Director Karen Arthur disowned (and nearly took her name off of) the finished film. Against her wishes, the studio re-edited the film to show more nudity on the part of Diane Lane. In addition, the studio minimized Cotter Smith's performance, and all scenes with Viveca Lindfors were eliminated; both actors played characters integral to the plot, and these eliminations made the film more confusing.
Development for the film began in 1978. By 1986, the film went through 17 drafts, eight screenwriters, and had been turned down by two studios (Universal and New World).
Costume designer Patricia Field went on to be the costume designer for Sex and the City