Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

I loved it back in 1986... and I still love it (31 years later and counting)! I identify with many of the characters (having been in their positions, at least briefly, at some point throughout my life). I get weapy at parts. The humor is undeniable. It gives so much in terms of character and story... and the connections throughout are no less than masterful.If you haven't seen this one (and if you tend to enjoy Woody Allen films... or smart, ensemble movies in general) what are you waiting for?! Watch HANNAH AND HER SISTERS. I hope you love it as I do.

It's undeniable that Woody Allen makes funny movies, taking absurdity and neurotic behavior to it's ultimate extreme. I've only seen a handful myself, but with the benefit of much hindsight, it's more than apparent that Allen was telegraphing the salacious and immodest behavior that would intrude on his own personal life in the years to come. It happened in a scene from "Bananas" when his character is observed at a magazine stand looking at girlie mags; he said he was doing a study on perversion and child molesting. In this one, the producer of one of his plays pulls the plug by stating that "Child molestation is a touchy subject", to which Allen's character Mickey blows it off by stating that half the country is doing it. As a writer, Allen may be tops, but as a human being he's not exactly a great role model.So with that aside out of the way, I thought the story here demonstrated Allen's screen writing ability in all it's neurotic best. Not only were the principal characters angst driven, but Mickey himself was a veritable treasure trove of insecurity and defeatist behavior. He's even a failure at suicide, though I never got the feeling he ever really wanted to off himself. The errant rifle blasts only added to the idea that he was a misguided fool who couldn't carry a project through to it's ultimate conclusion.One thing for certain, the movie has a stellar principal cast and a fine lineup of supporting players who were up and comers at the time like Lewis Black, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Daniel Stern amid the proceedings. At one point, Woody Allen is seen walking down a city street with a Hitchcock marquee in the background for "The Secret Agent", and I had to wonder if Allen intended some subliminal message there for his audience. In terms of message, I thought Allen got to the heart of the matter near the end of the story shortly after the suicide scene went bust. In reflecting on the afterlife and Man's position in the universe, the best he could come up with was "Maybe there's something. Nobody really knows." Perhaps one day he'll find out.One last observation - if you take a good look at Michael Caine in his role as Elliot, doesn't he resemble a more refined and mature version of Woody Allen?

I saw this movie when it first came out, and I thought it was just great, although I did not like Michael Cain in his role. Fast forward however many years, and I caught it on TV. Still didn't like Michael Cain in the movie - too whiny and overwrought, but so was everyone else. What a terrible movie! It has not stood the test of time. All the characters are high-strung, navel gazers who talk too much and say very little. The Allen Method of acting, which is basically improvising, looks so corny and amateurish in retrospect, and not at all realistic. Mia Farrow's voice could drive anyone insane, and her character is insipid; her sisters treat her like dirt, and her husband uses and abuses her. Just awful.

The cast in "Hannah and Her Sisters" is very good all around. Woody Allen won an Oscar for his original screenplay, and Michael Caine and Dianne Wiest won acting Oscars.Allen is one of the most successful writers and movie makers about modern life. His forte is his backyard – the big city (usually the Big Apple). So, one expects that the subject will evolve around urban living. In the years of the Great Depression and before WW II, many film settings were urban as well. But those were usually the glamorous, night on the town type of comedies and romances (any mysteries) that entertained people from the cities and the country alike. They could dream about "the good life" or how living like that would be so much fun. Of course, this doesn't include the films about excesses in those areas.But the modern versions of the urban life are quite different. Most often they show people in turmoil, often anxious, despondent, conflicted. They often involve multiple marriages, divorce, infidelity, free sex, and searching for the right person. Almost always the main characters are in psychotherapy or have analysts. Seldom are children even included, and when they are they are barely noticed in the film. There doesn't seem to be much happiness or joy among the characters. And usually, not much laughter or smiling.When the focus of these is comedy, they can be quite entertaining. When comedy is a small part or the focus is more on the drama and travails of everyday life in the big city, I suspect the entertainment appeal is diminished. It may very well be that the masses of people living in the big cities still see these as entertaining and enjoy them. But I suspect that there may be many who don't live such lifestyles or in such surroundings, for whom these stories aren't that funny or entertaining.If "Hannah and Her Sisters" is comedy, it is a comedy of errors. Woody Allen's story covers a wide range of family and personal experiences. We all make mistakes, bad choices, and selfish choices; and we have family and personal problems ranging from personal to health to employment. Most people today have some dysfunction in their families. But dysfunction seldom is funny. Lloyd Nolan's character, Evan, reflects off-screen in one segment of this film, about their children. Norma and he loved having their three daughters, but they didn't care to be with them that much while they were growing up.A good drama from time to can help us reflect, look at ourselves, and recharge our batteries to go on. But, the comedy in films like this is pretty weak, and not everyone will enjoy this or similar films as entertainment.