If Ever I See You Again (1978), PG, 1 h 45 min
If Ever I See You Again (1978), PG, 1 h 45 min
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Franchise: Standalone (Franchise #1 of 1)
Tagline: Sometimes you have to go back… to see what you left behind.
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🎬Main Cast
Joseph Brooks – Bob Morrison (jingle composer/director/star)
Shelley Hack – Jennifer Corly (long-lost college girlfriend)
Jimmy Breslin – Mario (agent/mentor)
Jerry Keller – Steve Warner (friend)
Karen David Miller – Karen
Danielle Brisebois – Amy Morrison (Bob’s daughter)
George Plimpton – Robert (newspaper columnist)
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⭐ Reviews
My Rating: 2/10
The Dove Foundation: Not reviewed
IMDb: ~4.5/10 – based on user reviews as noted on IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes (Critics): 1% –
Metacritic: No entry available
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📖 Plot Summary
Bob Morrison, a successful commercial jingle composer, is creatively unfulfilled and longs for artistic authenticity. On a visit to Hollywood to score a film, he reconnects with Jennifer, the college sweetheart he never stopped loving. A romance rekindles—until the realities of life and his own limitations disrupt it.
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📝 Overview
Directed, written, scored, and starred in by Joseph Brooks (best known for You Light Up My Life), the film is widely regarded as a vanity project. Critics slammed Brooks’s amateurish direction and overbearing self-insertion, while Shelley Hack’s performance was deemed underwhelming. What started as an introspective musical romance becomes unintentionally cringe-inducing and self-indulgent. The film bombed at the box office and later earned “Worst Picture” at the 1978 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards .
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👨👩👧👦 Family Friendliness / Christian Perspective
Rated PG for mild romance and musical themes. No explicit content, though emotional manipulation and vanity dominate. From a Christian-friendly perspective, the film lacks spiritual depth and moral grounding; its focus on self-promotion rather than redemption or genuine love contrasts sharply with values of humility and purity found in faith-based storytelling.
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🎬 Notable Scenes
Reunion at the Studio – Bob nervously reconnects with Jennifer amid recording gear and artificial glamour.
Montage of Jingle Creation – A string of cringe-worthy jingles underscoring Bob’s commercial compromises.
Amy’s Childlike Wisdom – Bob’s young daughter delivers a tender moment amid emotionally flat adult scenes.
Orchestral “Vision” Sequence – Bob conducts awkwardly in a dreamlike musical fantasy.
End Credits Theme – The title song by Roberta Flack (hit single separate from film’s failure).
Frank Awards Nomination Montage – Self-glorifying moments that undercut sincerity.
Awkward Dialogue Exchanges – Bob’s stumbling lines reveal his inexperience as a lead actor.
Mario’s Tough Love – Jimmy Breslin occasionally offers blunt commentary on Bob’s unrealistic expectations.
Jennifer’s Hesitation – Scenes that attempt romantic tension but fall flat due to poor chemistry.
Final Denouement – Bob’s quiet walk away from the dream, leaving unresolved longing and regret.
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