Recently ranked as the second best romantic comedy by the American Film Institute (AFI), the 1977 masterpiece Annie Hall received four Academy Awards: Diane Keaton won best actress in a leading role; Woody Allen won best director; Charles H. Joffe won best picture; and Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman won best writing (screenplay written directly for the screen). Allen also was nominated for best actor in a leading role.
Ditzy Annie Hall
In this bittersweet romantic comedy set in New York City, charmingly quirky and irritatingly ditzy Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) struggles to get her big break as a singer. Working at small nightclubs until that day arrives, she meets Alvy Singer (Woody Allen), an intellectual comedy writer who obsesses over sex and death, through his best friend Rob (Tony Roberts). Their newfound love is built on mutual neuroses, as described in playfully presented subtitles that reflect their true thoughts during an early intimate encounter.
From the moment they meet, it’s obvious they are mismatched. He has flashbacks of his emotional roller coaster childhood, which gave birth to his uptight attitudes, crippling insecurity, and constant gloomy state. Casually clad Annie, on the other hand, comes from a well-to-do Midwest family – normal on the surface, but troubled in its own unique way. The more he smothers her with his needy love, the more this free spirit desires her independence. Eventually she packs her floppy hats and baggy clothes and heads for Los Angeles, forcing Alvy to journey there to find her.
The Academy Award-winning script shines with wit, and is based largely on Keaton and Allen’s earlier off-screen romance. In addition to the flashbacks and humorous subtitles, the nearly perfect film includes split screens and comic monologues in a creative translation of the language of love – at least love in New York City in the 1970s.
Special Appearances in Annie Hall
Allen obviously had (and continues to have) a great eye for talent. Look for brief appearances by future stars Jeff Goldblum, Carol Kane, Christopher Walken, Beverly D’Angelo, Sigourney Weaver, Colleen Dewhurst, Paul Simon, Shelley Duvall, and Dick Cavett.
Identifying stars when they were young is only a small part of the fun, however. Annie Hall also stands out among Allen’s early work for its on-screen and off-screen parallels, hilarious one-liners, insightful comments about love, and influence on fashion and pop culture.
- Annie Hall (2000 DVD Release)
- Director: Woody Allen
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- Rating: PG
- DVD Features: Subtitles; No Special Features
For more information about Woody Allen films, read Love and Death, Crimes and Misdemeanors. For more information about AFI’s top 10 romantic comedy selections, read Sleepless in Seattle on DVD.
Leslie C. Halpern - Leslie C. Halpern, Romantic Films/Comedies Topic Editor, authored Passionate About Their Work, Reel Romance, & Dreams on Film.
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