Screen legend Burt Reynolds (The Longest Yard) plays brilliantly against type as a low-key, contented magazine writer who tries to put his life back together after his wife (Candice Bergen, Soldier Blue) opts for independence as a singer-songwriter. Jill Clayburgh (Semi-Tough) plays the wacky nursery school teacher who tries to help him surmount the emotional hurdles, but it’ll be rough going: he’s still hung up on his ex-wife. Starting Over is sprinkled with charming comedy, from Bergen’s nails-on-a-chalkboard singing style to Reynolds’ near-nervous breakdown right in the middle of Bloomingdale’s department store. Crafted by world-renowned filmmakers—writer-producer James L. Brooks (Terms of Endearment), director Alan J. Pakula (Klute), cinematographer Sven Nykvist (Cries and Whispers) and composer Marvin Hamlisch (The Sting)—this delightful romantic comedy garnered 1979 Academy Award nominations for both iconic actresses, Bergen and Clayburgh.
For thoughts on Starting Over, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents Starting Over with an upgrade in the form of a 1080p master transfer in 1.85:1 sourced from a new 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative conducted by Paramount that looks great. There is a lovely amount of natural film grain throughout which resolves well without clumping or turning into noise. This allows for a robust amount of welcome texture to shine through in this transfer. The primarily winter setting showcases the snow and dying vegetation quite adeptly.
The film features some rich colors within the clothing and pieces of the production design that leap off the screen with a terrific vibrancy. Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up stark black levels that rarely succumb to crush. Highlights are just as formidable while avoiding clipping. There is a notable uptick in fine detail that adds textures to the background. Subtle details in the environments are more forefront than ever before, often revealing new aspects you previously would have missed. The restoration has cleaned up the film significantly with no noticeable instances of damage or dirt detected here. This is an example of Kino Classics and Paramount knocking it out of the park.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a fantastic DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that faithfully captures the soundscape of this one. Dialogue and background noises are balanced in perfect harmony with all competing elements. The music featured in the film and the score emanates with a kindly fidelity. Dialogue and other important information remain crisp and clear even during more hectic moments. This track shows no egregious age-related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. All of the sound effects and music appear to be faithful to the intent of the creative team. Kino Classics has done a grand job with the audio. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historians Daniel Kremer and Howard S. Berger provide a great commentary track in which they discuss how this stands out in the career of director Alan J. Pakula, the development of this project, how it compares to the source material, where this fits in the output of Burt Reynolds, the shifting attitudes of American women at this time, the themes of the feature, and more.
- Trailer: There are trailers provided for Semi-Tough, Stick, Hustle, Rent-A-Cop, Diary of a Mad Housewife, The Last Married Couple In America, Continental Divide, and The Four Seasons.
Final Thoughts
Starting Over is a very thoughtful and enjoyable dramedy that allows Burt Reynolds to show a more gentle side of his persona. Despite the qualities he brings to the role, his female counterparts stand out the most in this outing. Jill Clayburgh especially makes a big impression in a role that is inconsistently written yet always perfectly performed. Some frustrating shortcomings hinder the narrative, but overall this one works well as a character piece. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a noteworthy commentary track. If you are a fan of the performers or honest depictions of relationships, the film is worth a watch. Recommended
Starting Over is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
