Funny, moving examination of '70 s love and malaise. Few films capture the internal feelings of its characters like this film. John Heard, Mary Beth Hurt and Peter Reigert were three of the best(and under utilized) actors of their generation. The great Gloria Grahame is haunting is her last great part.

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.

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.

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.