This is one of my favorite Woody Allen films. It starts and begins at a Thanksgiving family gathering. But this movie is no turkey; it's a great script, and very music-filled - classical arrangements and big band sounds, including Cahn & Styne's "I've Heard That Song Before" performed by Harry James and his orchestra. (I can't hear that tune without thinking of this movie) The movie opens with a nice scene with patriarch Lloyd Nolan at the piano and matriarch Maureen O'Sullivan singing Rodgers & Hart, filling the room with happiness (It's so nice seeing them both in this film) Hannah is played by Mia Farrow, and my mouth watered as I saw her carry the huge Thanksgiving turkey to the table. It's the perfect family...or is it? Yikes, pretty soon we learn that Hannah's hubby (Michael Caine) has the hots for one of her sisters (Barbara Hershey). We also learn about Hannah's ex-husband (played by Allen) who drops by to visit the kids every now and then. Oh my, does he have problems, and so does one of his dates, which just so happens to be Hannah's other sister (Dianne Weist) - a drug addict. Now whether or not you like this film may depend on Allen's performance; he has a fairly large part. You either like his nebbish characterization or you don't. I think he's funny in this, and it's amusing seeing him frightened at every little ailment. His character is essentially the same as his schnook from
Annie Hall, just a bit older, still nebbish. The most amusing scene, I think, might be the part where Hannah's loving parents fight and argue, which breaks the image we've have of them at the piano. There are lots of references to show business (Hannah is a an actress, her parents are retired movie stars, the Allen character works in television), religion (the Allen character thinks about converting to either Catholicism or Buddhism from Judaism), and of course, family matters. Oh, yes, and New York. I love how the scenes are divided by the title cards, a great Allen touch. (The title card that introduces the Allen character says it all: "The hypochondriac") Wonderful performances by all the actors, who really become these characters.
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A scene outside the (former) Pageant Book & Print Shop in New York.
As I understand, the shop is no longer at this location. |
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