The screenplay by Hugh Wheeler is adapted from his libretto for Stephen Sondheim's 1973 musical of the same name, itself based on Ingmar Bergman's 1955 film, Smiles of a Summer Night.

An international co-production of the United States, West Germany and Austria, the film stars Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Rigg and Lesley-Anne Down, and features Len Cariou, Hermione Gingold and Laurence Guittard reprising their Broadway roles.

In a town in Austria at the turn of the 20th century, Frederich Egerman, a widower, works as a successful lawyer but is struggling with his marriage to Anne, his 18-year-old second wife.

Anne nervously has protected her virginity for the first 11 months of marriage, though she continues to tell Frederich she will be ready to make love to him for the first time "soon".

The play stars Desiree Armfeldt, a very renowned actress and Frederich's old flame from 14 years ago, and when they lock eyes in the theatre, Anne becomes aggravated and demands to leave.

But when Desiree's own married lover Count Carl-Magnus Mittelheim arrives at her dressing room, he goes toe-to-toe with Frederich.

He reports the encounter to his wife Charlotte and tells her to visit Anne Egerman (whom she knows through her younger sister) to expose the affair.

Anne accepts the invitation but once Carl-Magnus gets wind of the weekend in the country, he makes it his mission to go and challenge Frederich to a duel.

Sondheim made several notable adaptations for the screen: augmenting the "Night Waltz" theme with lyrics ("Love Takes Time"), adding a verse to "Every Day a Little Death", expanded lyrics for "Weekend in the Country", and entirely rewriting "The Glamorous Life" (a version that has been incorporated into several subsequent productions of the stage musical).

[citation needed] Some critics talked more positively of the film, with Variety calling it "an elegant looking, period romantic charade".