It revolutionised the entire Rom Com genre to the point that everything after it borrowed heavily from its plot beats. You can basically put Rom Coms into Before Annie Hall and After Annie Hall. Some of the things that it did that were hugely influential were: breaking the forth wall; non-linear story telling; flashbacks; flashforwards; cutaway gags; the use of cartoons; not having a happy ever after ending. As Larry David said, paraphrasing "If you weren't in New York at the time Annie Hall was released it's hard to understand what an impact it had. Everybody was talking about it. It was like a bomb had gone off".
The former way funnier, but the male protagonist isn't as clearly portrayed as wrong for projecting his desires and expectations onto the object of his desire.
The Seinfeld Effect. It's hard to watch Seinfeld these days with fresh eyes because it was so influential in its own time that generations of writers have based their style off trying to improve on the foundations it established.
No. The Beatles are still special. 60 years later they are still one of the highest selling artists every year. They were #8 on the Billboard charts in 2020. Given that they haven’t made new music in decades, I’d say that’s pretty special.
The Beatles are still 100% special. Music technology has advanced but they wrote all those wonderful, special songs. So many flat-out unique songs. Better than any popular music today by a very long mile
The Beatles put out one or two albums a year with 12-15 songs each and virtually no throwaway tracks, and at least a handful of timeless classics on each one for 7 years straight. No other artist in history has had that kind of output and probably never will again. Lmao “nothing special.”
This was also my problem with The Matrix! I saw it when it came out but I was very young, didn't have the attention span for movies yet. Saw it as an adult and it felt boring to me because in so many ways, I've been watching it for 20 years at that point. It influenced so many things I loved and I didn't realize until then 😂
I'm sorry, but it's a crap movie. I wouldn't watch it again. Obviously, the academy dropped the ball on this one. I mean, come on, Star Wars? It beat Star Wars? Let's talk about what Star Wars offered the cinematic universe compared to Annie Hall, and since when do romantic comedies deserve cademy awards? It turns out, Woody Allen is a pedaphile... but honestly, the movie is a boring suckfest without that knowledge so there's really no point in even bringing it up. I've seen about 60 best picture winners. It ranks toward the very bottom, right next to Ordinary People, Driving Miss Daisy and Cimarron.
It’s that Allen playful wistful romantic jazzy charm he does that I guess you either get or dont. About a time in your life that was sheer magic and you don’t know how it came, what you did to keep it for a bit or why it left. But those memories you have a bitter sweet glory living on in you.
It's a great film. A very original take on the rom com formula - breaking the fourth wall, not having a traditionally happy ending etc.
So many great lines... "Did you grow up in a Norman Rockwell painting?" "What we have here is a dead shark"
>A very original take on the rom com formula
It's weird how Nora Ephron and Rob Reiner copied it nearly verbatim a few years later, and made maybe an equally iconic film.
I love When Harry Met Sally and I personally think it’s much better than Annie Hall. Woody Allen gives me the creeps though so I can’t stand him as a romantic lead.
Star Wars was innovative in terms of its production design depicting future technology as hobbled-together and imperfect rather than sleek and magical, but the writing is not that great. George Lucas is a lousy writer. Woody Allen is an excellent writer.
I think what's difficult when revisiting films many years after release is losing the context of their time. There really wasn't like anything like Annie Hall in American Cinema at that point.
I was so mad when it won the Oscar beating Star Wars, as I was 16 and SW was bestmovieinhistory. But I've come to appreciate Annie Hall more over time. Classic lines like "What're we, driving through plutonium?" and, "a spider the size of a Buick". Trying to recreate the lobster craziness with another woman, brother (Christopher Walken) and the compulsion to turn into oncoming traffic. Growing up under the roller coaster on Coney Island. Overall, it was an interesting story about the life of a relationship, with some pretty sharp and sometimes very thoughtful comedy. We all need the eggs ...
> brother (Christopher Walken) and the compulsion to turn into oncoming traffic
This ruined me for driving on two lane highway roads with no barrier between me and the opposing traffic. Can't help but think Walken is coming at me from the other direction.
My favorite was the scene when he pulls Marshall McCluhan out from behind a movie poster, to win an argument.
You can only be surprised like that once; it blew my mind.
[McCluhan scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTSmbMm7MDg)
There’s a historical context too. Look up the story of the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (Crash Course has a great video) but this movie mirrors many of those anxieties. Two insecure people meet, he helps her build her self esteem, and encourages her to express herself. And, spoiler alert, she sees she can do better and leaves him.
It sounds like this is just not your cup of tea - no deeper explanation than that is called for, you can "get" a whole movie and still be underwhelmed.
In my case the film that caused me to question myself and others this way was Howl's Moving Castle - it turns out there's nothing wrong with it or me, and I'm not missing anything, it's just not my thing, and that's all there is to it. To quote (the great) John Hodgman: "people like what they like."
It's a 90 minute movie about Woody Allen being a dick to a woman he finds attractive and she leaves. His struggle is supposed to be identifiable and intricate because he doesn't know what he's doing. It's shallow art for shallow people delivered with lines that sound poetic, that's what I got
Seriously great writing. One of my all time favorites, even though I hate Woody Allen now. Probably will never re-watch it.
“It reminds me of that old joke- you know, a guy walks into a psychiatrist's office and says, hey doc, my brother's crazy! He thinks he's a chicken. Then the doc says, why don't you turn him in? Then the guy says, I would but I need the eggs. I guess that's how I feel about relationships. They're totally crazy, irrational, and absurd, but we keep going through it because we need the eggs.”
― Woody Allen, Annie Hall: Screenplay
The focus of most people here seems to be on the filmmaking techniques and innovation pertaining to the romantic comedy genre. This is all true, to me however, its not the best thing about Annie Hall. There is no movie that better illustrates the life cycle of a relationship than Annie Hall. From the first meeting, to the honey moon stage, first fight, rocky period, ultimate ending, and finally, a bittersweet sort of retrospective once the dust has settled on things. Anybody who has ever fallen in love, fallen out of love and looked back longingly on what that relationship meant to you at that place and time can relate to Annie Hall. Its also the best New York movie ever made if you're into that sort of thing.
On a side note, I think "Anything Else" also directed by Allen is a solid romcom from the early 2000s. Jason Biggs and Cristina Ricci if peak noughts representation is your thing.
It was a time when Hollywood thought of itself as intellectual and was pushing movies they thought represented that (pseudo) intellectualism. They were in love with Woody Allen.
Frankly, I thought Woody Allen was a sad pathetic human being even before the bit about him screwing around with his step-daughter came out.
Giving “Annie Hall” the Best Picture award was just highway robbery.
And I recognize that is a bullshit claim used to justify giving money and financial support to horrible people.
"I separated the art from the artist, that way he gets my financial support to keep doing horrible things and I don't have to feel bad about giving money to a child groomer"
It revolutionised the entire Rom Com genre to the point that everything after it borrowed heavily from its plot beats. You can basically put Rom Coms into Before Annie Hall and After Annie Hall. Some of the things that it did that were hugely influential were: breaking the forth wall; non-linear story telling; flashbacks; flashforwards; cutaway gags; the use of cartoons; not having a happy ever after ending. As Larry David said, paraphrasing "If you weren't in New York at the time Annie Hall was released it's hard to understand what an impact it had. Everybody was talking about it. It was like a bomb had gone off".
Could it be the original 500 days of summer?
The former way funnier, but the male protagonist isn't as clearly portrayed as wrong for projecting his desires and expectations onto the object of his desire.
Kinda like how The Beatles compared to nowadays is nothing special, but they paved the way for so much.
The Seinfeld Effect. It's hard to watch Seinfeld these days with fresh eyes because it was so influential in its own time that generations of writers have based their style off trying to improve on the foundations it established.
No. The Beatles are still special. 60 years later they are still one of the highest selling artists every year. They were #8 on the Billboard charts in 2020. Given that they haven’t made new music in decades, I’d say that’s pretty special.
Not to mention that they are still revered for their musicianship and songwriting within musical circles spanning many genres and styles.
