New York Stories (1989)

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 Gotham tales.

Directors:

Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola (as Francis Coppola)

Writers:

Richard Price, Woody Allen

Stars:

Woody Allen, Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Woody Allen	...	Sheldon (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Marvin Chatinover	...	Psychiatrist (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Mae Questel	...	Mother (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Mia Farrow	...	Lisa (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Molly Regan	...	Sheldon's Secretary (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Ira Wheeler	...	Mr. Bates (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Joan Bud	...	Board Member (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Jessie Keosian	...	Aunt Ceil (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Michael Rizzo	...	Waiter (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
George Schindler	...	Shandu, The Magician (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Bridgit Ryan	...	Rita (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Larry David	...	Theater Manager (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Paul Herman	...	Detective Flynn / Clifford the Doorman / Cop (segments "Life Lessons" - "Life without Zoe" - "Oedipus Wrecks")
Herschel Rosen	...	Store Clerk (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
Lola André	...	Citizen (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")

Storyline

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 Gotham tales.

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Plot Keywords:

anthology film | portmanteau film | omnibus film | collection of short films | collective filmmaking | 

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Taglines:

One City. Three Stories Tall.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Oedipus Wrecks

Filming Locations:

Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$10,763,469

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steven Spielberg was originally going to be the third director to direct a film with Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese. He eventually dropped out and was replaced by Francis Ford Coppola.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

Coppola's segment introduces cast and crew members only by their first name during the opening titles.

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Connections

Featured in Martin Scorsese: True Confessions (2017)

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Soundtracks

I'll Be Seeing You
Written by Sammy Fain & Irving Kahal
Performed by Liberace
Courtesy of MCA Records

User Reviews

Allen's was hilarious, Scorsese's was interesting, Coppola's was unnecessary

"New York Stories" tells three tales of the Big Apple. Martin Scorsese's "Life Lessons" shows artist Lionel Dobie (Nick Nolte) trying to assess his relationships with people, Francis Ford Coppola's "Life without Zoe" shows a very mature girl, and Woody Allen's "Oedipus Wrecks" is about Sheldon Mills (played by Allen himself), a man who quite literally cannot get away from his mother.

I have to say that Scorsese did a very good job looking at troubled relationships, and Allen shows how hard it is to have certain kinds of people as parents (of course he often shows that). But Coppola's segment was so dull that I choose not to even write about it. But don't worry; the movie is overall really good, and we should assume that it really sucks to be Allen's character, given what happens in that segment.