Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

7 February 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Between two Thanksgivings, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.

Plot Keywords:

Thanksgiving | Actress | Writer | Hypochondriac | Painter

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 24 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Barbara Hershey	...	Lee
Carrie Fisher	...	April
Michael Caine	...	Elliot
Mia Farrow	...	Hannah
Dianne Wiest	...	Holly
Maureen O'Sullivan	...	Norma
Lloyd Nolan	...	Evan
Max von Sydow	...	Frederick (as Max Von Sydow)
Woody Allen	...	Mickey
Lewis Black	...	Paul
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Mary
Christian Clemenson	...	Larry
Julie Kavner	...	Gail
J.T. Walsh	...	Ed Smythe
John Turturro	...	Writer
Rusty Magee	...	Ron
Allen DeCheser	...	Hannah's Twins
Artie DeCheser	...	Hannah's Twins
Ira Wheeler	...	Dr. Abel
Richard Jenkins	...	Dr. Wilkes
Tracy Kennedy	...	Brunch Guest
Fred Melamed	...	Dr. Grey
Benno Schmidt	...	Dr. Smith
Joanna Gleason	...	Carol
Maria Chiara	...	Manon Lescaut
Daniel Stern	...	Dusty
Stephen De Fluiter	...	Dr. Brooks (as Stephen deFluiter)
The 39 Steps	...	Rock Band
Bobby Short	...	Himself
Rob Scott	...	Drummer
Beverly Peer	...	Bass Player
Daisy Previn	...	Hannah's Child
Moses Farrow	...	Hannah's Child
Paul Bates	...	Theater Manager
Carrotte	...	Theater Executive
Mary Pappas	...	Theater Executive
Bernie Leighton	...	Audition Pianist
Ken Costigan	...	Father Flynn
Helen Miller	...	Mickey's Mother
Leo Postrel	...	Mickey's Father
Susan Gordon-Clark	...	Hostess
William Sturgis	...	Elliot's Analyst
Daniel Haber	...	Krishna
Verna O. Hobson	...	Mavis
John Doumanian	...	Thanksgiving Guest
Fletcher Farrow Previn	...	Thanksgiving Guest (as Fletcher Previn)
Irwin Tenenbaum	...	Thanksgiving Guest
Amy Greenhill	...	Thanksgiving Guest
Dickson Shaw	...	Thanksgiving Guest
Marje Sheridan	...	Thanksgiving Guest
Ivan Kronenfeld	...	Lee's Husband
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chris Barry	...	Vocalist with The 39 Steps (uncredited)
Michael Bramon	...	Drummer with The 39 Steps (uncredited)
Joe Cerratto	...	Bassist with The 39 Steps (uncredited)
Pierre Major	...	Guitarist with The 39 Steps (uncredited)
Richard Paul	...	Guitarist with The 39 Steps (uncredited)
Soon-Yi Previn	...	Thanksgiving Guest (uncredited)
Tony Roberts	...	Norman - Mickey's Ex-partner (uncredited)
Sam Waterston	...	David (uncredited)

Directed by
Woody Allen

Writing credits
Woody Allen		(written by)

Produced by
Robert Greenhut	....	producer
Charles H. Joffe	....	executive producer
Jack Rollins	....	executive producer
Gail Sicilia	....	associate producer

Cinematography by
Carlo Di Palma		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Susan E. Morse

Casting by
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Stuart Wurtzel

Set Decoration by
Carol Joffe

Costume Design by
Jeffrey Kurland

Makeup Department
Fern Buchner	....	makeup designer
Romaine Greene	....	hair designer
Craig Lyman	....	key makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ezra Swerdlow	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sally Andrews	....	dga trainee
Ken Ornstein	....	second assistant director
Thomas A. Reilly	....	first assistant director (as Thomas Reilly)

Art Department
Pasquale Grossi	....	set: Segment from the opera 'Manon Lescaut' by Puccini
Dan Leigh	....	assistant: Mr. Wurtzel
James Mazzola	....	property master
James Sorice	....	standby scenic artist
Dave Weinman	....	set dresser
Frank Didio	....	head carpenter (uncredited)
Ron Petagna	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Lee Dichter	....	re-recording mixer: Sound One Corporation
Noreen Evans	....	assistant sound editor
Jack Fitzstephens	....	sound editor
Les Lazarowitz	....	production sound mixer
Tod A. Maitland	....	sound recordist (as Tod Maitland)
Linda Murphy	....	boom operator
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ronald Burke	....	dolly grip
Vincent Delaney	....	best boy (as Vin Delaney)
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer
Douglas C. Hart	....	assistant cameraman
Jamie Jacobson	....	additional photography (as Jamie Jacobsen)
Dick Mingalone	....	camera operator
Robert Paone	....	second assistant cameraman (as Bob Paone)
Ray Quinlan	....	gaffer
Robert Ward	....	key grip (as Bob Ward)
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Chris Hammond	....	electrician (uncredited)
Douglas Pellegrino	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ellen Lewis	....	casting assistant
Todd M. Thaler	....	additional casting (as Todd Michael Thaler)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mark Burchard	....	wardrobe supervisor: men's
Patricia Eiben	....	wardrobe supervisor: women's

