The Four Seasons **** (1981, Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Jack Weston, Rita Moreno, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis) – Classic Movie Review 11,144

Alan Alda’s 1981 comedy drama film The Four Seasons is a lovely, heart-warming yarn of the joys and pains of three couples as they take holidays together over the four seasons.

Writer-director Alan Alda’s 1981 American romantic comedy drama film The Four Seasons is a lovely, heart-warming yarn of the joys and pains of three couples as they take holidays together over the four seasons. It takes its title from the four concerti composed by Antonio Vivaldi, whose compositions provide the score.

Alan Alda stars as Jack Burroughs, who is married to Kate (Carol Burnett), Jack Weston plays Danny Zimmer, who is married to Claudia (Rita Moreno) and Len Cariou plays Nick Callan, who is married unhappily to Anne (Sandy Dennis) until he leaves to wed Ginny Newley (Bess Armstrong).

A funny, fluffy, observant screenplay by Alda is perfectly realised by the kind of actors casting directors must dream of, with Weston and Moreno providing most of the laughs. Antonio Vivaldi’s title music is pretty darned nice too, and so is Victor J Kemper’s gorgeous cinematography.

It is Alda’s film directing début, followed by Sweet Liberty, A New Life, and Betsy’s Wedding.

Also in the cast are Elizabeth Alda, Beatrice Alda, Robert Hitt, Kristi McCarthy, and David Stackpole.

It premiered at the Denver International Film Festival on 30 April 1981 and was released on 22 May 1981.

It was a huge hit as the ninth highest-grossing film of 1981. Made for only $6.5 million, the film grossed $50,427,646.

There were four Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, but no wins.

A short-lived CBS TV series followed in 1984 produced by Alda, and starring Jack Weston and Tony Roberts.

The film was later also adapted into a Netflix TV series. The American comedy drama series The Four Seasons premiered on Netflix on May 1, 2025. It is created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, starring Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo and Will Forte. It adapts the 1981 film written and directed by Alan Alda, who has a guest role in the series, which was renewed for a second season in May 2025.

The Four Seasons is directed by Alan Alda, runs 107 minutes, is made by Universal Pictures, is released by Universal Pictures (1981) (US) and Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1981) (UK), is written by Alan Alda, is shot in Technicolor by Victor J Kemper, is produced by Martin Bregman, is scored by Antonio Vivaldi, and is designed by Jack Collis.

The Four Seasons [Le quattro stagioni]

Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi’s group of four violin concerti The Four Seasons [Le quattro stagioni] give musical expression to each season of the year. They were composed around 1718–1720 when Vivaldi was the court chapel master in Mantua, and published in 1725 in Amsterdam.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,144

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