Released in 1981 and written, directed, and starred in by Alan Alda, The Four Seasons is a deeply observant, quietly sharp comedy about the complexities of long-term friendship and marriage. Rather than chasing slapstick or drama for its own sake, it examines the emotional minefields of adult relationships with a kind of honesty rarely seen in Hollywood at the time.
The story revolves around three upper-middle-class couples from New York who have made a tradition of vacationing together throughout the year — in spring, summer, fall, and winter. The routine is broken when one of the husbands, Nick (played by Len Cariou), suddenly divorces his wife and shows up on the next trip with a much younger woman. That single event becomes a ripple that disturbs the entire group dynamic.
Alan Alda and Carol Burnett play Jack and Kate Burroughs, one of the central couples, and the performances — like the script — are intimate, flawed, and entirely human. The ensemble cast also includes Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, and Bess Armstrong, each offering characters that feel lived-in and recognizable. No one is played for caricature. Everyone is allowed to be complicated.
What makes The Four Seasons stand out is how little it tries to “entertain” in the traditional sense. It’s not chasing big plot points or shock twists. Instead, it builds tension from what happens when people who thought they knew each other are forced to reevaluate those relationships in real time. The film is structured across four vacations — each one a new chapter in the group’s shifting emotional terrain.
It’s also a film that ages well. Themes like emotional codependency, resentment beneath politeness, and how people react to the fear of being left behind are still just as relevant today. Even the comedic beats — subtle, awkward, sometimes painfully funny — feel like precursors to modern prestige TV dramedies.
The Four Seasons remains an understated, smart film about what happens when friends become uncomfortable mirrors for each other. And it did it all without ever raising its voice.