Annie Hall
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Annie Hall is a 1977 romantic comedy film directed by Woody Allen from a script he co-wrote with Marshall Brickman. Allen's working title for the film was Anhedonia, but this was considered unmarketable. Brickman's suggested alternative, It Had to Be Jew, was considered even less marketable, and ultimately Annie Hall was settled upon as the release title. Because of biographical similarities with Alvy, including Allen's previous relationship with co-star Diane Keaton (real name Diane Hall), Annie Hall has been widely assumed to be semi-autobiographical, but Allen has denied this.
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Plot
The film is set in New York City and Los Angeles.
Allen plays Alvy Singer, a comedian obsessed with death, attempting to maintain a relationship with the ditzy title character (played by Diane Keaton), who loves life. The film chronicles their relationship over several years, intercut with various trips into each others' history (Annie is able to "see" Alvy's family when Alvy was only a child, and likewise Alvy experiences Annie's past sexual relationships). After several years, the two realize they are fundamentally different and split up. However, they are able to meet later on good terms and have no regrets about the relationship.
Alvy Singer grew up in Brooklyn. His father operated a bumper cars concession. He claims the family home was located below a roller coaster on Coney Island.
Film technique
The film makes use of various techniques such as split-screen imagery, double exposure, breaks in character to address the camera directly (breaking the "fourth wall"), and elements of magic realism. For instance, Allen's character, standing in a cinema queue with Annie and listening to someone behind him expound on Marshall McLuhan's work, leaves the line to speak to the camera directly. The man comes to speak to the camera in his defense, and Allen resolves the dispute by pulling McLuhan himself from behind a counter to tell the man that his interpretation is wrong.
Another scene is animated, featuring a cartoon Allen and the Witch from Snow White.
Awards
Academy Awards
The film is consistently in the top 100 on the Internet Movie Database's list of top 250 films, and has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. Zagat Survey Movie Guide (2002) ranks Annie Hall one of the top ten comedies of all time, one of the top ten movies of the 1970s and as Allen's best film as a director. In 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted it the forty-second greatest comedy film of all time.
Influence
Annie Hall is a benchmark for modern romantic comedies, with a large influence over future films. In fashion, Keaton dressed in layers with a tie (by Ralph Lauren), which became a popular style. This movie was also Christopher Walken's first notable performance as Annie's strange and suicidally fixated brother. It brought the actor and his unusual qualities to the attention of the mainstream viewing public.
Cast and roles include
- Woody Allen - Alvy Singer
- Diane Keaton - Annie Hall
- Tony Roberts - Rob
- Carol Kane - Allison Portchnik
- Paul Simon - Tony Lacey, a music producer
- Shelley Duvall - Pam, Alvy's one-night stand
- Janet Margolin - Robin
- Colleen Dewhurst - Mrs. Hall
- Christopher Walken - Duane Hall, the suicidally fixated brother of Annie Hall
- Donald Symington - Mr. Hall
- Helen Ludlam - Grammy Hall
- Mordecai Lawner - Mr. Singer
- Joan Neuman - Mrs. Singer
- Jonathan Munk - Alvy Singer at 9
- Ruth Volner - Alvy's Aunt
- Martin Rosenblatt - Alvy's Uncle
- Hy Anzell - Joey Nichols
- Rashel Novikoff - Aunt Tessie
- Russell Horton - Man in theatre line
- Marshall McLuhan - Himself
Trivia
- The film features a number of appearances by actors and actresses who went on to later fame, including Jeff Goldblum, Sigourney Weaver and Beverly D'Angelo.
- The scene where Alvy sneezes into the cocaine was purely accidental. They decided to keep it in the movie and when they tested it with audiences because they burst out laughing. The film makers had to add more footage after the scene so the audience wouldn't laugh through important conversations afterwards.
External links
- {{{2|{{{title|Annie Hall}}}}}} at The Internet Movie Database
- Annie Hall - synopsis, production details, etc.
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