Amazing Stories (TV Series) Lane Change (1987) User Reviews

Cars from the past

[sonnyschlaegel · 8/10 · 31 May 2007]

Charlene has just left her husband George. She wants to divorce him. She's driving through a rainy night when an old woman beckons her to stop. Something is wrong with her car, and Charlene agrees to take her to the next garage. As they are talking about Charlene's situation, strange things begin to happen. They are overtaken by an old car the driver of which looks like Charlene's father. And they encounter other old cars; in one of them, Charlene sees herself and George. Charlene says she thinks she's going mad. The old woman replies that perhaps she only saw what she wanted to see and what she was meant to see, and that she should reconsider leaving George. But Charlene is a tough woman and dismisses the old woman's remarks as folk psychology. Where are the strange cars coming from? And will the old woman be able to convince Charlene to return to George?

I liked this story. There was some mystery: I wondered where the cars and the people from the past and the future come from, if they are just hallucinations or part of a dream (messages from Charlene's subconscious?), or if time travel was involved. Anyway, what she sees helps Charlene learn something about herself, and I think that that part was well done. And the ending has a twist that I liked. The acting is good, too, and I think that the setting is a good choice for this story. (The lonely road Charlene goes on probably stands for the question which road she will take in the future, and the rain and the night stand for her fears (she mentions that as a girl she had nightmares that involved rainy nights).)

All in all, this is a good mix of mystery and psychology in my opinion.

Very well made, thought awfully familiar

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 24 June 2015]

"Lane Change" is a well made show...no doubt about that. The acting is just fine and the story well done. However, there have been LOTS of similar shows or stories (such as on "The Twilight Zone") and so it's not exactly a must-see.

Charlene (Kathy Baker) is driving during a very stormy night. She sees a woman by the side of the road and stops. The older lady (Priscilla Pointer) says her car broke down a ways back and would love a lift. Charlene agrees and over the course of their drive, the two get to know each other better AND Charlene begins to reassess her life and her recent choices--particularly her desire to get a divorce.

This show offers few surprises but it's done well so I'll cut it slack. Worth seeing but only a fair to middling episode.

The road of the past and travel drive of the future!

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 12 March 2020]

This "Amazing Stories" episode from season 2 "Lane Change" which aired on January 12, 1987 is one that was interesting and it entertained with drama showing how the themes of the past and future can interconnect to make changes in the present. It involves a Missouri woman named Charlene(Kathy Baker) who while driving on a rainy stormy night picks up a stranded broke down older lady. The episode then gets revealing as it's discovered that Charlene is not happy and perhaps has a divorce coming on! The older lady grills her about life and real wisdom, then cars start to pass them it's like a ride from the past for Charlene it's includes an image of daddy. However later on Charlene has a tragic image ahead on the highway! Don't want to be a spoiler yet this story is a ghostly take on how the past can haunt and it gives a glimpse into a bleak future, yet older wisdom of one's future self caused present and life saving changes! Overall well done episode see it if you haven't.

The Ride of a Lifetime !

[elshikh4 · 10/10 · 16 September 2009]

I was 10 year old. It was 6:40 P.M. The second channel in our Egyptian TV used to air strange series named Amazing Stories. It was my first time to watch a series where every single episode got new cast and narrative. Every time they brought a short story that could thrill me. This time, I found myself hocked, rather spellbound, with something that I didn't read or watch anything like it to date.

From time to time, you need to review the journey of your life to take the right decision. Here, life got to be reviewed in the right moment; otherwise a wrong turn could be chosen. Charlene 'Charlie' Benton was visited by her older self, and her younger selves as well, to take a right decision in the right moment, so she could be more mature.

This reviewing (or re-viewing!) made her discover that she was dealing with her lover by the unfair way that her father was dealing with her. And losing her husband could lead to losing herself (the imaginative flash-forward about her as dead). Therefore she has to give her love the compassion that she used to be deprived of.

So simply her conscience pushed her in this nightmare-like to find out that her past was part of the problem that she was having. And the "way" to end this problem is by realizing that (notice that the storm ended at this moment in specific), then changing the lane according to the new concluded truth.

Metaphorically, it's a nice tale about not losing yourself by angry decisions, and getting ahead without ignoring the past. And as pure drama, it is magic; a qualm similar to a trail where the lead is rightly guided to knowing that she was the wrongdoer, not the wronged, yet in one clever visionary style.

There are solid dialogue, a directing that loves the story, and a captivating performance. But nothing is like the story and its brilliance. I loved how the lead's older self ultimately symbolized not only her conscience, but her desire to live; so somehow reviewing your past to fairly judge equals meriting life. See. Here, conscience means life.

I'll never forget the last line: "Look in the mirror, 30 years from now, and you'll know who I am". OH MY GOD, how many times this phrase hunted me?! I know, countless times during 21 years, from the first viewing in 1988 till the second one in 2009. It is the climax of this episode's mystery, fantasy and smart analysis.

At first, you may think that it's another (Alfred Hitchcock Presents), or just an entertaining fantasy time. Actually, it got the best of both, with so deep character for 20 minutes of TV. In a word, psychoanalysis hasn't been better or more amusing! If I've learned something from it, during 2 decades of my life, then it was: You must get to know yourself first to know your road. And such a classic way to say that too.

It is one of the best stories, if not the best.

The Ride of Your Life!

[Hitchcoc · 9/10 · 29 May 2014]

Kathy Baker plays a selfish, unfeeling woman, who is driving through the rain when she picks up a stranger, a middle aged woman whose car has broken down. They engage in conversation and it is revealed that Kathy is divorcing her husband after seventeen years. She has flourished in the business world while he has pursued his dream of being an actor. She has had enough of his weakness and lack of aggressiveness. The passenger starts to neatly grill her on what her life is like. In the process she engenders anger and disdain. The woman repeatedly tells her that seventeen years is quite an investment to throw away. As they travel though the rain, cars start to pass them. In those cars are images of the past, including her father, a harsh, strict man, and an image of some of the elements of her wedding. Where is this heading. For me it turns into one of the better stories presented on this series. It is a ghost story extraordinaire.

Interesting

[Blueghost · 15 October 2017]

As I've been watching this series over the last few weeks it seems like the second season of Amazing Stories had some budget cuts. The first season had some real top notch production values; filming inside a B-24 liberator, a train barreling into a house, SFX shots, animation, and all kinds of stuff.

This episode, and in fact all of season 2, scaled back on the sets and other visual artistry. Even so some of the stories are still pretty good. This one falls into a mediocre area in terms of production values. But the story is kind of interesting.

Two women, one familiar with the other, helps the other work through some issues, and as per the trademark of this series there's a supernatural element to it. And I guess that's the thing that gets me, is that this episode could have used a shot in the arm in terms of production values.

It's a bit of a talkative episode, and it somewhat tested my patience, but otherwise it's an okay story.

Not sterling material, but worth a look.