Deconstructing Harry (1997)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer (WGA):

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

12 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Harry Block wrote a bestseller about his best friends. Now, his best friends are about to become his worst enemies.

Plot:

Suffering from writer's block and eagerly awaiting his writing award, Harry Block remembers events from his past and scenes from his best-selling books as characters, real and fictional, come back to haunt him.

Plot Keywords:

Writer's Block | Writing | Marriage | Psychiatrist | Jealousy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Harry Block
Richard Benjamin	...	Ken / Harry's Character
Kirstie Alley	...	Joan
Billy Crystal	...	Larry / The Devil (Harry's Character)
Judy Davis	...	Lucy
Bob Balaban	...	Richard
Elisabeth Shue	...	Fay
Demi Moore	...	Helen / Harry's Character
Robin Williams	...	Mel / Harry's Character
Caroline Aaron	...	Doris
Eric Bogosian	...	Burt
Mariel Hemingway	...	Beth Kramer
Amy Irving	...	Jane
Julie Kavner	...	Grace / Harry's Character
Eric Lloyd	...	Hilly

Also Known As:

The Meanest Man in the World (USA) (working title)
Woody Allen Fall Project 1996 (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (Mono)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Mexico:B | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R(A) | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Jean Doumanian Productions

Trivia:

Woody originally wanted Elliott Gould to play his part as Harry Block.

Quotes:

Harry Block: Between air conditioning and the Pope, I chose air conditioning.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Academy of Robots' Choice Awards Special (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain

A Tour De Force

Deconstructing Harry is Woody Allen's masterpiece. The editing is unlike anything else Allen has done, full of little cuts which give the movie a level of abstraction that raises you above the narrative thread. It was instantly my favorite Allen film and has remained so ever since. Praised when it came out for its unflinching honesty, it eschews the self-glorifying cuteness of his other quasi-autobiographical movies such as Stardust Memories and Annie Hall and even Manhattan.

The main conceit of this movie is that Allen's character, writer Harry Block (get it?), meets his alter egos and other characters from his writing as though in real life. Block's characters have been modeled with almost no attempt to disguise them on his relatives and ex-relationships, which infuriates and sometimes devastates them. You have to follow very carefully to distinguish the "real life" relatives from the alter egos who spring to life from the pages of his books.

Block has many very seamy weaknesses and peccadilloes which he readily admits and indulges without remorse. His "real life" relatives and exes submit him to scathing criticism and resentment, while their "fictional" counterparts contribute a more dispassionate and omniscient commentary on Block's misdeeds and poor judgment. The cast is among Allen's most star-studded and uniformly brilliant. It's always fun to watch actors appearing in their only Allen film, and there are many here. My favorite is Billy Crystal, who plays a friend of Block's who stole his lover--and also appears as the devil giving Block the cook's tour of the tenth circle of Hell.

To maintain this complexity of voices requires brilliant writing, and Allen does not disappoint. My favorite quote is:

Doris: Your whole life, it's nihilism, it's cynicism, it's sarcasm and orgasm.

Block: You know, in France, I could run on that slogan and win.

If I were one for condescendingly dogmatic assertions, and I'm not, but if I were, I would tell you that if you do not love this movie, you are watching Woody Allen movies for the wrong reasons.

For the record, rounding out my top five Allen movies are: Mighty Aphrodite, Bullets Over Broadway, Small Time Crooks, and Stardust Memories, with honorable mention to Shadows and Fog.