Somewhere in Time (film) - Reception

Reception

Although this movie was well received during its previews, it was widely derided by critics upon release and underperformed at the box office. In 2009, in an interview with WGN America, Jane Seymour stated that "t was just a little movie... The Blues Brothers came out the same week and it was a $4 million budget, so Universal didn't really support it. There was also an actors' strike, so Chris and I weren't allowed to publicize it. And they barely put it out because I don't think anyone really believed in it." Seymour's memory, however, is inaccurate: The Blues Brothers was released on June 20, 1980, whilst Somewhere in Time premiered on September 17 and was released on October 3, 1980; it is most likely that the British Seymour has confused the US and UK release dates, with The Blues Brothers debuting in the UK one week after the US release of Somewhere in Time. The budget for Somewhere in Time had originally been set at $8 million, but the studio would only "green light" the picture when the budget was cut by half. It eventually cost $5.1 million. The actors' strike did prevent Reeve and Seymour from promoting the film, as making public appearances to promote a film is considered to be work. No positive buzz about the film was generated and the critics' evaluations were harsh.