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It's My Turn

It's My Turn

Just when she thought she had everything right... in stepped Mr. Wrong.

198091 minRMidcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Director
Claudia Weill
Starring
Jill Clayburgh, Michael Douglas, Charles Grodin, Beverly Garland

A successful but stressed mathematics professor goes to her father's wedding and falls in love with her father's bride's son, a prematurely retired pro baseball player. She must choose between him and her current boyfriend, between Chicago and New York, and between research and administration.

Where to watch

Where can I watch It's My Turn?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list It's My Turn on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about It's My Turn?

It's My Turn earns 1 badge: Award Nominee.

Reception

Is It's My Turn worth watching?

It's My Turn's Midcredits score is the 24th percentile of all films, from 3.3K ratings across 4 sources. 27% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

24th percentile

Better received than 24% of films

25th percentile among Comedy25th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)32nd
Approval (how many liked it)18th

56 /100

32nd percentile of all films

35th percentile among Comedy32nd percentile among 1980s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.6 — solid but not unanimous.

27% liked it

18th percentile of all films

17th percentile among Comedy20th percentile among 1980s
27% rated it 7–1073% rated it 1–6

Critics 29% · Audience 25%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

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

Reach

How many have seen it

68th percentile

3.3K ratings across platforms

64th percentile among Comedy64th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 40% in 30 days

Box office

Domestic gross$11M

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film has a thin, formulaic plot that prioritizes romance over character development.

Fans praised

  • Michael Douglas exudes earthy confidence and sexiness
  • Nice period shots of 1980 NYC
  • Appealing lead performances from Clayburgh and Douglas

Detractors panned

  • Trite stereotypes and clichéd feminist framing
  • Poor script with clunky, directionless scenes
  • No chemistry between leads, romance feels forced

What stands out

Acting60

Clayburgh appealing but derivative of earlier role; Douglas charismatic but underused

Ending45

Open ending, reasonable but leaves dissatisfaction

Pacing40

Slow, padded with scenes that go nowhere

Dialogue40

Clumsy script, self-aware rhetoric

CharactersDivisive35

Dull, undeveloped, unsympathetic except Grodin; protagonist's arc muddled

Plot and storyDivisive30

Wobbly, directionless, lacks stakes and coherence

Emotional impact30

Fails to sweep or move, elicits boredom

Originality25

Formulaic, derivative of 'An Unmarried Woman'

Preferred by

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

  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is It's My Turn like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, 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

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
ContemplativeRomanticWarm
Heaviest: late
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
WarmTender · 13% of filmsRomantic · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneClaudia Weill plays the material straight and warmly — a sincere, lightly comic drama that takes Kate's crossroads seriously without ever mocking it.
The rideA mellow, thoughtful romantic drama that drifts between warmth and wistfulness and builds to Kate's climactic decision near the end.
StructureA conventional order: Kate's settled Chicago life, the disruptive New York wedding weekend where she meets Ben, and her return to Chicago to make a choice.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves a gentle, unresolved ache: Kate's brave leap is inspiring but open, so the feeling lingers as wistfulness more than triumph.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous 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).Rebirth
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%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2% (this title)
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Second chance: A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).

13% of films fit this archetype

with Comedy underneath

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

Why this archetypeKate's settled, going-through-the-motions life (a live-in boyfriend she fell into, an admin job she doesn't love) is re-opened by a whirlwind romance that forces her to claim what she genuinely wants.

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 filmsSelfSelf-worth
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · 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%

Self

Self-worth · 7% of filmsRomantic love · 15% of filmsAmbition · 7% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeA 35-year-old woman decides it is 'her turn' to have real love and satisfying work, rather than coasting on the comfortable, unexamined choices she fell into.
StanceThe film affirms Kate's decision to go for the 'real thing' — love and work on her own terms — over the safe, comfortable options she was coasting on.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalPopSupportive music · hybrid · Patrick Williams
SettingKate's Chicago university life and her live-in relationship, then her widowed father's wedding weekend in New York City, 1980.
MusicA warm, light period score of woodwinds and strings, paired with Diana Ross's title song.

Content guide

Is It's My Turn okay for kids?

R

It's My Turn is rated R.

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does It's My Turn have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in It's My Turn?

Cast

Jill Clayburgh
as Kate Gunzinger
Michael Douglas
as Ben Lewin
Charles Grodin
as Homer
Beverly Garland
as Emma
Steven Hill
as Jacob
Joan Copeland
as Rita
John Gabriel
as Hunter
Charles Kimbrough
as Jerome
Roger Robinson
as Flicker
Jennifer Salt
as Maisie

Crew

More like this

What are movies like It's My Turn?

Movies like It's My Turn include About Last Night (1986), Love Jones (1997) and Mad Dog and Glory (1993). Of the 12 closest matches, several are second-chance stories, and most are whirlwind romances.

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

6 of these 12 share its subject: self-worth. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with It's My Turn?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: teacher. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.