A Change of Seasons
(1980)
R | 104 mins | Comedy | 19 December 1980
Director:
Richard LangWriters:
Erich Segal, Ronni Kern, Fred Segal, Martin RansohoffProducer:
Martin RansohoffCinematographer:
Philip LathropEditor:
Don ZimmermanProduction Designer:
Bill KenneyProduction Company:
Film Finance Group, Ltd.According to a 20 Apr 1979 DV news item, a working title for the film was Consenting Adults.
The following acknowledgements appear at the end of the film: “Kenny Rankin’s services courtesy of Atlanta Records”; “Ski sequences filmed at Sunlight Ski Area, Glenwood Springs, Colorado”; and “Hot Tub Provided by Hydro Spa, West Los Angeles, Inc.”
A 25 Aug 1975 “Just For Variety” DV column by Army Archerd stated that negotiations were underway for Audrey Hepburn to star in the film. A 29 Nov 1979 DV stated that Leslie Stevens would revise the final draft of the screenplay written by Fred Segal and Ronni Kern.
On 29 Jun 1979, DV reported Noel Black was chosen to direct the film. However, a 28 Jan 1980 DV item reported that the production would shut down for one week after filming in VT locations because of a change of directors, although Black was set to complete East Coast footage. A 6 Feb 1980 Var brief reported that John Derek, husband and personal manager of Bo Derek, and Black had “creative differences,” which led to the director’s firing. In a contrasting report, a 7 Feb 1980 LAHExam article stated that John Derek had not caused any upheaval during filming; he said he had been invited by producer Martin Ransohoff to shoot stills and that had been the sole extent of his involvement. An 8 Feb 1980 DV article reported that Ransohoff had called a press conference to squelch rumors of Derek’s interference on the set, and, according to ...
According to a 20 Apr 1979 DV news item, a working title for the film was Consenting Adults.
The following acknowledgements appear at the end of the film: “Kenny Rankin’s services courtesy of Atlanta Records”; “Ski sequences filmed at Sunlight Ski Area, Glenwood Springs, Colorado”; and “Hot Tub Provided by Hydro Spa, West Los Angeles, Inc.”
A 25 Aug 1975 “Just For Variety” DV column by Army Archerd stated that negotiations were underway for Audrey Hepburn to star in the film. A 29 Nov 1979 DV stated that Leslie Stevens would revise the final draft of the screenplay written by Fred Segal and Ronni Kern.
On 29 Jun 1979, DV reported Noel Black was chosen to direct the film. However, a 28 Jan 1980 DV item reported that the production would shut down for one week after filming in VT locations because of a change of directors, although Black was set to complete East Coast footage. A 6 Feb 1980 Var brief reported that John Derek, husband and personal manager of Bo Derek, and Black had “creative differences,” which led to the director’s firing. In a contrasting report, a 7 Feb 1980 LAHExam article stated that John Derek had not caused any upheaval during filming; he said he had been invited by producer Martin Ransohoff to shoot stills and that had been the sole extent of his involvement. An 8 Feb 1980 DV article reported that Ransohoff had called a press conference to squelch rumors of Derek’s interference on the set, and, according to Ransohoff, “purely artistic differences” between himself and the director led to Black’s dismissal. A 1 Feb 1980 LAHExam article stated that Jackie Cooper was offered the director job but turned it down. Richard Lang was later chosen to replace Black, as stated in a 6 Feb 1980 DV brief, which also noted that Lang met the cast the previous day in Los Angeles, CA, to go over “the entire script.”
A 20 Apr 1979 DV article reported the film was budgeted between $5.5- and $6 million with a forty-five to fifty-day shooting schedule and principal photography was scheduled to begin in Nov with locations in New England, including Dartmouth College in NH, and a ski resort in VT. An 11 Jan 1980 HR brief announced that principal photography was scheduled to begin 14 Jan 1980 in Williamstown, MA. The production would spend three weeks in New England locations and film the remaining six weeks in Los Angeles.
According to a brief in the 2 Feb 1980 LAHExam, actors Bo Derek and Anthony Hopkins were called back after principal photography was completed to shoot additional footage for their hot tub sequence.
