Everyone Says I Love You

(poster coming soon)

Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Alan Alda, Goldie Hawn, Drew Barrymore, Woody Allen, Julia Roberts

I had seen this film a couple of years ago but it wasn't that vivid in my memory so now I've seen it again I've decided to review it. 'Everyone Says I Love You' is a musical comedy about a large and slightly dysfunctional family living in a wealthy part of Manhattan. The mother, Steffi (Goldie Hawn), has a daughter (D.J., played by Natasha Lyonne) from her first marriage to Joe (Woody Allen) then married Bob (Alan Alda), who had two kids of his own (Schuyler, Drew Barrymore and Scott, Lukas Haas), and then they had two kids together (Lane and Laura, Gaby Hoffman and Natalie Portman). Makes a pretty large family in all. Joe, the ex-husband, is still friends with Bob and Steffi, which makes for some interesting family relationships. Basically the movie is about a year in their lives, as D.J. helps her father win over the beautiful Von (Julia Roberts), Schuyler prepares for her engagement to Holden (Edward Norton), etc. etc.

The first thing to note about this film is the songs. The characters all sing, some better than others, and there are dance numbers too. It is all slightly weird. The main thing is, you can't take it seriously. At all. You have to look at it in a light-hearted way and it's really very good. As a dramatic piece, no way. I mean, at the end, Goldie Hawn flies! Yes, she flies! It's fantastic!

The cast are great, and Woody Allen certainly got some big names to star in it. It's interesting to see a young Natalie Portman as a ditzy teenager, and Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts are great in roles different to what they usally play.

This is a very unusual film but it's Woody Allen (who I'm not usually a fan of) at his best. Take it all with a pinch of salt and it's a very enjoyable experience.

A-

Talliestar

Bob: Frieda, this pasta doesn't have any sauce
Frieda: It's Bavarian pasta, it doesn't need sauce. The Italians need sauce. The Italians were weak!