After working with John Heard on her 1977 film Between the Lines, writer/director Joan Micklin Silver knew that she wanted to cast him in her next feature Chilly Scenes of Winter. He plays a fairly complex, lovestruck character that dances right on the edge of being a bit too crazy, but he pulls it off with an authenticity that leaves you rooting for him, even when you’re shaking your head at some of his decisions. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our John Heard series with Micklin Silver’s 1979 film Chilly Scenes of Winter.
It may be called Chilly Scenes of Winter, but it’s full of genuine comic moments.
The studio heads didn’t get it at all, releasing the film initially as Head Over Heels with an artificially happy ending. No one wanted to see that and the film bombed. It took Micklin Silver three years to get the original version released, and it was a success.
Do we like the way the movie plays out in this version? Absolutely.
How does John Heard do as this crazy character who rides the line with stalking Laura, the woman he falls in love with? What does the movie say about relationships, particularly when one side is more in love than the other side?
How about the idea of being the ‘other’ in a relationship?
Talk about the cast – aside from Heard, who is perfect in his role, we have Mary Beth Hurt as Laura, Peter Riegert, Gloria Grahame, Kenneth McMillan, Nora Heflin, and more. It’s a delightful cast and they’re all bringing their A-games here.
It’s a challenging but fascinating movie about relationships and finding yourself. We have a great time talking about it so check it out then tune in! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
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