Somewhere in Time, a cult classic filmed in Michigan
Andrew Norton
This is Part One of a Two Part Post Long before Michigan started to become a destination for making movies a small budget film was shooting on Mackinac Island. The year was 1979 and fresh off the success of Superman, Christopher Reeve was on the island filming a romantic film with a time traveling twist, Somewhere in Time. This was the second motion picture filmed on Mackinac Island. The first was, This Time For Keeps in 1946.
Somewhere in Time debuted in theaters on October 3, 1980 and only ran for three weeks. The film was panned by critics and were it not for appearing on cable television – it might have faded away into nothing but a memory. Audiences were so taken with the film when it was shown on cable networks that they would call or write to the network requesting that it be run again.
While not an instant classic, it has gained popularity over the years and has gathered a rather extensive fan base. Fans are so devoted to this film they actually celebrate the film every October on Mackinac Island at the Grand Hotel where much of the movie was filmed. The Somewhere in Time Weekend for 2009 is October 16-18. The name of the Somewhere in Time fan club that sponsors the annual Somewhere in Time Weekend is INSITE – the International Network of Somewhere In Time Enthusiasts.
The special weekend includes a screening of the movie, meet cast and crew from the film, panel discussions, and walking tours of filming locations. For answers to any questions you might have about the weekend and all it entails visit the official INSITE website. To book your stay visit the Grand Hotel website.
It was just announced this September that a Broadway musical is in the works for Somewhere in Time. No timeline for when this might appear onstage, but you can keep up to date at SomewhereInTimeTheMusical.com.
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Plot Summary via imdb.com:
Young writer Richard Collier (Christopher Reeve) is met on the opening night of his first play by an old lady who begs him to "Come back to me". Mystified, he tries to find out about her, and learns that she is a famous stage actress from the early 1900s, Elise McKenna (Jane Seymour). Becoming more and more obsessed with her, he manages, by self hypnosis, to travel back in time where he meets her. They fall in love, a matching that is not appreciated by her manager (Christopher Plummer). Can their love outlast the immense problems caused by their "time" difference? And can Richard remain in a time that is not his?
Somewhere in Time movie trailer: