Deconstructing Harry

ComedyDrama
Overview : Writer Harry Block draws inspiration from people he knows, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.
Budget : 20000000USD
language : en
Runtime : 96 min
Release Date : 1997-12-12
Imdb ID : tt0118954
Status : Released

Cast

Woody Allen
Harry Block

Judy Davis
Lucy

Kirstie Alley
Joan

Elisabeth Shue
Fay Sexton

Billy Crystal
Larry / The Devil

Bob Balaban
Richard

Hazelle Goodman
Cookie

Eric Lloyd
Hilly

Caroline Aaron
Doris

Richard Benjamin
Ken

Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Leslie

Tobey Maguire
Harvey Stern

Demi Moore
Helen

Robin Williams
Mel

Stanley Tucci
Paul Epstein

Amy Irving
Jane

Mariel Hemingway
Beth Kramer

Julie Kavner
Grace

Eric Bogosian
Burt

Hy Anzell
Max

Scotty Bloch
Ms. Paley

Philip Bosco
Professor Clark

Robert Harper
Harry's Doctor

Shifra Lerer
Dolly

Gene Saks
Harry's Father

Stephanie Roth Haberle
Janet

Dan Frazer
Janet's Dad

Joel Leffert
Norman

Lynn Cohen
Janet's Mom

Joe Buck
Yankee Announcer

Jane Hoffman
Grandma

Annette Arnold
Rosalee

Frederick Rolf
Harvey's Doctor

Elisabeth Kieselstein-Cord
Rosalee's Sister

Lortensia Hayes
Jennifer

Alicia Meer
Woman in Shoe Store

Victoria Hale
Woman in Shoe Store

Irving Metzman
Shoe Salesman

Sunny Chae
Lily Chang

Ralph Pope
Death

Tony Darrow
Camera Operator

Jonathan LaPaglia
First Assistant Cameraperson

Jeff Mazzola
Second Assistant Cameraperson

Timothy Jerome
Director

Peter Castellotti
Crew Member

Judy Bauerlein
Actress

Joseph P. Reidy
First Assistant Director

Phyllis Burdoe
Script Supervisor

Barbara Hollander
Mel's Daughter

Adam Rose
Mel's Son

David S. Howard
Mel's Doctor

Amanda Barudin
Beth Kramer's Daughter

Juliet Gelfman-Randazzo
Baby Hilly

Floyd Resnick
Israeli Patient

Brian McConnachie
Dr. Reese

Peter Jacobson
Goldberg

Tracey Lynne Miller
Goldberg's Girlfriend

Jennifer Garner
Woman in Elevator

Irwin Charone
Bar Mitzvah Host

John Doumanian
Bar Mitzvah Guest

Alexa Aronson
Bar Mitzvah Guest

Kenneth Edelson
Bar Mitzvah Guest

Viola Harris
Elsie

Si Picker
Wolf Fishbein

Howard Spiegel
Mr. Farber

Eugene Troobnick
Professor Wiggins

Ray Aranha
Professor Aranha

Paul Giamatti
Professor Abbott

Marvin Chatinover
Professor Cole

Daniel Wolf
Professor Wolf

Waltrudis Buck
Dean of Adair University

Arden Myrin
Student Mary

Daisy Prince
Elevator Voice

Peter McRobbie
Damned Man

Dan Moran
Devil

Ray Garvey
Policeman on Campus

Linda Perri
Policewoman on Campus

Tony Sirico
Policeman at Jail

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Reviews

Geronimo1967
The aptly named "Harry Block" (Woody Allen) is a seriously lapsed Jewish writer suffering from constipation of the typewriter. Adding to his woes is a nervousness about an impending honour from his alma mater (from where he was unceremoniously expelled) and the fact that his personal life makes Henry VIII's look like "Bertie and Elizabeth". Of course, "Harry" is seeing a therapist (Robert Harper) and with just a day before his conferment, he realises that his entire shambolic life is a result of his inability to fall in love. He likes women, he likes sex but he doesn't really like commitment, wanting always to treat a relationship like something he can buy in, or return to, Walmart. That's the basis of this story of a flawed individual that using a series of statically directed sit-com style scenarios takes us thorough twenty-four hours in the manic life of the shallow and unlikeable individual. I have never really been a fan of Woody Allen and this did nothing to change that. Granted his writing is quick fired and his observations potent at times, but his sense of humour is just too crass for me. There's nothing at all subtle about it, no cleverness - and the opening scenes of this set a scene for what I thought became increasingly puerile and predictable. A sort of slickly-delivered linguistic slapstick. Vulgar can be fun, but not when it's got some pseudo-intellectual underpinning about cause and effect of an human behaviour that becomes more and more contrived to fit the narrative the auteur wants to deliver. Are the jump cuts just there to divert our attention from the dwindling characterisations and increasing soapy melodrama? He doesn't imbue his character with anything I could care about, and though I did think Judy Davis and a cast of many reliable faces did their best to shore it all up, in the end it's very appropriately titled - it just doesn't happen quite quickly enough.