''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 * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, i ...

, 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; one of her subjects is Day Whittaker, a young man who seems to be possessed by the spirit of Diana's deceased grandfather. Under regression, Day claims he died under suspicious circumstances.

Cast

* Karlene Crockett as Diana Stoving * John Walcutt as Day Whittaker *

Anne Francis Anne Francis (also known as Anne Lloyd 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 seri ...

as Eileen Sedgeley *

Frederic Forrest Frederic Fenimore Forrest Jr. (born December 23, 1936) is an American actor. Forrest came to public attention for his performance in ''When the Legends Die'' (1972), which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising N ...

as Brian Stoving * Lee Stetson as Daniel Montcross * Barbara Kerwin as Ellen Fullerton * Lisa Richards as Ann Stoving *

Hanna Landy Hanna Hertelendy (born Taylor Silami; October 5, 1919 – May 15, 2008), also known as Hanna Landy, was a Hungarian-American film and television actress. Early years She was born as Taylor Silami near Miramichi. She married Bryce Hertelendy in 1 ...

as Elizabeth Holt * Ariel Aberg-Riger as Diana (age 3) * Thomas Cross Rolapp as Lucky the mechanic *

Lenore Zann Lenore Zann (born November 22, 1959) is a Canadian actress and former 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 ...

as Susan * Dennis Hoerter as Mechanic's assistant

Production

''Return'' was based on the 1972 novel '' Some Other Place. The Right Place.'' by Donald Harington. The film was shot in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

, 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 served as 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 ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' 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'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Gl ...

'' 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: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''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 The Sitges Film Festival ( ca, Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya, links=no) is an annual film festival held in Sitges, Spain, specialized in fantasy and horror films, of which it is considered one of the world's foremost in ...

."18ed. Festival Internaciona de Cinema Fantàstic de Sitges (4/10 - 12/10) Awards" (English)
sitgesfilmfestival.com. Accessed August 3, 2012.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Return (1985 film) 1985 films American independent films American mystery films Films based on American novels 1980s English-language films 1980s American films