Wild Man Blues (1997)

Academy Award-winner Barbara Kopple directs this documentary portrait of Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner Woody Allen, seen traveling with friends and fellow musicians during their New... See full summary »

Director:

Barbara Kopple

Stars:

Woody Allen, Letty Aronson, Soon-Yi Previn

4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Letty Aronson	...	Self - Sister of Woody Allen
Soon-Yi Previn	...	Self (as Soon Yi Previn)
Dan Barrett	...	Self - the Trombonist
Simon Wettenhall	...	Self - the Trumpeter (as Simon Wettenthall)
John Gill	...	Self - the Drummer and Vocalist
Greg Cohen	...	Self - the Bassist
Cynthia Sayer	...	Self - the Pianist
Eddy Davis	...	Self - the Band Director and Banjoist
Woody Allen	...	Self - The Clarinetist
Nettie Konigsberg	...	Self - Mother of Woody Allen
Martin Konigsberg	...	Self - Father of Woody Allen

Storyline

Academy Award-winner Barbara Kopple directs this documentary portrait of Academy Award and Golden Globe-winner Woody Allen, seen traveling with friends and fellow musicians during their New Orleans jazz band's 1996 European tour. Allen's relationship with his wife Soon-Yi Previn is captured on film here for the first time, and others on the European jaunt include Allen's sister Letty Aronson. Followed by press, paparazzi, and gushing admirers, Allen returns home to face a more realistic critical assessment during "the lunch from hell" with his aged parents.

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Plot Keywords:

title directed by female | paparazzi | jazz | jazz score | bologna | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief language

Did You Know?

Trivia

During one scene Woody Allen complains about Marlon Brando losing his 1952 Oscar to José Ferrer. Ferrer actually won the award in 1950. Brando lost to Humphrey Bogart, who won it for The African Queen (1951).

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Quotes

Woody Allen: I know I've got the kind of personality where when I'm here in Europe I miss New York, and when I'm in New York I miss Europe. I just don't want to be where I am at any given moment. I would rather be somewhere else. There's no way to beat that problem, because no matter where you are. It's chronic dissatisfaction. Anhedonia.

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Crazy Credits

Subtitles credit Letty Aronson and Soon-Li Previn. The band members are credited orally by Woody Allen as he introduces them to an audience. Allen himself is credited by marquees during the trip.

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Connections

Featured in Scene by Scene: Woody Allen (2000)

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Soundtracks

Rule Britannia
Music by Thomas Augustine Arne
Words by James Thomson (1740)
Played as background music while in London

User Reviews

Effective documentary

This is a documentary account of Allen's tour of Europe with his New Orleans jazz band. Barbara Kopple directs effectively and seems to have the ability to be there at the crucial moment without the scenes looking staged or faked. I do not know if the film is a deliberate attempt to counter the bad publicity Allen received over his affair with the teenage Soon-Yi. Certainly the now 27 year-old Soon-Yi appears to be the dominant one of the partnership like a kindly but strict mother controlling the behaviour of her naughty child. I particularly enjoyed the breakfast scene in Madrid where she gently scolds Allen for not showing sufficient appreciation to the members of his band. She orders Spanish omelette because it seems to be the appropriate thing to have and then makes Allen eat it because it tastes like rubber. The final scene is fascinating with Allen and Soon-Yi back in New York visiting Allen's parents, both in their 90s. Both parents are dismissive of Allen's achievements and his mother confesses that she wanted him to marry a nice Jewish girl.

Allen's clarinet playing is variable. He seems to be having trouble with his reed throughout the tour. On good nights he sounds like a reasonable George Lewis imitator, on a bad night in Paris he could barely coax a note out of his instrument. The audiences loved him apart from a bejewelled invited audience in Rome that clapped politely and sat wearing bemused smiles throughout the performance

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Italian

Release Date:

17 April 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wild Man Blues

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$54,458, 19 April 1998

Gross USA:

$533,759

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$533,759

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jean Doumanian Productions, Cabin Creek Films, Sweetland Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1