Film: "Annie Hall" (1997)

[Bob Pr.]

This film was shown in our monthly "Great Films at the Cathedral" series.

"Annie Hall" (1977) 93 min., PG Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton. Genres: comedy,
drama, romance. Plot: A neurotic NY comedian (Allen) who seeks but cannot long tolerate
being accepted falls in/out/in/out/&c. of love with the attractive singer, Annie Hall (Keaton).
Winner of 4 Oscars: Best picture, actress, director, & screen play/writing.
IMDb rates it 8.2 of 10 stars: Annie Hall (1977) - IMDb and it's 139 of their 250 alltime
greatest films.
98% of Rotten Tomatoes critics rate it "ripe" Annie Hall - Rotten Tomatoes
An Ebert Great Film, he said, this film "contains more intellectual wit and cultural
references than any other movie ever to win the Oscar for best picture, and in winning
the award in 1977 it edged out "Star Wars," an outcome unthinkable today. The victory
marked the beginning of Woody Allen's career as an important filmmaker (his earlier work
was funny but slight) and it signaled the end of the 1970s golden age of American movies.
With "Star Wars," the age of the blockbuster was upon us...." For Roger Ebert's full review,
see: Annie Hall :: rogerebert.com :: Great Movies
Trailer: Annie Hall Trailer - IMDb

This is a very unusual but very entertaining film. It consistently flouts customary rules:
the characters often break "the fourth wall" and confide directly to the camera (we, the
audience) their thoughts or have subtitles on the screen telling us what they're really
thinking. In one brief scene while standing in line waiting to get in to a movie, Woody
gets in an argument with a man just behind him, a professor proclaiming his views; so
Woody has an actual, then world famous (non-cinema) expert, Marshall MacLuhan,
step into view and make a brief appearance in support of Woody's views.

I completed a 5+ year psychoanalysis (as did many of my colleagues in Topeka) and this
film pokes gentle fun at analysis, analysts, analysands, and clichés re: that therapeutic
process. One of those colleagues, a best friend present as usual (we co-founded this film
series), he's a psychiatrist and analyst, rated it 9/10 while I give it a 10/10. The others
averaged in the 7-8/10 range. From IMDb's demographic ratings (q.v.), males consistently
rate it very slightly higher than females regardless of age.

Much fun.

[Retriever Mama]

I have apparently seen this movie at least 3 times. I have no recollection of any of those viewings. It is actually a running joke that I keep trying to put it back in our Netflix Q. Just doesn't leave an impression.

[Bob Pr.]

The first lobster scene stuck in my mind for over 30 years, nothing else did. It has so many (IMO) laughs, snorts, chuckles, maybe those erase your memories? I doubt you'd try to re-order it if you didn't like it, would you?

On this, my second viewing, an underlying sad truth came through to me that I don't remember from the first time.

Woody, in a brief prequel, speaks to us (as his character, comedian Alvy Singer, but really consistent with and little different than most characters Woody's played) repeating Groucho Marx's famous statement, on being offered membership in the exclusive Friars' Club, that he refuses to belong to any club that would want a person like him as a member.

Similarly, in my experience as a therapist, people who've never experienced (or never experienced enough of) essential things important to them--such as acceptance, loving and being loved in return--often continually seek it out but then, just when it's in reach or just after it's grasped, manage to push it away. As if, never having received it, it's okay and very important to pursue it but not okay to actually possess or maintain it. They're like the circus clown with the big shoes, repetitively trying to pick up some desired object, but who--just before grasping it--always kick it farther away. (Although fortunately, most people in good therapy relationships usually overcome these defeating cycles.)

That's the underlying plot of "Annie Hall" -- which has lots of jokes, laughs, and chuckles spread like whipped cream with sprinkles over the essential sadness.