New York Stories (1989)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Directors:

Woody Allen
Francis Ford Coppola

Writers (WGA):

Richard Price (written by) (segment)
Woody Allen (written by) (segment)

Release Date:

10 March 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

One City. Three Stories Tall.

Plot:

A middle-aged artist obsessed with his pretty young assistant, a precocious 12 year old living in a hotel, and a neurotic lawyer with a possessive mother make up three stories.

Plot Keywords:

Painter | Artist | New York City | Children's Party | Domineering Mother

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Sheldon
Marvin Chatinover	...	Psychiatrist
Mae Questel	...	Mother
Mia Farrow	...	Lisa
Molly Regan	...	Sheldon's Secretary
Ira Wheeler	...	Mr. Bates
Joan Bud	...	Board Member
Jessie Keosian	...	Aunt Ceil
Michael Rizzo	...	Waiter
George Schindler	...	Shandu, The Magician
Bridgit Ryan	...	Rita
Larry David	...	Theater Manager
Paul Herman	...	Detective Flynn / Clifford, The Doorman / Cop
Herschel Rosen	...	Store Clerk
Lola André	...	Citizen

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Brazil:14 | USA:PG (Certificate No. 29611) | Finland:S | France:U | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | West Germany:12 | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Michael Powell helped with a major story problem in Woody Allen's segment.

Quotes:

Lionel Dobie: I have to pick up my sister at the airport. I don't know why she can't take a cab like everybody else.

Movie Connections:

References "The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams" (1977)

Soundtrack:

It Could Happen To You

Allen Shines; Scorsese's Strident; Coppola's Piece Best Suited To ELOISE Fans, But Where's Brody?

I'd seen NEW YORK STORIES (NYS) before on cable, and I'd enjoyed the trilogy of short films by Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, and Woody Allen. However, I hadn't been aware that a teenage Adrien Brody was supposed to be in it until I happened to look up his credits on the IMDb. Since he was listed in order of appearance as part of the cast of Coppola's segment LIFE WITHOUT ZOË, I kept a sharp eye out for young Brody in the school cafeteria scene -- at least it *looked* like it was supposed to be the cafeteria! The artistically dim lighting made things a little hard to see, which may be why I (and other Brody fans I know) could hardly find Brody at all. Judging by the order in which he's listed in the credits (as a character named "Mel"), Brody should've shown up in Zoë's school right after the know-it-all character Andrea (Alexandra Becker) shows up, just before the Sherry-Netherland robbery scene with Chris Elliott. Brody must have had dialogue at some point, or he wouldn't have been in the credits at all. However, I guess Coppola & Company pulled a THIN RED LINE on the adolescent Adrien, because I didn't see or hear him utter a single syllable. My only inkling that Boy Brody was in the scene at all was that when I looked very closely and pressed my DVD remote's "Slow" button, I thought I detected a familiar noble-nosed profile amongst the students stylishly silhouetted in the background. Oh, well, at least Brody got an early screen credit and presumably a paycheck out of the experience, as did another future Oscar-winner: Sofia Coppola, who co-wrote the script and designed the cute opening credit sequence. Nevertheless, I found LIFE WITHOUT ZOË entertaining even when the game of "Spot the Adrien" came a cropper, despite its reputation as the weakest of NYS's trio of vignettes. While it has its overly precious moments, it's basically an uncredited 'tween update of Kay Thompson's ELOISE AT THE PLAZA book series, one of my faves; think of this as ZOË AT THE SHERRY-NETHERLAND. With gorgeous New York locations, catchy songs by Kid Creole & the Coconuts, and a likable cast including young Heather McComb, Don Novello, Giancarlo Giannini, and Talia Shire, you could find worse ways to pass the time. As for the other entries, Scorsese's LIFE LESSONS, with a screenplay by Richard Price, is well-crafted and well-acted, though the temperamental, manipulative artist and assistant/muse/lover played, respectively, by Nick Nolte and Rosanna Arquette were so immature and strident they got on my nerves after a while. Hands down, my favorite of the 3 vignettes (and the fave of most folks who've seen NYS) was Allen's uproarious OEDIPUS WRECKS, the story of a Jewish mother (Mae Questel, the cutie who voiced Betty Boop and Olive Oyl, is a devious delight) whose well-meant domination of her henpecked son (Allen) gets out of hand when the audience participation portion of a magic show goes horribly yet hilariously awry. Mia Farrow and Julie Kavner provide able support; CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM fans should keep an eye out for Larry David in a brief bit as the magic show theater manager. Kavner's home-cooked chicken drumstick gets my vote for "Best Performance by an Inanimate Object"! :-)