Stardust Memories (1980)

While attending a retrospective of his work, a filmmaker recalls his life and his loves: the inspirations for his films.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Woody Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Jessica Harper

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Allen	...	Sandy Bates
Charlotte Rampling	...	Dorrie
Jessica Harper	...	Daisy
Marie-Christine Barrault	...	Isobel
Tony Roberts	...	Tony
Daniel Stern	...	Actor
Amy Wright	...	Shelley
Helen Hanft	...	Vivian Orkin
John Rothman	...	Jack Abel
Anne De Salvo	...	Sandy's Sister
Joan Neuman	...	Sandy's Mother
Ken Chapin	...	Sandy's Father
Leonardo Cimino	...	Sandy's Analyst
Eli Mintz	...	Old Man
Bob Maroff	...	Jerry Abraham

Storyline

Renowned filmmaker Sandy Bates is in a professional transition, directing largely comedies early in his career now wanting to direct more serious movies so that he can explore the meaning of life, most specifically his own. Most are fighting him all along the way, including the movie going public, who continually tell him that they love his movies especially the earlier funny ones, to studio executives who are trying to insert comic elements wherever possible into his current movie in production. He reluctantly agrees to attend a weekend long film festival of his movies. Despite the throng of requests for his time, he is further able to reflect on his life as he addresses the questions at the post screening Q&A sessions. He also reflects specifically on his love life as his current girlfriend, married Isobel, shows up unexpectedly, and as he starts to fall for festival attendee Daisy - at the festival with her Columbia professor boyfriend, Jack Abel - who reminds him of Dorrie, a ...

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Plot Keywords:

midlife crisis | film director | man wearing glasses | weekend | retrospective | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Persian

Release Date:

26 September 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Recuerdos

Filming Locations:

The Great Auditorium, Ocean Grove, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$326,779, 28 September 1980, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,389,003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions,Rollins-Joffe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Cynthia Gibb, credited here as Cindy Gibb.

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Quotes

Fan: Are you Sandy Bates?
Sandy Bates: Uhhh... no.
Fan: Yes, you are.
Sandy Bates: No n-n-n-no, I'm not.
Fan: My mother buys meat in the same butcher shop your mother does.
Sandy Bates: Oh, great.
Fan: Can I have your autograph?
Sandy Bates: Oh, jeez.
Fan: Could you just write: "To Phyllis Weinstein, you unfaithful, lying bitch."

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Connections

References Persona (1966)

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Soundtracks

I'll See You in My Dreams
(1924)
Written by Isham Jones and Gus Kahn
Performed by Django Reinhardt
Courtesy of Capitol Records & Pathe Marconi, EMI

User Reviews

A B&W confection full of touching Allen-isms

Only a filmmaking genius like Woody Allen could bring such viable characters to the screen with such life and perception. Allen (who also scripted) is Sandy Bates, an acclaimed, world-reknowned director who attends a weekend festival honoring his works. When he's not being bombarded by mobs of autograph hounds and PR people, he takes time to reflect on himself and the three diverse women in his life: drug-abusing actress Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling), wistful violinist Daisy (Jessica Harper, who also appeared in Allen's "Love and Death" (1975)) and French housewife Isobel (Academy Award-nominee Marie-Christine Barrault). Loaded with the crisp dialogue that we've come to expect from Allen (Best line: "I would trade that Oscar for one more second of life"), "Stardust Memories" is noticably one of Allen's most personal films. Also, what makes "SM" unlike his other works, where his characters do a lot of interacting, the film's focus is mainly on Allen (most beautifully) interacting with himself mentally. Sharon Stone has a bit part in the beginning as a train passenger. Gordon Willis' cinematography is gorgeous. ***1/2 of ****.