Editorial Department
Nicole Holofcener	....	apprentice film editor
Richard Nord	....	assistant film editor
Suzanne Pillsbury	....	assistant film editor
Tom San Martin	....	negative matcher (uncredited)
Arnold Shuster	....	negative matcher (uncredited)

Music Department
Georgi Badev	....	performer: "Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra:
Angelo Campoli	....	conductor: Segment from the opera 'Manon Lescaut' by Puccini
The Choir of the Church of The Transfiguration	....	choir
John Gordon Morris	....	choirmaster
Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Torino	....	orchestra: segment from the opera "Manon Lescaut" by Puccini (as The Orchestra of the Regio Theatre)

Transportation Department
Harry J. Leavey	....	transportation captain (as Harry Leavey)
Patrick Hogan	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Nicholas Bernstein	....	location scout
Timothy M. Bourne	....	location manager (as Timothy Marshall Bourne)
Kay Chapin	....	script supervisor
Kris Cole	....	production staff
James A. Davis	....	production staff (as James Davis)
Pam Gartrell	....	production staff
Richard Guay	....	assistant production auditor
Joseph Hartwick	....	production auditor
Barbara Heller	....	location scout
Amy Herman	....	assistant production coordinator
Carlo Maestrini	....	director: Segment from the opera 'Manon Lescaut' by Puccini
Jane Read Martin	....	assistant: Mr. Allen
Tom McKinley	....	associate: Mr. Kurland
Sandy Nelson	....	location coordinator
Ora Ramat	....	location scout
Dana Robin	....	location scout
Helen Robin	....	production coordinator
Hillary Rollins	....	production staff
Angela Salgado	....	production staff
Judson Schwartz	....	production staff (as Jud Schwartz)
Carl Turnquest Jr.	....	projectionist
Dennis Kear	....	stand-in: Woody Allen (uncredited)
Grant Reid	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Marshall Arisman	....	the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank for their assistance: Frederick's oils courtesy of
Randall Rupert	....	the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank for their assistance: Frederick's drawings courtesy of

Production Companies

• Orion Pictures Corporation (as An Orion Pictures Release)
• Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions (as A Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production)

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1986) (USA) (theatrical) (as An Orion Pictures Release)
• Hoyts Distribution (1986-1997) (Australia) (all media)
• HBO/Cannon Video (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2002) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (198?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video

Other Companies

• Computer Opticals  art cards
• Associates and Ferren  opticals (as Associateds & Farren)
• Official House, The  titles (as The Official House, N.Y.)
• Teatro Regio di Torino  opera production: Segment from the opera 'Manon Lescaut' by Puccini (as the Regio Theater of Turin, Italy)
• Tirelli Costumi  costumes: Segment from the opera 'Manon Lescaut' by Puccini
• AON/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance (as Albert G, Ruben Insurance Co., Ltd.)
• Alta Marea Productions  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance
• CBS Robbins Catalog  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance
• Chappell & Company  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance (as Chappell & Co., Inc)
• General Camera Corporation  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance (as General Camera Corp.)
• Lee Lighting America  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance
• Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting, The  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance
• On Location Education  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance
• Sound One  re-recording mixer (uncredited)
• Summit Waterproofing & Restoration  the producers gratefully acknowledge and wish to thank the following for their assistance

Also Known As:

Runtime:

103 min | Spain:106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Peru:14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (PCA #27862) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Orion Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Woody Allen was originally going to have a more downbeat ending, but the studios asked him to make it more upbeat.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Dolly tracks visible when the camera pulls back in the living room.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Elliot:God, she's beautiful. She's got the prettiest eyes. She looks so sexy in that sweater. I just want to be alone with her and hold her and kiss her and tell her how much I love her and take care of her. Stop it you idiot, she's your wife's sister. But I can't help it...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Runaway: A Road Adventure (2002) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Madama Butterfly

Arguably Allen's Best Work....

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Probably when all is said and done, my favorite Allen movie. This is definitely one of those examples where the sum is greater than the parts. Great shots of New York (specifically the city's architecture), great situations, great parties and great music

Among the Manhattan-dwelling characters is Michael Caine, who is married to Hannah (Mia Farrow) but lusts after her sister (Barbara Hershey) who lives with a tormented artist (Max Von Sydow.) Hannah's ex-husband (Woody Allen) starts dating her other sister (Diane Weist) who wants to date Sam Waterston, even though he'd rather date her friend (Carrie Fisher).

In addition to the cameo by Julia Louise Dreyfuss, the film features two supporting performances by old school actors, Lloyd Nolan and Mia Farrow's real life mom, the original Jane in the Tarzan movies, Maureen O'Sullivan.

If that's not enough, Allen throws in plenty of his trademark hypochondria hysteria, questioning the meaning of the universe and whether God exists.