Celebrity (1998)

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

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Kenneth Branagh, Judy Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio

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 Quijada	...	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

New York City. Forty year old Lee Simon, a critically panned two time novelist who works as a travel writer (a job he hates) to earn a steady living, tells his shocked wife of sixteen years, English teacher Robin Simon, that he wants a divorce. Although he had not been happy with Robin for some time, she who he feels is a bundle of Catholic repressions and neuroses especially when it comes to sex, Lee finally came to the conclusion about wanting a divorce upon attending his high school reunion and seeing a roomful of losers, he believing he turning into one of them if he didn't make a drastic change. He gets a job working as a journalist for an entertainment magazine, while he writes screenplays on the side, he believing the latter a good stepping stone to finishing his third novel if the screenplays works out. The journalist job includes conducting interviews with celebrities, not only to who he can pedal his completed screenplay, but also what he quickly learns to who he has easy ...

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | celebrity | journalist | novel | television producer | 

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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

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Woody Allen Fall Project 1997

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,588,013, 22 November 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$5,032,496, 3 January 1999

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sweetland Films,Magnolia Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR (Mono)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Cinematographer Sven Nykvist had lost much of his sight at the time of filming. Allen would describe the scenes to Nykvist so Nykvist could tell Allen how each scene should look. This partially became the basis of Allen's blind director in Hollywood Ending (2002).

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Goofs

When Robin visits the hooker, the crew and equipment are both reflected in a window as the two women go out onto the patio.

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Quotes

Bonnie: Apparently his first two books...
Lee Simon: They were obliterated. I got the 3 esses: self-indulgent, sophomoric, sollipsistic...

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Connections

References The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)

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Soundtracks

Did I Remember (To Tell You I Adore You)
(1936)
Music by Walter Donaldson
Lyrics by Harold Adamson
Performed by Billie Holiday
Courtesy of Columbia Records by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

A Great Man Chokes

One of Woody Allen's worst films, a brilliant defense for anyone who considers Allen out-of-touch, self-indulgent, and irrelevant. A storyless mishmash of tired, unfunny gags, Woody has absolutely nothing to say and takes forever to say it (uncharacteristic for Allen, who's films have been the last bastion of auteur-brevity, the movie is a trying two hours-plus). Sure, the movie looks dynamite, and sure it's got a great cast trying its best, but can anyone honestly tell me that this movie's humor wasn't musty, it's narrative wasn't rambling, it's attempts at satire weren't annoyingly weak? A real disappointment, especially following last year's wonderfully vulgar, honest, and funny "Deconstructing Harry." This has to be the worst fall-winter film season in years.