Same Time, Next Year | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

40% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings

In 1951, at a small California inn, George (Alan Alda) and Doris (Ellen Burstyn) have an affair. Instead of writing it off as a one-night stand, the pair decide to meet at the inn every year for a romantic retreat, away from their respective spouses and families. In the decades that follow, both George and Doris face their own personal struggles and hardships, and together they develop a level of love and intimacy that exceeds the ones found in their own marriages.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Same Time, Next Year | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Well done filmed play absorbs us in the characters' lives. Jul 6, 2010 Full Review Same Time, Next Year | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Urban Cinefile Critics Urban Cinefile It's funny, sad, unexpected and moving. Just like life and its relationships Nov 17, 2007 Full Review Same Time, Next Year | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com An overlong, tiresome, excessively theatrical comedy, based on Bernard Slade's play, about a 25 year tryst of a married man and married woman (Ellen Burstyn and Alan Alda. Rated: D+ Sep 21, 2007 Full Review Same Time, Next Year | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Nick Davis Nick's Flick Picks Satisfied neither to be honestly frivolous or sincerely ambitious, Same Time, Next Year winds up giving a bad name both to comedy and to drama. Rated: F Mar 3, 2006 Full Review Same Time, Next Year | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews What worked on the stage doesn't on film. Rated: C+ Nov 23, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (195) audience reviews

Mark A Delightful! Burstyn and Alda do a good job. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/03/23 Full Review Audience Member Amazing story. I love it. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member I hadn't heard of this movie until a friend recommended it, and I doubted that i would like it, but I LOVED it. It's such a romantic, incredible film. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Great script (play) adapted adequately for screen with two titans well adept to rise to the challenge of going through the years for this story Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review steve d Burstyn especially is great but the characters and story are uninteresting. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I recall seeing this for the first time when I was a teenager and thinking how romantic it all was. At the time, I didn't get all of the nuances of the film, but I loved it all the same. As an adult, it makes so much more sense, and I'm now able to identify so much with the characters and situations in "Same Time, Next Year." Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn are so wonderfully immersed in their characters that by the end of the movie we feel like we know George and Doris as intimately as they know each other. The characters weave through the screenplay and transport us through some interesting and difficult periods in American history, and in each other's lives. The theme song, "The Last Time I Felt Like This," works as a connecting thread throughout the movie, and also works its way into your heart by the end. It's not a perfect movie, but still holds up pretty well after more than 40 years, and it's a solid date-night standard. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Same Time, Next Year

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Robert Mulligan Director Ellen Burstyn Doris Alan Alda George Peters Ivan Bonar Chalmers Bernie Kuby Waiter Cosmo Sardo Second Waiter
Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home

The Four Seasons 76% 75% The Four Seasons Watchlist Pete 'n' Tillie 67% 70% Pete 'n' Tillie Watchlist On Golden Pond 91% 87% On Golden Pond Watchlist More American Graffiti 20% 33% More American Graffiti Watchlist Continental Divide 73% 53% Continental Divide Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Photos

View All Same Time, Next Year photos

Same Time, Next Year

Same Time, Next Year (1978) Same Time, Next Year (1978) Same Time, Next Year (1978) View more photos

Synopsis In 1951, at a small California inn, George (Alan Alda) and Doris (Ellen Burstyn) have an affair. Instead of writing it off as a one-night stand, the pair decide to meet at the inn every year for a romantic retreat, away from their respective spouses and families. In the decades that follow, both George and Doris face their own personal struggles and hardships, and together they develop a level of love and intimacy that exceeds the ones found in their own marriages.

Director
Robert Mulligan

Producer
Walter Mirisch, Morton Gottlieb

Screenwriter
Bernard Slade

Distributor
Universal Pictures

Production Co
Universal/Universal Int, The Mirisch Corporation [us], Universal Pictures

Rating
PG

Genre
Comedy, Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 22, 1978, Original

Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016

Runtime
1h 59m
Same Time, Next Year | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Laurine Ryan

Last Updated:

Views: 6603

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (77 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Laurine Ryan

Birthday: 1994-12-23

Address: Suite 751 871 Lissette Throughway, West Kittie, NH 41603

Phone: +2366831109631

Job: Sales Producer

Hobby: Creative writing, Motor sports, Do it yourself, Skateboarding, Coffee roasting, Calligraphy, Stand-up comedy

Introduction: My name is Laurine Ryan, I am a adorable, fair, graceful, spotless, gorgeous, homely, cooperative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.