Deconstructing Harry

Last updated

Deconstructing Harry
Deconstructing harry.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Woody Allen
Written byWoody Allen
Produced by Jean Doumanian
Starring
Cinematography Carlo Di Palma
Edited by Susan E. Morse
Production
company
Sweetland Films
Distributed by Fine Line Features
Release dates
  • August 27, 1997 (1997-08-27)(Venice)
  • December 12, 1997 (1997-12-12)(United States; limited)
  • January 2, 1998 (1998-01-02)(United States; wide)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million [1]
Box office$10.7 million (USA) [1]

Deconstructing Harry is a 1997 American black comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside an ensemble cast including Caroline Aaron, Kirstie Alley, Bob Balaban, Richard Benjamin, Eric Bogosian, Billy Crystal, and Judy Davis as well as Jennifer Garner in her feature film debut. The film tells the story of a successful writer named Harry Block, played by Allen, who draws inspiration from people he knows in real life, and from events that happen to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.

Contents

The central plot features Block driving to a university from which he was once thrown out, in order to receive an honorary degree. Three passengers accompany him on the trip: a prostitute, a friend, and his son, whom he has kidnapped from his ex-wife. However, there are many flashbacks, segments taken from Block's writing, and interactions with his own fictional characters. Deconstructing Harry received moderately positive reviews from critics.

Plot

One night, Lucy takes a taxi to the home of famous Manhattan author Harry Block. She has just read Harry's latest novel, in which the character Leslie is having an affair with her sister's husband Ken. Lucy is angry because the novel is patently based on her and Harry's own affair; as a result, everyone knows about it. Lucy pulls a gun out of her purse, threatening to kill herself. She then turns the gun on Harry and begins firing. As she chases him out onto the roof, he insists that he has already been punished: his latest girlfriend Fay has left him for his best friend Larry. To distract Lucy, Harry tells her a story he is currently writing: a semi-autobiographical story of a sex-obsessed young man named Harvey who is mistakenly claimed by Death during an encounter with a prostitute.

In therapy, Harry realizes he has not changed since he was a sex-obsessed youth. He discusses his honoring ceremony at his old university in Upstate New York, taking place the next day; he is particularly unhappy that he has nobody with whom to share the occasion. After the session, Harry asks his ex-wife and former therapist, Joan, if he can take their son Hilliard to the ceremony. She refuses, stating that Harry is a bad influence on Hilliard. She is also furious at Harry for the novel he wrote. In it, the character Epstein marries his therapist Helen, but the marriage begins to crumble after the birth of their son.

Harry runs into an acquaintance, Richard, who is worried about his health. After accompanying Richard to the hospital, Harry invites him to the university ceremony; Richard claims he will be busy that day. Harry then meets with his ex-girlfriend Fay, who reveals that she is now engaged. Harry begs Fay to get back together with him. He asks Fay to accompany him to his ceremony, but it clashes with her wedding, scheduled the following day.

That night, Harry sleeps with a prostitute, Cookie, who later agrees to accompany him to his ceremony. In the morning, Richard unexpectedly arrives to join Harry and Cookie on the trip. On a whim, Harry decides to "kidnap" his son Hilliard. Along the way, they stop at a carnival, then at Harry's half-sister Doris's. Doris, a devoted Jew, is upset by Harry's portrayals of Judaism in his stories, as is her husband. During the trip, Harry also encounters his fictional creations Ken and Helen, who force him to confront some painful truths about his life. Just before arriving at the university, Richard dies peacefully in the car.

While filming, Harry's fictional alter ego, Mel, literally slides out of focus, becoming blurred. The university's staffers gush over Harry, asking what he plans to write next. He describes a story about a man (based on himself) who journeys down to Hell to reclaim his true love (based on Fay) from the Devil (based on Larry). Harry and the Devil engage in a verbal duel as to who is truly the more evil of the two. Harry gets as far as arguing that he is a kidnapper before the story is interrupted by the arrival of the police. Harry is arrested for kidnapping Hilliard, for possessing a gun (it was Lucy's), and for having drugs in the car (belonging to Cookie).

Larry and Fay come from their wedding to bail Harry out of jail. Harry reluctantly gives them his blessings. Back at his apartment, a miserable Harry fantasizes that the university's ceremony is taking place. He eventually overcomes his writer's block by starting to write a book about a man who, like him, can only function in art, not in his life.

