Skip to content
MovieCove
Twice in a Lifetime

Twice in a Lifetime

1985111 minRMidcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Director
Bud Yorkin
Starring
Gene Hackman, Ann-Margret, Ellen Burstyn, Amy Madigan

A middle-aged steelworker is content with his job and his family, but feels that something is missing in his life. On his 50th birthday, he stops in at a local bar for a drink to celebrate. He finds himself attracted to the young, very sexy barmaid--and, to his surprise, he finds that she is also very attracted to him.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Twice in a Lifetime?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Twice in a Lifetime on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Twice in a Lifetime?

Twice in a Lifetime earns 3 badges, led by Standout acting and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Twice in a Lifetime worth watching?

Twice in a Lifetime's Midcredits score is the 50th percentile of all films, from 2.9K ratings across 5 sources. 48% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

50th percentile

Better received than 50% of films

49th percentile among Drama53rd percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)51st
Approval (how many liked it)49th

62 /100

51st percentile of all films

50th percentile among Drama54th percentile among 1980s

Critics 58 · Audience 62

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.4 — solid but not unanimous.

48% liked it

49th percentile of all films

47th percentile among Drama52nd percentile among 1980s
48% rated it 7–1052% rated it 1–6

Critics 83% · Audience 52%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 3 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Actress in a Supporting Role
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

64th percentile

2.9K ratings across platforms

66th percentile among Drama59th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 24% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$8M
Domestic gross$8.4M
Worldwide gross$8.4M

Returned 1.1× its budget — 83rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is well-acted by a top-tier cast, but the screenplay is underwritten and formulaic.

Fans praised

  • Realistic depiction of imperfect people and messy divorce without clear villains
  • Strong central performances from Hackman, Burstyn, and Madigan
  • Bittersweet tone and refusal to offer pat resolutions

Detractors panned

  • Thin, clichéd script that plays like a TV movie
  • Predictable plot that breaks no new ground
  • Implausible central romance given character’s personality and looks

What stands out

Acting80

Hackman, Burstyn, and Madigan praised across camps; Madigan's Oscar-nominated angry daughter stands out

Atmosphere65

Working-class Seattle setting and period details praised by fans

Emotional impact60

Bittersweet and touching to fans; emotionally flat to detractors

Characters50

Flawed and realistic to fans, underwritten and one-note to detractors; Burstyn's role especially thin

EndingDivisive50

Resists happy ending; some find it satisfyingly realistic, others abrupt and inconclusive

Pacing45

Sags in middle; too long with padding, especially in daughters' subplots

Plot and story40

Predictable midlife-crisis adultery story; adds nothing new to the genre

Originality30

Familiar TV-movie territory; derivative of other divorce dramas

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Twice in a Lifetime like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you want something serious and affecting.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Moods
MelancholicBittersweet
Heaviest: middle
Register
Tender · 13% of filmsWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its material straight, without irony or distance, treating the characters' choices and consequences with emotional realism.
The rideThe film settles into a steady, regretful sadness from the affair onward, with moments of gentle lightness around Kate's reawakening but no sharp emotional swings.
StructureThe synopsis presents events in chronological order from the birthday through the affair, separation, and family adjustments, with no indication of nonlinear storytelling.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a quiet, unresolved sadness—neither fully happy nor tragic—alongside a gentle longing for what might have been, and a subtle hope that Kate at least will be okay.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeHarry's mid-life affair and departure from a routine marriage follow a tragic shape—he is crushed by the atrophy of his marriage and his own deferred dreams. But his wife Kate's later reawakening suggests a rebirth arc for her, and Harry's acceptance of his choices has a faint rebuild quality.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfMarriageBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% (this title) · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Marriage · 2% of filmsPurpose · 9% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines a long marriage that has become hollow, and the search for personal meaning that drives one partner to leave.
StanceThe film neither celebrates nor condemns Harry's affair and subsequent divorce; it presents the dissolution of a long marriage with empathy for both sides, leaving judgment to the viewer.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanSmall townDomesticRealistic
JazzSupportive music · original score · Pat Metheny
Setting1980s working-class suburb of Seattle and downtown Seattle
MusicA wistful, guitar-led jazz score that underscores the melancholic and reflective tone of the story.

Content guide

Is Twice in a Lifetime okay for kids?

R

Twice in a Lifetime is rated R. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (0/100), sexual content at minimal (14/100), language at moderate (56/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (22/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (19 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Twice in a Lifetime have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Twice in a Lifetime?

Cast

Gene Hackman
as Harry
Ann-Margret
as Audrey
Ellen Burstyn
as Kate
Amy Madigan
as Sunny
Ally Sheedy
as Helen
Stephen Lang
as Keith
Brian Dennehy
as Nick
Darrell Larson
as Jerry
Chris Parker
as Tim
Kevin Bleyer
as Chris

Crew

Directed by

Bud Yorkin

Written by

Colin Welland

Cinematography

Nick McLean

Edited by

Robert C. Jones

Music by

Pat Metheny

Produced by

David SalvenDavid YorkinBud Yorkin

More like this

What are movies like Twice in a Lifetime?

Movies like Twice in a Lifetime include We Don't Live Here Anymore (2004), Premonition (2007) and Concussion (2013). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in a small town, and several are films that feel wistful.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its subject: marriage. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Twice in a Lifetime?

5.2K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: marriage in crisis. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.