Annie Hall

Lore & Background

Principal photography for Annie Hall began on May 19, 1976, on the South Fork of Long Island, and continued periodically for the next ten months. Allen has described the result, which marked his first collaboration with cinematographer Gordon Willis, as 'a major turning point' because it introduced a new level of seriousness compared to his earlier farces and comedies. Academics have noted the contrast in the settings of New York City and Los Angeles, the stereotype of gender differences in sexuality, the presentation of Jewish identity, and the elements of psychoanalysis and modernism.

The film was screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival on March 27, 1977, before its official release in the United States on April 20, 1977. It received widespread critical acclaim and was nominated for the Big Five Academy Awards, winning four: Best Picture, Best Director (Allen), Best Original Screenplay (Allen and Brickman), and Best Actress (Keaton). It also won four BAFTA Awards, including Best Film, Best Direction, Best Screenplay, and Best Actress in a Leading Role, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical for Keaton.

Technically, the film marked an advance for Allen. He selected Gordon Willis as his cinematographer, whom Allen called 'a very important teacher' and 'a technical wizard.' Willis shot in varying styles: hot golden light for California, grey overcast for Manhattan, and a forties Hollywood glossy for dream sequences. His suggestion led Allen to film the dual therapy scenes in one set divided by a wall instead of the usual split screen method. The film's average shot length was 14.5 seconds, compared to 4–7 seconds for other films in 1977.

Reader's Guide

Annie Hall is widely regarded as a landmark film in Woody Allen's career, marking a transition from more accessible and surreal parody toward more naturalistic comic filmmaking. The film's screenplay was named the funniest ever written by the Writers Guild of America in its list of the '101 Funniest Screenplays.' In 1992, the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being 'culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.' It ranks 31st on AFI's list of the 100 greatest films in American cinema, 4th on their list of the greatest comedy films, and 28th on Bravo's '100 Funniest Movies.' Film critic Roger Ebert called it 'just about everyone's favorite Woody Allen movie.' The film's box office receipts in the United States and Canada of $38,251,425 are fourth-best of Allen's works when not adjusted for inflation. Its influence is seen in its innovative use of split-screen, direct address to the camera, and long takes that emphasize dialogue and character interaction.

Did You Know?

• The film was directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by Allen and Marshall Brickman.
• Diane Keaton played the role of Annie Hall, which was written specifically for her.
• The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actress.
• The Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992.