Mighty Aphrodite (1995)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer (WGA):

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

11 January 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

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.

Plot Keywords:

New York | Adoption | Adultery | Sex | Greek Mythology

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Woody Allen	...	Lenny
F. Murray Abraham	...	Leader
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Amanda
Donald Symington	...	Amanda's Father
Claire Bloom	...	Amanda's Mother
Olympia Dukakis	...	Jocasta
Michael Rapaport	...	Kevin
Mira Sorvino	...	Linda Ash
David Ogden Stiers	...	Laius
Jack Warden	...	Tiresias
Peter Weller	...	Jerry Bender
Rosemary Murphy	...	Adoption Coordinator
Steven Randazzo	...	Bud
J. Smith-Cameron	...	Bud's Wife
Jeffrey Kurland	...	Oedipus

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sex-related material.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (Mono)

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Philippines:R-18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Denmark:A | Finland:S | Hong Kong:IIB | Hungary:16 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Magnolia Pictures

Trivia:

After its limited release in October 1995, Mira Sorvino received her Academy Award nomination. When it was released nationally in January of 1996 the television ads for the film was re-edited to make it seem that Sorvino's character was on the telephone thanking the Academy for the nomination.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The Belmont Park race caller announces that the last-place Eager Beaver is fading when Eager Beaver was actually gaining ground, and finishes the race a length-and-a-half behind the horse in front of him.

Quotes:

Linda Ash: You didn't want a blowjob so the least I could do is get you a tie.

Movie Connections:

References Pulp Fiction (1994)

Soundtrack:

Li'l Darlin'

Superb balance between sophistication and corn

Spike Jones once said that his material was too corny for sophisticated people but too sophisticated for corny people. Woody Allen's material can lend itself to similar critique. Mighty Aphrodite has a superb balance between sophistication and corn.

The Greek chorus idea is very well used, both at a sophisticated level - the film is essentially a modernised Greek drama - and at a corn level (when the chorus morphed into a more Broadway-style chorus Janie avoided the cheese by going into the kitchen and uncorking the wine). The Greek myth theme is well done throughout - I loved the appeal to Zeus especially. Also the deus ex machina resolution was terrific fun, although I think not entirely original (I believe it was Cocteau who previously used the helicopter as a visual deus ex machina).

Fine performances - Mira Sorvino is a super "tart with a heart". Even Helena Bonham Carter is more effectively used in this film than in her standard Merchant Ivory roles, although I thought she lacked chemistry with Woody. Good also to see F Murray Abraham as the leader of the chorus - why do we see so little of him these days?

I'm a fan of Woody, but he has been patchy in the last 10 years or so. With this one, he really was in sparkling form. Well worth seeing.