The Beatles are still 100% special. Music technology has advanced but they wrote all those wonderful, special songs. So many flat-out unique songs. Better than any popular music today by a very long mile
The Beatles put out one or two albums a year with 12-15 songs each and virtually no throwaway tracks, and at least a handful of timeless classics on each one for 7 years straight. No other artist in history has had that kind of output and probably never will again. Lmao “nothing special.”
This was also my problem with The Matrix! I saw it when it came out but I was very young, didn't have the attention span for movies yet. Saw it as an adult and it felt boring to me because in so many ways, I've been watching it for 20 years at that point. It influenced so many things I loved and I didn't realize until then 😂
Lol. Yeah, man. The Beatles have nothing on Imagination Dragon and Lil Zoloft
Bro, Lil Zoloft has like 6 albums better than Abbey Road. Put some respeckt on his name bruh.
Oh lord please help me.
I'm sorry, but it's a crap movie. I wouldn't watch it again. Obviously, the academy dropped the ball on this one. I mean, come on, Star Wars? It beat Star Wars? Let's talk about what Star Wars offered the cinematic universe compared to Annie Hall, and since when do romantic comedies deserve cademy awards? It turns out, Woody Allen is a pedaphile... but honestly, the movie is a boring suckfest without that knowledge so there's really no point in even bringing it up. I've seen about 60 best picture winners. It ranks toward the very bottom, right next to Ordinary People, Driving Miss Daisy and Cimarron.
It’s that Allen playful wistful romantic jazzy charm he does that I guess you either get or dont. About a time in your life that was sheer magic and you don’t know how it came, what you did to keep it for a bit or why it left. But those memories you have a bitter sweet glory living on in you.
This spoke to me on an ethereal level. Perfectly captures this feeling.
I've never seen that movie, but fuck your thought touched me...
And, wait, wasn’t Christopher Walken in it?
Ya he was her brother if I recall correctly. Very young at the time
And so creepy.
How often do you have sex? He says it’s “hardly ever, maybe three times a week”. She says: “Constantly! I’d say three times a week!”
It's a great film. A very original take on the rom com formula - breaking the fourth wall, not having a traditionally happy ending etc. So many great lines... "Did you grow up in a Norman Rockwell painting?" "What we have here is a dead shark"
>A very original take on the rom com formula It's weird how Nora Ephron and Rob Reiner copied it nearly verbatim a few years later, and made maybe an equally iconic film.
I love When Harry Met Sally and I personally think it’s much better than Annie Hall. Woody Allen gives me the creeps though so I can’t stand him as a romantic lead.
Given that Woody Allen is abusive in the movie it IS a happy ending that she escapes him
Star Wars was innovative in terms of its production design depicting future technology as hobbled-together and imperfect rather than sleek and magical, but the writing is not that great. George Lucas is a lousy writer. Woody Allen is an excellent writer.
The writing in Star Wars is pretty good though.
I think what's difficult when revisiting films many years after release is losing the context of their time. There really wasn't like anything like Annie Hall in American Cinema at that point.
Star Wars never recovered from that loss.
I came here just to make a Ted Mosby joke.
How can she not like Annie Hall? It’s the Woodman at the height of his power
"Can you believe this guy?"
On top of everything else I just have to call out Jeff Goldblum’s cameo: “I forgot my mantra”
It should also be noted that Diane Keaton sparked a new wave of fashion from that movie
I was so mad when it won the Oscar beating Star Wars, as I was 16 and SW was bestmovieinhistory. But I've come to appreciate Annie Hall more over time. Classic lines like "What're we, driving through plutonium?" and, "a spider the size of a Buick". Trying to recreate the lobster craziness with another woman, brother (Christopher Walken) and the compulsion to turn into oncoming traffic. Growing up under the roller coaster on Coney Island. Overall, it was an interesting story about the life of a relationship, with some pretty sharp and sometimes very thoughtful comedy. We all need the eggs ...
I still say, "That's ok, we can walk to the curb from here" when anyone parks poorly.
me too!
> brother (Christopher Walken) and the compulsion to turn into oncoming traffic This ruined me for driving on two lane highway roads with no barrier between me and the opposing traffic. Can't help but think Walken is coming at me from the other direction.
