Celebrity (1998)

The fortunes of a husband and wife differ drastically after they divorce.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Greg Mottola, Kenneth Branagh, Judy Davis

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Greg Mottola	...	Director
Jeff Mazzola	...	Assistant Director
Dick Mingalone	...	Camera Operator
Vladimir Bibic	...	Director of Photography
Melanie Griffith	...	Nicole Oliver
Francisco Quidjada	...	Erno Delucca
Aleksa Palladino	...	Production Assistant
Dan Moran	...	Jackhammer Operator
Peter Castellotti	...	Sound Recordist (as Pete Castellotti)
A. Lee Morris	...	Second Assistant Cameraperson
Douglas McGrath	...	Bill Gaines
Kenneth Branagh	...	Lee Simon
Maurice Sonnenberg	...	Dalton Freed
Winona Ryder	...	Nola
Craig Ulmschneider	...	Daniel - Production Assistant

Storyline

Lee Simon, unsuccessful journalist and wanna-be novelist, tries to get a foot into the door with celebrities. After divorcing his wife Robin, Lee gets to meet a lot folks of the rich and / or beautiful, partly through journalism, partly because he has a script to offer. But life among those from out-of-this-world is hard, and his putative success always results in defeat. Meanwhile Robin meets a very desirable TV-producer and takes the first steps in the world of celebrities herself.

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Plot Keywords:

celebrity | tv producer | journalist | waitress | ex husband ex wife relationship | 

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Taglines:

A funny look at people who will do anything to get famous... or stay famous.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sex and some drug use

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Woody Allen Fall Project 1997

Filming Locations:

Barbetta Restaurant - 321 W. 46th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£139,882 (UK) (18 June 1999)

Gross:

£462,034 (UK) (9 July 1999)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sweetland Films, Magnolia Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (Mono)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Woody Allen ended up removing an entire subplot featuring Vanessa Redgrave in the end film.

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Goofs

When Frederique Van Der Wal turns around in the first bar scene, the wireless microphone transmitter around her waist is in view.

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Quotes

Nicole Oliver: I can't have sex with you! My body belongs to my husband and there is no way that I could betray him in that way. But what I do from the neck up is a different story.

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Connections

References The Birth of a Nation (1915)

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Soundtracks

"Chanel No. 5"
(1998)
Written by Michael Moon (as Michael Franano)
Performed by the Michael Moon Band

User Reviews

Woody's best in years

A lot of the reviews have said that this film is one of the weaker recent Woody Allen movies, but I actually thought it was his best since Husbands and Wives. It's much more subtle but every bit as scathing as Deconstructing Harry. Everyone says Woody's films just aggrandize himself, but I feel that his latest few have been exercises in self-loathing.

Certain people (in these very pages) have felt that one is supposed to sympathize with the Branagh character. Certain people, we must remember, are on crack. Branagh plays a low-life louse who gives the word narcissim a whole new meaning. He is looking to revitalize his life by entering the world of celebrities. He is contrasted with his ex-wife (the always amazing Judy Davis... who doesn't she do more films?) who is also looking to change her life, but not necessarily by becoming famous. She does become famous, and near the end she says what I think is the key line: "I've become the kind of person I've always detested, but I'm happier." My friend and I had an argument later about what the film was saying: a) that Judy has given up on seriousness and meaning by becoming a celebrity, but now she's happier, or b) that the "entertainment products" that these people turn out don't matter at all, and that if one can find personal happiness (Judy eventually becomes much more social and comfortable with people) by doing them, then that's great. I don't know, but this is a far more interesting treatise on finding happiness than the dreary "Happiness" was.

This is also the funniest Allen film in years, with two total laugh-out-loud lines which I won't spoil here.

Overall, I felt the celebrity part, and all the walk-ons we not at all the focus of this movie, it just uses that world as a backdrop. This film is also very sweet and real, with the scene in which Judy Davis visits a psychic being one of the most intimate and touching I've seen.

One last thing, it's fun to see a Woody Allen film in New York City, because you can watch the audience trying to identify all the places where the scenes are set.

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