ANNIE HALL

(April 1977, U.S.)

I was just ten years-old when I saw this film in 1977. It was my first screen exposure to any sort of adult-themed humor. But even at such a tender age, I seemed to remember appreciating Woody Allen's style, wit and dialogue. From the moment the film started and he was staring right at the audience and talking to us I could appreciate what a different and interesting style of movie making this was. It seemed different to me, anyway. Remember, I was just ten and hadn't seen Groucho Marx do the same thing on screen yet many decades prior.

Getting back to adult humor, I suppose I was learning for the first time just how neurotic, psychotic and truly fucked up grown-ups could be at times. And it's probably movies like ANNIE HALL and some of Woody's other Manhattan-based films that have shown the rest of the world just how kooky the people of New York City truly are. This was also the first Allen film that got serious even for a moment after a string of zany comedies that included SLEEPER (1973) and LOVE AND DEATH (1975). Even after 33 years, I still think it's the best film of his career.

ANNIE HALL won the Oscar for best picture of 1977.

Favorite line or dialogue:

Alvy Singer: "Don't you see the rest of the country looks upon New York like were left-wing, communist, Jewish, homosexual pornographers? I think of us that way sometimes and I live here."