From Bid Time Return to Somewhere in Time : Matheson as Adapter, Adaptation as Transformation, and the Perks of Infidelity

This essay closely examines the adaptation of Richard Matheson’s science-fiction romance novel Bid Time Return (1975) into the film Somewhere in Time (1980), scripted by Matheson, directed by Jeannot Szwarc, and starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour in the lead roles. Whilst Bid Time Return was awarded the World Fantasy Award, many of Matheson’s loyal readers, as the author has noted, found the novel «soft», and neither it nor its film adaptation were commercially successful. However, both novel and film have developed loyal followings, with Somewhere in Time even spawning its own fan club, the International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts. In addition, the film is noteworthy as a critical transformation of its own source text.
Este ensayo examina la adaptación cinematográfica de la novela de ciencia ficción Bid Time Return (1975) de Richard Matheson. La película se titula Somewhere in Time (1980), con guión de Matheson, dirigida por Jeannot Szwarc y protagonizada por Christopher Reeve y Jane Seymour. Si bien Bid Time Return obtuvo el World Fantasy Award, muchos de los lectores de Matheson, como el mismo autor ha indicado, pensaron que no era su mejor obra, y ni la novela ni su adaptación cinematográfica tuvieron éxito comercial. Sin embargo, tanto el texto literario como la película cuentan con seguidores fieles. Somewhere in Time incluso ha generado su propio club de fans: la International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts. Además esta película es digna de atención como transformación crítica del texto original.