Disturbing yet enthralling

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

It's winter. It's cold. Everything seems worse then. And, when you're lonely, miserable and pining for a lost love, that's the worst. We see John Heard get into a car and suddenly Mary Beth Hurt speaks to him from the back seat. But then we see the conversation is in his mind. He still thinks about her. He still needs her, even though she's with someone else. The bittersweet mood is set and we are in for a ride that is both hysterical and somber. It's the kind of laughter that makes us cry. John Heard gives a very understated performance and Gloria Grahame is good as his very kooky mother. And, despite all the fun and love shared between John and Mary Beth in flashback, we see the reality that John refuses to see. He still sits in his car outside her place. He's lost, but finally has to come to terms with survival before he goes crazy. He goes for a candy bar in the lobby of the office-building he works in throughout the film and can never decide what he wants and can't speak up to the blind guy behind the counter, until he finally has a breakdown. This 1979 sleeper really entertains without basking too much in the dumps. Sure it seems depressing, but you never feel down. There's always hope with John Heard's charming personality, Peter Reigert's performance as his friend, and the true-to-life treatment and love for the subject matter by the director Joan Micklin Silver. A tour de force by all concerned and a must-see for all those searching for love.

more aptly describes this gem of a movie. Not on cable as much as lesser films, unfortunately.John Heard is excellent as the unrequited lover, pursuing Laura, a woman in a mediocre marriage, on-again off-again.What is nice about this film is it sort of imitates life: things happen for no reason, odd characters (Gloria Grahame as mom is very good) People with their own quirks and problems. This was filmed in Salt Lake City Utah, and gives us a nice backdrop of emotion, estranged relationships, hopes for the future.Peter Riegert (amusing as the unemployed jacket salesman with a physics background). John Heard is quirky and sympathetic at his office job, where he pours a cup of vodka for himself, trying to figure out how to win Laura back. Mary Beth Hurt is also believable, as a confused woman on the fence about her marriage to an A-frame salesman named "Ox".Joan Micklin Silver is to be commended for her direction in this film. Oddly, I also reviewed an LMN movie she directed, "Hunger Point" with Barbara Hershey. I enjoyed that film. The director seemed to add touches of humanity into that film as well. "Chilly Scenes of Winter" is not to be missed, a nice human film which anyone who has wondered why they can't just have a "normal life", will relate to and enjoy. 9/10.

Chilly Scenes of Winter is one of the best films of the 1970s. The film has a devoted cult and yet it is difficult to find in video stores. Why?! In an age where every Pauly Shore film is available in every format there is something terribly wrong if a film like Chilly Scenes of Winter can't be seen.It is a crime that this movie isn't out on DVD in widescreen with a Joan Micklin Silver / John Heard commentary. It would also be nice to see the original ending and perhaps other deleted scenes. A "making of" documentary would be great. Go to http://www.mgm.com/help.do and submit a comment stating you want the company to release the film on DVD with extras!

I am a huge movie fan, and usually am a huge fan of John Heard, but this movie was one of the most depressing I've ever seen. Heard plays a semi-psychotic stalker type character that is extremely unnerving. They need to lock this up and throw away the key. I still think John Heard did a wonderful job of capturing the insanity and depression of the main character though.