''Changes'' is a 1969 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed and produced by

Hall Bartlett Hall Bartlett (November 27, 1922 – September 8, 1993) was an American film producer, director, and screenwriter, and a pioneer of independent filmmaking. Early life Hall Bartlett was born in Kansas City, Missouri, he graduated from Yale Unive ...

Plot

Set in the 1960s, the film follows the lead character Kent (Kent Lane), as he travels along the

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

coast. As he drifts, he recalls his former troubled girlfriend, Bobbi (Manuela Thiess) who committed suicide after he broke off their relationship. During his travels he meets up with different women. However, he moves along rather than stay put in hopes of finding a meaning to his life.

Cast

* Kent Lane as Kent * Michele Carey as Julie *

Jack Albertson Harold "Jack" Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in vaudeville. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor, which ranks him among a rare stature of 24 ...

as Kent's Father * Manuela Thiess as Bobbi *

Marcia Strassman Marcia Ann Strassman (April 28, 1948 – October 24, 2014) was an American actress and singer. She had roles on the TV programs ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' and ''M*A*S*H'', as well as in the film ''Honey, I Shrunk the Kids''. Life and career S ...

as Kristine * Bill Kelly as Sammy *

Tom Holland Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, he featured on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list of 2019. Some publications have called him one of the most ...

as Roommate * Kenneth Washington as Black Motorist *

Emory Parnell Emory Parnell (December 29, 1892 – June 22, 1979) was an American vaudeville performer and actor who appeared in over 250 films in his 36-year career. Early years Parnell was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He spent eight months in the Arct ...

as Man Seated At Lunchcounter *

Teri Garr Terry Ann Garr (December 11, 1944 – October 29, 2024), known as Teri Garr, was an American actress. Known for her comedic roles in film and television in the 1970s and 1980s, she often played women struggling to cope with the life-changing ex ...

as The Waitress *

Kim Weston Kim Weston (born December 20, 1939) is an American soul singer, and Motown alumna. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and " Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)", and with her duet with Marvin Gaye, " ...

as Singer in Bar

Soundtrack

The film includes two songs from the

Tim Buckley Timothy Charles Buckley III (February 14, 1947 – June 29, 1975) was an American musician. He began his career based in folk rock, but subsequently experimented with genres such as psychedelia, jazz, the avant-garde, and funk paired with his ...

album '' Goodbye and Hello'' on its soundtrack. The title song "Changes" was written by former

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

executive

William "Mickey" Stevenson William "Mickey" Stevenson (born January 4, 1937) is an American former songwriter and record producer for the Motown group of labels from the early days of Berry Gordy's company until 1967. Life and career He was born William Stevenson and, a ...

, Vicki Basemore, and Stevenson's wife, fellow Motown alumnus

. Weston performs the song in the film and on the soundtrack album.

Reception

John Simon described Changes as 'an abomination'. In the ''New York Times,'' Howard Thompson said "If "Changes" had a culminating dramatic effect equal to its perception and visual beauty, the picture ..would be a masterpiece. Even so, it is one of the most imaginative, haunting and artistic movies yet made of contemporary youth at bay. It is a remarkable film and — more than that — a remarkable experience."

References

External links

* 1969 films 1969 drama films Films directed by Hall Bartlett American drama films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films Films scored by Marty Paich {{1960s-US-film-stub