''Return'', also known as ''Return: A Case of Passion'', is a 1985
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
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* Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
mystery film
A mystery film is a film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur Detective, sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, ...
, written, directed and co-produced by Andrew Silver. It was Silver's debut theatrical work.
Synopsis
Diana Stoving, after experiencing a premonition, becomes convinced that her mother withheld the truth about her family history. Diana travels to Massachusetts to investigate. She coincidentally meets a woman studying
past-life regression
Past life regression (PLR), Past life therapy (PLT), regression or memory regression is a method that uses hypnosis to recover what practitioners believe are Past life memory, memories of past lives or reincarnation, incarnations.Karlene Crockett as Diana Stoving
* John Walcutt as Day Whittaker
*
Anne Francis
Anne Francis (September 16, 1930 – January 2, 2011) was an American actress known for her ground-breaking roles in the science fiction film ''Forbidden Planet'' (1956) and the television action-drama series '' Honey West'' (1965–1966). ...
as Eileen Sedgeley
*
Frederic Forrest
Frederic Fenimore Forrest Jr. (December 23, 1936 – June 23, 2023) was an American actor. A figure of the New Hollywood movement, Forrest was best known for his collaborations with director Francis Ford Coppola, playing featured roles in ''Th ...
Lenore Zann
Lenore Zann (born November 22, 1959) is a Canadian actress and politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Cumberland—Colchester in the House of Commons of Canada as a member of the Liberal Party. Before ent ...
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
and
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, and was released in theaters January 24, 1986. It was released on VHS in 1988, with an "R" rating.''Return'' Videohound's MovieRetriever.com.
Reception
Reviews varied from mildly to strongly negative.
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who was the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in 2000. ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' found ''Return'' to be a "technically competent but completely witless mystery movie about possession and reincarnation." He continued that the film is "always in focus, full of picturesque landscapes, devoid of character and even of suspense." ''
Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' reviewer Michael Blowen wrote "Fans of Shirley MacLaine's New Age fascination with past lives should find ''Return'', a locally produced feature film, entertaining ... This independent film has first-rate production values and excellent performances, but it lacks the necessary tension and suspense to propel it into the rank of first-rate occult movies."
''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
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* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' noted that the subtitle ("A case of passion") "gave away" the romantic subplot, and the ending. The film received a cool reception at eFilmCritic; Charles Tatum described it as generating "a complete feeling of indifference", spending too little time on either "character development or suspense." He described the "twist" ending as obvious. Eleanor Mannikka (Rovi/AllMovie) wrote that "the theme veers from possession to suspense thriller, slowing up in the process...", giving the film two stars (of five).
Awards
John Walcutt won Best Actor (''Caixa de Catalunya'') at
Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival
SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia () is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Catalonia, Spain. It specializes in fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernat ...