Slaughterhouse Five (1972)

An optometrist and WWII veteran (Michael Sacks) has mysteriously become unstuck in time. Which means he goes on uncontrollable trips back and forth in his life as a husband and father in New York to life on a distant planet called Tralfamadore to his WWII experience in Dresden, Germany. Based on the novel by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and directed by George Roy Hill (THE STING). I haven't read Vonnegut's novel but the film version did nothing for me although reputedly Vonnegut was very happy with the result. It's a minority opinion however as the film won the Jury prize at the Cannes film festival and the movie has a strong fan base. The character of Billy Pilgrim, at least as Michael Sacks plays him comes across as a backward child. HE isn't very interesting but he's surrounded with interesting characters which helped get me through the movie. I just found it a turgid sit through. With Valerie Perrine, Ron Leibman, Sharon Gans, John Wood, Eugene Roche, Perry King, Sorrell Booke, John Dehner, Holly Near and Lucille Benson.