IMDb > Mighty Aphrodite (1995)
Mighty Aphrodite
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Mighty Aphrodite (1995) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   14,802 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Woody Allen
Writer (WGA):
Woody Allen (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Mighty Aphrodite on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 January 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Fantasy | Romance more
Tagline:
The new comedy from Woody Allen
Plot:
When he discovers his adopted son is a genius, a New York sportswriter seeks out the boy's birth mother: a prostitute. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 5 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(24 articles)
Whatever Works Blu-ray Review
 (From Collider.com. 26 October 2009, 4:19 PM, PDT)

Mira Sorvino wows audiences at Deauville
 (From The Hollywood News. 9 September 2009, 6:43 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Woody in a good mood more (75 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language and sex-related material.
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby SR (Mono)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
When Lenny and Linda are at the restaurant we see several framed photos of celebrities on the wall nearby. Some of the celebrities featured are actors Robert De Niro (a still photo from Raging Bull), Leonard Nimoy, Brooke Shields, James Garner and musician Chuck Mangione. more
Goofs:
Boom mic visible: In the scene after Cassandra tells Lenny that his knee caps will be broken, the shadow of a boom mic is visible "following" him as he paces while talking on the phone to Amanda. more
Quotes:
Lenny Weinrib: I'm not a violence person! I write about boxing and hockey and football! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Hongos (1999) more
Soundtrack:
I've Found a New Baby more

FAQ

Where can I find the screenplay?
more
21 out of 22 people found the following comment useful.
Woody in a good mood, 12 February 2002
7/10
Author: intercostalclavicle from Edinburgh, Scotland

Mighty Aphrodite is a great example of Woody Allen showing no interest in convincing his audience into swallowing down some serious morals like one of Groucho's horse pills. It's light, fluffy, shamelessly sentimental and suffers not a bit because of it, showing that Woody is willing to give his creative genius a bit of a spring clean. All round, there are good ideas, devices, performances and humour that lift the film out of any murky depths that Woody films can sometimes threaten to dive into.

The plot is generally an uplifting tale of changing ones life for the better, and intertwined with this is some of Woody Allen's best humour and a too often criticised Greek chorus device, which I personally loved. There are many entertaining characters - especially Mira Sorvino's prostitute, Linda Ash, and Michael Rapaport's dim-witted boxer-turned-onion-farmer, Kevin.

All of these characters are brought to life in a suitably bright and breezy manner by the talented cast, their performances fitting right in with Mighty Aphrodite's style. Mira Sorvino is enthralling - her helium voice, dippy nature and confidence masking a timid vulnerability, all of which earned her an Oscar, and rightly so. Other supporting actors (F. Murray Abraham, Michael Rapaport, Helena Bonham Carter and Danielle Ferland amongst them) each play their respective parts with just enthusiasm.

The Greek chorus has been criticised of demonstrating how Woody Allen is striving to make sure we know how serious Mighty Aphrodite's story is deep down. I don't reckon so, I like to think that he just thought it was funny to have a massed chorus saying silly things, pestering Woody Allen's character, Lenny, and occasionally breaking into a song-and-dance routine. And if he did think it would be funny - he was right! And Cassandra is an inspired piece of icing – the kneecap-breaking prophecy being one of the film's best moments.

Overall, Mighty Aphrodite might not be as perfectly loopy as Bananas, as delicious as Sleeper, as stimulating as Crimes and Misdemeanors or as seminal as Annie Hall or Manhattan, but it certainly sparkles with one important value that Woody Allen seemingly never forgets to inject into his films - entertainment.

7/10

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