The story of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Daisy Gamble isn't your typical patient. She hears phones before they ring, talks to plants, and has an almost preternatural gift with flowers—but she's willing to give it all up if it means pleasing her fiancé, Warren, who wants her to quit smoking. So she walks into the office of Dr. Marc Chabot, a hypnotherapist, expecting a straightforward behavioral fix. What unfolds instead is far stranger. Once under hypnosis, Daisy doesn't simply uncover repressed memories or childhood trauma. She regresses into entirely different lives, different centuries, different personalities. And as Dr. Chabot probes deeper into these past-life identities, he finds himself drawn—dangerously drawn—to one of them in particular. The film becomes less about breaking a habit and more about the collision between rational science and something that can't be explained.
Behind the making of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
Vincente Minnelli, the legendary director of An American in Paris and Singin' in the Rain, took the helm of this 1970 Paramount Pictures production, adapting Alan Jay Lerner's book from the original 1965 Broadway musical. Lerner, who'd written the lyrics alongside Burton Lane's music, crafted a screenplay that tried to translate the stage's theatrical magic onto film—not always an easy feat. The casting of Barbra Streisand opposite French actor Yves Montand was ambitious; Streisand was already a superstar after Funny Girl, while Montand brought European sophistication and a certain melancholic charm. The film clocked in at 129 minutes, giving Minnelli room to build atmosphere and explore the film's dreamier sequences. Box office performance was modest—the film didn't become a blockbuster—but it's maintained a respectable IMDb rating of 6.757/10, suggesting it's found its audience over the decades. For Minnelli, it represented his attempt to marry the grand musical traditions he'd mastered with something more contemporary and psychologically complex, even if critics were divided on whether the experiment fully worked.
What makes On a Clear Day You Can See Forever stand out
The real magic here is Streisand's performance. She's asked to play Daisy as someone caught between worlds—the earnest, slightly scattered woman desperate to change for love, and then these other incarnations that emerge under hypnosis, each with their own voice, posture, and emotional truth. What's striking is how she doesn't play them as caricatures or gimmicks; each past-life version feels lived-in, authentic in its own way. The chemistry with Montand crackles precisely because of the contradiction at the film's heart: he's falling for someone who may not exist in the present, who only surfaces in a trance state. It's inherently tragic, which gives the romance real weight instead of just being a cute meet-cute. Minnelli's direction leans into the surreal—the cinematography shifts when we move between timelines, the production design becomes more ornate and baroque in the flashback sequences. The songs by Lerner and Lane don't always land with the force of My Fair Lady, but they're earnest attempts to capture the film's emotional stakes. What nobody mentions is how the film's central conceit—that we're all multiple people, that identity is fluid and layered—feels remarkably modern, even now. It's not just a musical fantasy; it's a film about the self.
Where to stream On a Clear Day You Can See Forever online
If you're curious about experiencing this quirky, ambitious 1970 musical, the good news is it's available across major OTT services. Rather than hunting through different platforms yourself, Movie OTT keeps an up-to-date list of where On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is currently streaming—check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page to see which service has it in your region. Availability shifts seasonally, so it's worth checking there before you settle in. The film's dreamlike visual style and Streisand's nuanced performance are worth experiencing on a screen where you can catch those subtle shifts in cinematography and mood.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is On a Clear Day You Can See Forever based on a true story?
No, it's an original musical comedy-fantasy. Alan Jay Lerner created the concept for the 1965 Broadway stage production, which was then adapted into this 1970 film. The past-life regression and supernatural elements are entirely fictional.
Q: Who directed On a Clear Day You Can See Forever?
Vincente Minnelli directed the film. He was known for classics like An American in Paris and Singin' in the Rain, and brought his signature visual style—rich colors, dreamlike sequences, and elaborate musical staging—to this project.
Q: How long is On a Clear Day You Can See Forever?
The film runs 129 minutes, giving Minnelli ample time to explore the story's emotional and visual layers rather than rushing through the premise.
Q: Who stars in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever?
Barbara Streisand plays Daisy Gamble, and Yves Montand plays Dr. Marc Chabot, the hypnotherapist who becomes entangled in her past lives. Their dynamic—mixing comedy, romance, and genuine tension—anchors the entire film.
Q: What's the main plot of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever?
A woman seeks hypnotherapy to quit smoking for her fiancé, but her therapist discovers she can regress into past lives. He becomes romantically drawn to one of her past-life identities, creating a complex love triangle across time.
Final thoughts on On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
This film won't appeal to everyone. It's theatrical, sometimes campy, occasionally heavy-handed. But if you're drawn to musicals that take emotional risks, or if you're curious about Streisand's range beyond her biggest hits, it's worth your time. The film asks an interesting question: if you can be multiple people across time, which version is the "real" you? That's the kind of thing that sticks with you. Movie OTT's streaming guides make it easy to find where it's playing right now, so there's no excuse not to give it a shot.