Cast

Casting

Allen offered the role of Harry Block to Elliott Gould, Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Hopper, and Albert Brooks, all of whom turned it down. Allen took the role himself. [2]

Influences

The film is a general reworking of Allen's 1980 film Stardust Memories , which also had an artist go to a ceremony in his honor, while reminiscing over past relationships and trying to fix and stabilize current ones. [3]

Allen is an admirer of several renowned European directors, and his films in particular often draw upon the works of Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini. The rough outline of the plot of Deconstructing Harry, that of an academic on a long drive to receive an honorary award from his old university while reflecting upon his life's experiences, essentially mirrors that of Bergman's Wild Strawberries (1957). [4] Additionally, the film is similar to Fellini's , in that it is about an artist struggling with his current relationships and remembering his old ones, interspersed with dream sequences, as well as his work being based on events from his life.

It is acknowledged by some critics that Allen based the name of Harry Block on Antonius Block (Max von Sydow), the protagonist from Bergman's The Seventh Seal (1957). [3] Some critics, including Roger Ebert, have suggested that the character of Harry Block is based on real-life author Philip Roth and not on Allen himself. [4]

Soundtrack

Critical reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 73% based on 37 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. [6] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100, based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [7]

Accolades

Allen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. [8] The film was nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical. [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Wild Strawberries</i> (film) 1957 film by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman

Wild Strawberries is a 1957 Swedish drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. The original Swedish title is Smultronstället, which literally means "the wild strawberry patch" but idiomatically signifies a hidden gem of a place, often with personal or sentimental value, and not widely known. The cast includes Victor Sjöström in his final screen performance as an old man recalling his past, as well as Bergman regulars Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, and Gunnar Björnstrand. Max von Sydow also appears in a small role.

<i>Hannah and Her Sisters</i> 1986 film by Woody Allen

Hannah and Her Sisters is a 1986 American comedy drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It tells the intertwined stories of an extended family over two years that begins and ends with a family Thanksgiving dinner. Allen also stars in the film, along with Mia Farrow as Hannah, Michael Caine as her husband, and Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest as her sisters. Alongside them, the film features a large ensemble cast.

<i>Sweet and Lowdown</i> 1999 American film

Sweet and Lowdown is a 1999 American comedy-drama mockumentary written and directed by Woody Allen. Loosely based on Federico Fellini's film La Strada, the film tells the story of jazz guitarist Emmet Ray who falls in love with mute laundress Hattie. Like several of Allen's other films, the film is occasionally interrupted by interviews with critics and biographers like Allen, Nat Hentoff, Daniel Okrent, and Douglas McGrath, who comment on the film's plot as if the characters were real-life people.

<i>Alice</i> (1990 film) 1990 film by Woody Allen

Alice is a 1990 American fantasy romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen and starring Mia Farrow, Joe Mantegna, and William Hurt. The film is a loose reworking of Federico Fellini's 1965 film Juliet of the Spirits.

<i>Hollywood Ending</i> 2002 American comedy film

Hollywood Ending is a 2002 American comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, who also plays the principal character. It tells the story of a once-famous film director who suffers hysterical blindness due to the intense pressure of directing.

<i>The Rivals</i> Play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan

The Rivals is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 episode of the TV series Maverick starring James Garner and Roger Moore, with attribution.

<i>For the Boys</i> 1991 film directed by Mark Rydell

For the Boys is a 1991 American musical comedy-drama film that traces the life of Dixie Leonard, a 1940s actress/singer who teams up with Eddie Sparks, a famous performer, to entertain American troops.

<i>Celebrity</i> (1998 film) 1998 American film

Celebrity is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and features an ensemble cast. The screenplay describes the divergent paths a couple takes following their divorce.

<i>Manhattan Murder Mystery</i> 1993 film by Woody Allen

Manhattan Murder Mystery is a 1993 American black comedy mystery film directed by Woody Allen, which he wrote with Marshall Brickman, and starring Allen, Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston, and Diane Keaton. The film centers on a married couple's investigation of the death of their neighbor's wife.

