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Annie Hall
is one of the truest, most bittersweet romances on film. In it, Allen plays a thinly
disguised version of himself: Alvy Singer, a successful--if neurotic--television comedian
living in Manhattan. Annie (the wholesomely luminous Dianne Keaton) is a Midwestern
transplant who dabbles in photography and sings in small clubs. When the two meet, the
sparks are immediate--if repressed. Alone in her apartment for the first time, Alvy and
Annie navigate a minefield of self-conscious
"is-this-person-someone-I'd-want-to-get-involved-with?" conversation. As they
speak, subtitles flash their unspoken thoughts: the likes of "I'm not smart enough
for him" and "I sound like a jerk." Despite all their caution, they
connect, and we're swept up in the flush of their new romance. Allen's antic sensibility
shines here in a series of flashbacks to Alvy's childhood, growing up, quite literally,
under a rumbling roller coaster. His boisterous Jewish family's dinner table shares a
split screen with the WASP-y Hall's tight-lipped holiday table, one Alvy has joined for
the first time. His position as outsider is uncontestable he looks down the table and
sizes up Annie's "Grammy Hall" as "a classic Jew-hater." The relationship arcs, as does Annie's growing desire for
independence. It quickly becomes clear that the two are on separate tracks, as what was
once endearing becomes annoying. Annie Hall
embraces Allen's central themes--his love affair with New York (and hatred of Los
Angeles), how impossible relationships are, and his fear of death. But their balance is
just right, the chemistry between Allen's worry-wart Alvy and Keaton's gangly, loopy Annie
is one of the screen's best pairings. It couldn't be more engaging. --Susan Benson,
Amazon
• Region 1 encoding (for
use in US and Canada only)
• Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Digital Sound
• Production notes
• Theatrical trailer(s)
• Full-screen and widescreen letterbox formats
Academy Awards won by Annie Hall:
- Best Actress
Diane Keaton
- Best Director
Woody Allen
- Best Picture
Charles H. Joffe
- Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the
Screen
Woody Allen
Marshall Brickman
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