Undergraduate student Lindsey Rutledge and English literature professor Adam Evans kiss and cuddle in a hot tub. After dining with their friends, Sam and Alice Bingham, Karen Evans accuses her husband, Adam, of having an affair with one of his students. At first, he denies it but then admits to two liaisons. His current affair is with Lindsey, a student about the same age as their daughter Kasey. He rationalizes that he loves Karen but he is “smitten” with Lindsey. He babbles on about how men have different needs than women and it is possible to love two women at the same time. Karen is wounded by his infidelity and thrown off balance after twenty-one years of marriage. In bed, Karen wants to know how much time Adam has spent with his girlfriends, but he denies taking lovers to out-of-town work conferences. Later, Karen tells Alice she wants to divorce her cheating husband. Alice points out that if Karen forces Adam to choose which woman he wants to be with, he will leave her. Alice admits that her husband Sam has had flings and advises Karen to let her husband’s love affair run its course. Soon, Pete Lachappelle, a carpenter that Adam has contracted to build a bookcase, surprises Karen when he comes to the house to do the work. Karen goes back to bed and invites Pete to join her. In bed, Pete amuses Karen and makes her laugh. In their Montreal hotel room, Lindsey wonders if Karen will pine away once Adam leaves her, but Adam does not seem too concerned. Driving home, Adam parks the car a block from his house so ...
Undergraduate student Lindsey Rutledge and English literature professor Adam Evans kiss and cuddle in a hot tub. After dining with their friends, Sam and Alice Bingham, Karen Evans accuses her husband, Adam, of having an affair with one of his students. At first, he denies it but then admits to two liaisons. His current affair is with Lindsey, a student about the same age as their daughter Kasey. He rationalizes that he loves Karen but he is “smitten” with Lindsey. He babbles on about how men have different needs than women and it is possible to love two women at the same time. Karen is wounded by his infidelity and thrown off balance after twenty-one years of marriage. In bed, Karen wants to know how much time Adam has spent with his girlfriends, but he denies taking lovers to out-of-town work conferences. Later, Karen tells Alice she wants to divorce her cheating husband. Alice points out that if Karen forces Adam to choose which woman he wants to be with, he will leave her. Alice admits that her husband Sam has had flings and advises Karen to let her husband’s love affair run its course. Soon, Pete Lachappelle, a carpenter that Adam has contracted to build a bookcase, surprises Karen when he comes to the house to do the work. Karen goes back to bed and invites Pete to join her. In bed, Pete amuses Karen and makes her laugh. In their Montreal hotel room, Lindsey wonders if Karen will pine away once Adam leaves her, but Adam does not seem too concerned. Driving home, Adam parks the car a block from his house so that the neighbors do not see him with Lindsey. At home, Adam is flustered when he sees his wife in the company of a younger man. Soon, Karen discovers that Adam plans to spend his two-week vacation with Lindsey at the couple’s country home in Vermont. Karen suggests that she invite Pete and make it a foursome. When Adam tells Lindsey they’ll be sharing vacation time with Karen and Pete, she likes the idea that her relationship with Adam will be out in the open. Awkward introductions are made and the couples drive to Vermont. Upon their arrival, Adam and Lindsey go skiing. Later, as Pete prepares a meal in the kitchen, Adam quizzes him about his plans for the future. Pete plans to live one day at a time and then asks Adam about his plans. Adam wants to win a Nobel Prize and live forever. Through Pete, Adam learns that Karen is unhappy with him for turning down some great career opportunities. At night, Adam and Lindsey share the downstairs bedroom, while Pete lifts Karen onto his shoulders and carries her upstairs. When Pete becomes passionate with Karen, she stops him, unable to make love knowing her husband is downstairs. Instead, Pete makes love to her in the back of his truck. Later, daughter Kasey walks in on her father and Lindsey in bed. Her embarrassment becomes anger until the subject turns to why Kasey has skipped exam week. When she tells her parents that her boyfriend Paul left her, Pete interrupts the family discussion to tell Adam that Lindsey has left with his car. At Lindsey’s house, her father, Steven Rutledge, realizes that Adam is more than his daughter’s professor, and the insults begin to fly. Lindsey uses all her charm to point out that her father is a hypocrite who dates young girls. Meanwhile, Kasey tries unsuccessfully to persuade Pete that he is wrong for her mother. Steven decides to spend the weekend with Adam and Lindsey but becomes confused and angry when he is introduced to Karen and Pete. He wants to leave when Kasey’s boyfriend, Paul, arrives in a taxi. Paul has rethought his feelings for Kasey and wants to get married. The arrival of more people adds further awkwardness to the situation, and Pete decides to leave. Karen wishes him well, while Kasey and Paul go back to school to work on their relationship. Karen persuades Steven to stay for dinner. Afterward, he still thinks different rules of love apply for each sex but he no longer has any ill will toward Karen and Adam when he leaves. Later, Steven returns and invites Karen to dinner. When Adam and Lindsey return from skiing, they see Karen’s note and spontaneously join them. However, when Adam sees Karen gazing into Steven’s eyes in a corner of the restaurant, he is caught off guard. Outside, Lindsey points out the irony of the situation. Pete was never a threat but her father is one. Lindsey realizes that Adam never intended to leave Karen, and she breaks up with him. Karen sees Adam outside the restaurant and excuses herself to go to him, but halfway there, she changes her mind and returns to her dinner with Steven.
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