Twice in a Lifetime **** (1985, Gene Hackman, Ellen Burstyn, Ann-Margret, Amy Madigan, Ally Sheedy, Brian Dennehy, Stephen Lang) – Classic Movie Review 11,910

The 1985 film Twice in a Lifetime is an excellent drama about a 50-year-old married steel mill worker (Gene Hackman) who falls out with his wife (Ellen Burstyn}, falls into the arms of a barmaid (Ann-Margret), and clashes with his grown-up children.

‘For Better or for Worse… But Not Always Forever.’

Harry Mackenzie (Gene Hackman): ‘It’s been a long time since I haven’t known for certain what a day had in store for me.’

Producer-director Bud Yorkin’s 1985 American drama film Twice in a Lifetime is written by Colin Welland, and stars Gene Hackman, Ellen Burstyn, Ann-Margret, Amy Madigan, Ally Sheedy, Brian Dennehy and Stephen Lang. It is both a distinguished personal and romantic drama and an acting showcase from a fine ensemble, with Gene Hackman outstanding.

Twice in a Lifetime is an excellent slice-of-life drama that tells of a 50-year-old married steel mill factory worker called Harry Mackenzie (Hackman) who hits mid-life crisis as he celebrates his 50th birthday, falls out with his wife Kate (Burstyn} and falls into the arms of local barmaid Audrey (Ann-Margret), and then clashes with his grown-up children Helen (Ally Sheedy) and Sunny (Amy Madigan).

Harry’s affair with Audrey infuriates Sunny, ironically, as her own marriage with Keith (Stephen Lang) is in trouble too. Then Harry’s grown-up son Jerry (Darrell Larson) arrives and criticises his father over his affair.

The superb actors, who also notably include Sheedy and Madigan (Oscar nominated as Best Supporting Actress), explore all the elements that lead to a family’s breakdown and make this superior film far more than the typical heart-tugging drama.

Poignant but never overly sentimental, this movie scores over most glossy romantic melodramas through the sharp humour and excellent characterisation in Colin Welland’s way-above-average screenplay, based on his BBC British 1973 Play for Today TV episode Kisses at Fifty.

Paul McCartney composes and performs the theme song ‘Twice in a Lifetime’, heard over the end credits, finally released in 1993 as a bonus track on a reissue of the Pipes of Peace album.

It was shot from 15 July 1984 to 13 September 1984 on locations in Seattle, Washington.

The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on 9 May 1985 and opened on 23 October 1985 at the Beekman Theatre in New York City, and was released in Los Angeles, Seattle and Toronto the following week.

It cost $8 million and earned $8,402,424 at the North American box office, opening at 436 theatres. The $8 million budget was financed independently by Bud Yorkin, who decided to distribute the movie himself and turned down offers from major movie studio distributors. It was the era of video, so Vestron Video was able to release it successfully on VHS in the US (1986) and the UK (1987).

Hackman received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Amy Madigan received nominations from the Oscars and Golden Globes for Best Supporting Actress. At the Oscars, Madigan lost to Anjelica Huston for Prizzi’s Honor (1985).

ironically, Bud Yorkin’s 30-year marriage broke up during the making of the film.

Kisses at Fifty, directed by Michael Apted, was first broadcast on BBC1 in January 1973. Bill Maynard (then only 44) starred as a man who kisses a barmaid (Marjorie Yates) on his 50th birthday. It won the British Academy Television Award for Best Single Drama in 1974.

The cast

The cast are Gene Hackman as Harry Mackenzie, Ann-Margret as Audrey Minnelli, Ellen Burstyn as Kate Mackenzie, Amy Madigan as Sunny Mackenzie-Sobel, Ally Sheedy as Helen Mackenzie, Brian Dennehy as Nick, Stephen Lang as Keith, and Darrell Larson as Jerry.

Twice in a Lifetime is directed by Bud Yorkin, runs 111 minutes, is made by Bud Yorkin Productions, is released by Yorkin Company, is written by Colin Welland, based on his 1973 Play for Today TV episode Kisses at Fifty, is shot by Nick McLean, is produced by Bud Yorkin, is scored by Pat Metheny and Paul McCartney, and is designed by William Creber.

Amy Madigan (born September 11, 1950)

Amy Madigan (born September 11, 1950) made her film debut in the drama Love Child (1982) for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress. She earned nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for Twice in a Lifetime (1985). For her performance in the horror film Weapons (2025) she again received nominations for the Golden Globe Award and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

She is married to Ed Harris since November 21, 1983, with one child (Lily Harris).

Bud Yorkin (February 22, 1926 – August 18, 2015) 

Films directed by Bud Yorkin: Come Blow Your Horn (1963), Never Too Late (1965), Divorce American Style (1967), Inspector Clouseau (1968), Start the Revolution Without Me (1970), The Thief Who Came to Dinner (1973), Twice in a Lifetime (1985), Arthur 2: On the Rocks (1988), Love Hurts (1990).

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 11,910

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