showcase Tue May 24 04:30P on Showtime Showcase Thu May 26 01:30A on Showtime Family Zone

This could have been a cult film if it were marketed correctly

[valerieh-1 · 10/10 · 27 May 2007]

I, for one, love Head Over Heels more than the newer release of CSOW. I loved the choices the director made with camera angles in telling the story - halting to allow the protagonist to talk directly to the camera. It was a brilliant and witty film, and Heard was so good I actually felt his pain of pining away over a lost love. There were so many memorable characters in addition to Charles' mom: the stepfather; the office worker, Betty; the boss; the roommate; the sister and her fiancé; Laura's ex-husband.

I loved this movie, and I would love to get a copy of the original Head Over Heels version. I liked the original ending much better.

Why this movie didn't win a plethora of awards is beyond me.

Valerie.

A quirky, funny, yet bittersweet love story

[Aldanoli · 10/10 · 14 July 1999]

Charles (John Heard) falls hard for Laura (Marybeth Hurt), a woman confused about the choices she has made in life; his obsession for her only deepens her overall confusion. This film was re-edited and re-released in 1982 as *Chilly Scenes of Winter,* the title of Ann Beattie's novel from which this was adapted. It's certainly a better title than *Head over Heels,* which at first glance might suggest some kind of porno movie. But I cling to this less-attractive title because the original, four-minute-longer ending to the "original" movie was better--truer, at least, to the ambiguities of this most bittersweet love story--and, okay, it was a little happier ending, too.

But the rest of the movie is also lovely, as we follow the meanders of their relationship, while meeting the odd characters whose idiosyncrasies are woven effortlessly into this touching comedy-drama. (Charles' encounters with the blind vendor in his building, for one thing, are a classic; and you'll probably never look at yogurt quite the same again.) Those who love this movie might also want to scare up a copy of Danny Peary's *Cult Movies 3* (Fireside Books, 1988), which has movie stills, a plot synopsis, and a lengthy commentary. (And, for that matter, lovers of movies should also check out Peary's *Cult Movies* and *Cult Movies 2*; the three books profile a total of 200 mostly memorable, though less well-known, films.)

borderline romance

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 18 August 2021]

Charles Richardson (John Heard) is in love with Laura (Mary Beth Hurt). She has gone back to her husband Ox. He intends to get her back. His mother has issues. His roommate Sam (Peter Riegert) is his best friend. Much of the movie are flashbacks to his relationship with Laura.

This movie apparently had two releases with two different endings. There is a happy ending and one without the happy ending scene. I believe that I watched the one without the scene. I can see why it's oddly unsatisfying for some people. I do feel left hanging. The bigger issue for me is the chemistry between Heard and Mary Beth Hurt. I mean in that there is a middling amount of chemistry. There is a meet-cute but it's not as cute as I want it. I'm not really feeling this romance. It has compelling elements but somehow it feels hollow. Again, the ending may be influencing me. This is borderline.

Other title: Chilly Scenes of Winter

[MarieGabrielle · 9/10 · 20 April 2007]

more aptly describes this gem of a movie. Not on cable as much as lesser films, unfortunately.

John Heard is excellent as the unrequited lover, pursuing Laura, a woman in a mediocre marriage, on-again off-again.

What is nice about this film is it sort of imitates life: things happen for no reason, odd characters (Gloria Grahame as mom is very good) People with their own quirks and problems. This was filmed in Salt Lake City Utah, and gives us a nice backdrop of emotion, estranged relationships, hopes for the future.

Peter Riegert (amusing as the unemployed jacket salesman with a physics background). John Heard is quirky and sympathetic at his office job, where he pours a cup of vodka for himself, trying to figure out how to win Laura back. Mary Beth Hurt is also believable, as a confused woman on the fence about her marriage to an A-frame salesman named "Ox".

Joan Micklin Silver is to be commended for her direction in this film. Oddly, I also reviewed an LMN movie she directed, "Hunger Point" with Barbara Hershey. I enjoyed that film. The director seemed to add touches of humanity into that film as well. "Chilly Scenes of Winter" is not to be missed, a nice human film which anyone who has wondered why they can't just have a "normal life", will relate to and enjoy. 9/10.

depressing

[sherilcarey · 3/10 · 3 July 2021]

The one good thing here for me was John Heard's acting. I think he did what he was asked to do and did it well. But overall the movie is a flat, depressing ramble through a meaningless life with no focus, no belief, no honor or integrity. It's petty and it is gross. All you can do to finish the movie is put aside every good instinct that the honorless ,immoral sects of society belittle and hate and ramble along with them getting depressed by their low and meaningless mistakes.

Ann Beattie's Story Brought to Life Beautifully

[JLRMovieReviews · 10/10 · 5 February 2014]

It's winter. It's cold. Everything seems worse then. And, when you're lonely, miserable and pining for a lost love, that's the worst. We see John Heard get into a car and suddenly Mary Beth Hurt speaks to him from the back seat. But then we see the conversation is in his mind. He still thinks about her. He still needs her, even though she's with someone else. The bittersweet mood is set and we are in for a ride that is both hysterical and somber. It's the kind of laughter that makes us cry. John Heard gives a very understated performance and Gloria Grahame is good as his very kooky mother. And, despite all the fun and love shared between John and Mary Beth in flashback, we see the reality that John refuses to see. He still sits in his car outside her place. He's lost, but finally has to come to terms with survival before he goes crazy. He goes for a candy bar in the lobby of the office-building he works in throughout the film and can never decide what he wants and can't speak up to the blind guy behind the counter, until he finally has a breakdown. This 1979 sleeper really entertains without basking too much in the dumps. Sure it seems depressing, but you never feel down. There's always hope with John Heard's charming personality, Peter Reigert's performance as his friend, and the true-to-life treatment and love for the subject matter by the director Joan Micklin Silver. A tour de force by all concerned and a must-see for all those searching for love.

The lesser of two versions

[swp91011 · 10/10 · 6 December 2000]

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.

I like him. You like every boy. What's wrong with that?

[barbie29 · 25 December 2003]

This movie is a nice lil' gem, and notable for future lumanaries such as Animal House's Peter Reigert, Griffin Dunne (treemendous in After Hours) and John Heard (late of the Sopranos). But, the real steal in the film is Ms. Violet Bick herself, Jimmy Stewart's guilty pleasure in It's a Wonderful Life: Gloria Grahame.