Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) Review

Title: Peggy Sue Got Married
Year: 1986
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Country: US
Language: English

In the 1970's Francis Ford Coppola became a household name with critical and commercial hits like The Godfather (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1979). In the 1980's Coppola was met with mixed reception; his films The Outsider (1981) and Rumble Fish (1983) failed to become box office hits and his studio became bankrupt. In desperation he signed on as a director-for-hire to take over Jonathon Demme's directing duties in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986).

Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) faints at a high school reunion. When she wakes up, she finds herself in her own past, just before she finished school.

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) is interesting because it's a time travel film that is completely devoid of science fiction elements. It has no interest in "why?" or "how?" such a phenomenon occurred; rather its entire interest is on exploring relationships and trying to find meaning out of the past. This is quite a small and restrained picture for Coppola. 

I felt myself very moved by Peggy Sue Got Married; particularly the scene where she visits her deceased grandparents. It's a sentimental, heartfelt picture that has remarkable set design and era-appropriate costumes. I felt very nostalgic for the time period set in this film - and I was born 30 years later! 

This picture is quite charming. Its humor is understated and overall it will be quite a heartwarming trip through time. Kathleen Turner does a tremendous job trying to understand the "what ifs" of Peggy Sue's life.