Scoop (2006)

An American journalism student in London scoops a big story, and begins an affair with an aristocrat as the incident unfurls.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Jim Dunk, Robert Bathurst, Scarlett Johansson

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Dunk	...	Funeral Speaker
Robert Bathurst	...	Strombel's Co-Worker
Geoff Bell	...	Strombel's Co-Worker
Christopher Fulford	...	Strombel's Co-Worker
Nigel Lindsay	...	Strombel's Co-Worker
Ian McShane	...	Joe Strombel
Fenella Woolgar	...	Jane Cook
Pete Mastin	...	Death (as Peter Mastin)
Doreen Mantle	...	Joe's Co-Passenger
David Schneider	...	Joe's Co-Passenger
Meera Syal	...	Joe's Co-Passenger
Kevin McNally	...	Mike Tinsley (as Kevin R. McNally)
Robyn Kerr	...	Tinsley's Fan #1
Richard Stirling	...	Tinsley's Fan
Scarlett Johansson	...	Sondra Pransky

Storyline

In the funeral of the famous British journalist Joe Strombel, his colleagues and friends recall how obstinate he was while seeking for a scoop. Meanwhile the deceased Joe discloses the identity of the tarot card serial killer of London. He cheats the Reaper and appears to the American student of journalism Sondra Pransky, who is on the stage in the middle of a magic show of the magician Sidney Waterman in London, and tells her that the murderer is the aristocrat Peter Lyman. Sondra drags Sid in her investigation, seeking for evidences that Peter is the killer. However, she falls in love with him and questions if Joe Strombel is right in his scoop.

---

Plot Keywords:

scoop | journalist | student | magic | magician | 

---

Taglines:

The perfect man. The perfect story. The perfect murder.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Mystery

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

TFM Distribution [fr]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 September 2006 (Iceland)

Also Known As:

Untitled Woody Allen Fall Project 2006

Filming Locations:

CityPoint, Moorgate, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,046,924 (USA) (28 July 2006)

Gross:

$10,515,579 (USA) (22 September 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Ingenious Film Partners, Phoenix Wiley

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Mono)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Scoop is one of three 2006 films to feature both the topic of magic and magicians as main characters. The other two are The Illusionist and The Prestige, the second of which also stars Hugh Jackman and Scarlett Johansson. Woody Allen was tutored magic and illusion for the movie by Scott Penrose.

---

Goofs

In the end credit soundtrack section, the composer Edvard Grieg is misspelled as "Edvard Greig".

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Funeral Speaker: Don't mourn for Joe Stromble. Joe Stromble had a full life. A newspaper man in the best tradition. A great credit to the Fourth Estate. It didn't matter if the bombs of the war zone were falling, it didn't matter how high up the political scandal went, or how many big corporations or small time racketeers leaned on him. Whatever the risk, if there was a story there, Joe went after it. And he usually got it.

---

Connections

References Porky's Romance (1937)

---

Soundtracks

"In the Hall of the Mountain King"
from Peer Gynt Suite #1
Composed by Edvard Grieg
Performed by Budapesti Filharmóniai Társaság Zenekara (as The Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra)
János Sándor, Conductor
Courtesy of Delta Entertainment Corporation

User Reviews

The critics didn't get the "Scoop" on this one

Reading a wide variety of "Scoop" reviews over the past few days, I walked into the theater prepared for a subpar outing from Woody. Happily, I couldn't have been more wrong. Granted, Woody the performer is slowing down a touch or two, but Woody the writer/director is in fine form - and found a credible way to integrate his 70-year old self into the story. Judging from the laughter and guffaws, the audience ate up Allen's one-liners and dialogue in a way that I haven't seen in several years.

In a movie landscape dominated by software-approved story arcs, twentysomething tastes and assembly-line formula fare for kiddies, it's a source of both satisfaction and inspiration to see Allen pursuing his highly personal and still-rewarding path.