<i>Mighty Aphrodite</i> 1995 film by Woody Allen

Mighty Aphrodite is a 1995 American comedy film written, directed by, and co-starring Woody Allen, alongside Mira Sorvino, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Rapaport, and F. Murray Abraham. The screenplay was vaguely inspired by the story of Pygmalion and is about Lenny Weinrib's (Allen) search for his genius adopted son's biological mother, ultimately finding that she is a dim-witted prostitute named Linda Ash (Sorvino).

<i>Small Time Crooks</i> 2000 American film

Small Time Crooks is a 2000 American crime-comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. It stars Allen, Hugh Grant, Elaine May and Tracey Ullman. The picture's plot has some similarities to that of the 1942 comedy Larceny, Inc.

<i>A Connecticut Yankee</i> (musical)

A Connecticut Yankee is a musical based on the 1889 novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by American writer Mark Twain. Like most adaptations of the Twain novel, it focuses on the lighter aspects of the story. The music was written by Richard Rodgers, the lyrics by Lorenz Hart, and the book by Herbert Fields. It was produced by Lew Fields and Lyle D. Andrews. It enjoyed an original run on Broadway in 1927 of 421 performances and a number of revivals.

<i>The Opposite Sex</i> 1956 film by David Miller

The Opposite Sex is a 1956 American musical romantic comedy film shot in Metrocolor and CinemaScope. The film was directed by David Miller and stars June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, Ann Sheridan, and Ann Miller, with Leslie Nielsen, Jeff Richards, Agnes Moorehead, Charlotte Greenwood, Joan Blondell, and Sam Levene.

"Tzena, Tzena, Tzena", sometimes "Tzena, Tzena", is a song, written in 1941 in Hebrew. Its music is by Issachar Miron, a Polish emigrant in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine, and the lyrics are by Yechiel Chagiz.

<i>The Show of Shows</i> 1929 film

The Show of Shows is a 1929 American pre-Code musical revue film directed by John G. Adolfi and distributed by Warner Bros. The all-talking Vitaphone production cost almost $800,000 and was shot almost entirely in Technicolor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)</span> 1913 song recorded by Al Jolson

"You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)" is a popular song from 1913 composed by James V. Monaco with lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. It was introduced by Al Jolson in the Broadway revue The Honeymoon Express (1913), and used in the 1973 revival of the musical Irene.

<i>For Me and My Gal</i> (film) 1942 film by Busby Berkeley

For Me and My Gal is a 1942 American musical film directed by Busby Berkeley, and starring Judy Garland, George Murphy, Martha Eggerth, Ben Blue and Gene Kelly in his film debut. The film was written by Richard Sherman, Fred F. Finklehoffe and Sid Silvers, based on a story by Howard Emmett Rogers inspired by a true story about vaudeville actors Harry Palmer and Jo Hayden, when Palmer was drafted into World War I. The film was a production of the Arthur Freed unit at MGM.

<i>New Faces of 1937</i> 1937 film by Leigh Jason

New Faces of 1937 is a 1937 American musical film directed by Leigh Jason and starring Joe Penner, Milton Berle and Harriet Hilliard. Its plot is similar to The Producers (1968). Intended as the first film of an annual RKO Pictures revue series, poor reception ended plans for future productions.

"My Girl's Pussy" is a 1931 vocal jazz song recorded by the British bandleader and clarinetist Harry Roy and His Bat Club Boys.

References

  1. 1 2 "Deconstructing Harry (1997)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  2. Evans, Bradford (June 30, 2011). "The Lost Roles of Albert Brooks" . Vulture . Archived from the original on July 4, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Desser, David; Friedman, Lester D. (2003). American Jewish Filmmakers (2nd ed.). University of Illinois Press. p. 105. ISBN   978-0-2520-7153-9.
  4. 1 2 Ebert, Roger (December 24, 1997). "Deconstructing Harry". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
  5. Harvey, Adam (2007). The Soundtracks of Woody Allen: A Complete Guide to the Songs and Music in Every Film, 1969–2005. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 50. ISBN   978-0-7864-2968-4.
  6. "Deconstructing Harry (1997)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  7. "Deconstructing Harry Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  8. "70th Academy Awards". oscars.org. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
  9. "1998 2nd Annual SATELLITE™ Awards". International Press Academy . Archived from the original on February 1, 2008. Retrieved July 9, 2023.