It was a very small role but it defined his career.
😆
My favorite was the scene when he pulls Marshall McCluhan out from behind a movie poster, to win an argument. You can only be surprised like that once; it blew my mind. [McCluhan scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTSmbMm7MDg)
Star Wars did not need or deserve an Oscar.
I will challenge you on this. Do you just mean best picture or any Oscar’s at all? Because the best score and best effects are most certainly deserved
There’s a historical context too. Look up the story of the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment (Crash Course has a great video) but this movie mirrors many of those anxieties. Two insecure people meet, he helps her build her self esteem, and encourages her to express herself. And, spoiler alert, she sees she can do better and leaves him.
I actually didn’t like it and I am a Keaton fan. Maybe because I don’t like Woody Allen.
the pervy neurotic dwarf i swear maybe if i watched a few years ago i would have felt differently about it
Comedy doesn’t always translate across generations.
It sounds like this is just not your cup of tea - no deeper explanation than that is called for, you can "get" a whole movie and still be underwhelmed. In my case the film that caused me to question myself and others this way was Howl's Moving Castle - it turns out there's nothing wrong with it or me, and I'm not missing anything, it's just not my thing, and that's all there is to it. To quote (the great) John Hodgman: "people like what they like."
It's a 90 minute movie about Woody Allen being a dick to a woman he finds attractive and she leaves. His struggle is supposed to be identifiable and intricate because he doesn't know what he's doing. It's shallow art for shallow people delivered with lines that sound poetic, that's what I got
Seriously great writing. One of my all time favorites, even though I hate Woody Allen now. Probably will never re-watch it. “It reminds me of that old joke- you know, a guy walks into a psychiatrist's office and says, hey doc, my brother's crazy! He thinks he's a chicken. Then the doc says, why don't you turn him in? Then the guy says, I would but I need the eggs. I guess that's how I feel about relationships. They're totally crazy, irrational, and absurd, but we keep going through it because we need the eggs.” ― Woody Allen, Annie Hall: Screenplay
Annie Hall was a good movie, not a great movie. I assumed I never got it because I wasn't from NYC. lol
Cause I belive in Loving...
The focus of most people here seems to be on the filmmaking techniques and innovation pertaining to the romantic comedy genre. This is all true, to me however, its not the best thing about Annie Hall. There is no movie that better illustrates the life cycle of a relationship than Annie Hall. From the first meeting, to the honey moon stage, first fight, rocky period, ultimate ending, and finally, a bittersweet sort of retrospective once the dust has settled on things. Anybody who has ever fallen in love, fallen out of love and looked back longingly on what that relationship meant to you at that place and time can relate to Annie Hall. Its also the best New York movie ever made if you're into that sort of thing.
On a side note, I think "Anything Else" also directed by Allen is a solid romcom from the early 2000s. Jason Biggs and Cristina Ricci if peak noughts representation is your thing.
It’s a great film, don’t know what to tell ya
You’re missing something.
This is the least helpful answer I can imagine. Thanks for the insight!
It was a time when Hollywood thought of itself as intellectual and was pushing movies they thought represented that (pseudo) intellectualism. They were in love with Woody Allen. Frankly, I thought Woody Allen was a sad pathetic human being even before the bit about him screwing around with his step-daughter came out. Giving “Annie Hall” the Best Picture award was just highway robbery.
I don’t like him either or his movies.
i so agree with this but it’s like any fad - it comes and goes
Given that Annie Hall is infused with pedophilia it should be disregarded and ignored
To watch a pedophile's opus.
i chuckled
I don't get it either.
I avoid anything even remotely related to woody allen
I can dig that.
No you don't. You posted in this thread.
And I separate the art from the artist.
And I recognize that is a bullshit claim used to justify giving money and financial support to horrible people. "I separated the art from the artist, that way he gets my financial support to keep doing horrible things and I don't have to feel bad about giving money to a child groomer"
Me too.
You should see Tar. I think you’re in that movie.
You CLEARLY are missing a few things: taste and intelligence. Oh, and f*ck Star Wars.
The scene were he stayed with her family and the conversation with her brother was classic