This 1980s Time-Travel Love Story Was Filmed on Mackinac Island
Of all the places in Michigan, Mackinac Island has been praised as being one of the most beautiful. At least in personal conversations. Truly, simple pictures paint the island as a breathtaking sight to behold.
It makes sense that a film would use Mackinac Island as the backdrop for a romance story. Even if that romance involves time travel.
I'm speaking of the 1980 film, "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve (Superman) and a very young Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman). Reeve portrays a playwright living in Chicago who, according to IMDB,
uses self-hypnosis to travel back in time to meet the actress whose vintage portrait hangs in the Grand Hotel.
The character is driven to use this self-hypnosis after a mysterious older woman approaches him on the opening night of his play and "begs him to come back to her," after handing him an antique pocket watch. Then,
during a period of writer's block, he sees a photograph in a hotel museum, and learns that this elderly woman was once a talented and lovely actress. Drawn mysteriously to the expression on the woman's face in the photograph, he turns to a former professor for insights on time travel.
You can read more here.
The beautiful thing about this movie is that, while most are not necessarily filmed at the location where the film is set, Somewhere In Time is filmed entirely on Mackinac Island. Those familiar with the island should have no problem spotting some notable landmarks in this brief clip (specifically the Grand Hotel):
The film, also starring names like Christopher Plummer and William H. Macy, gained over five Oscar nominations and won for Best Fantasy Film, Best Music, and Best Costumes. The movie also earned Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress.
In the world of streaming, finding this movie is surprisingly easy. Currently, it's streaming on Youtube, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime. However, it's not streaming for free. The rental price sits around $4 for each streaming service.
And, just like that, it looks like I've solidified my Friday night plans.
Somewhere In Time isn't the only movie that was filmed on Mackinac Island. The 1959 movie "Anatomy of Murder" was also filmed entirely in the UP. Read more here.