Remembering Annie Hall

In this excellent collection of articles, a brilliant and diverse group of film experts explore Annie Hall in depth and in all of its dimensions as an iconic film as opposed to concentrating primarily, as other studies often do, on director Woody Allen. The contrast, as discussed in many of the articles, between the reception of Annie Hall by critics and the public when the film first appeared and how it is seen today dramatizes not only changing views of the movie but also how our understanding of film as an art form and as a cultural force has matured over several decades. Remembering Annie Hall should be remembered and kept firmly in mind for future studies of this film. * Sam B. Girgus, Former Professor of English and American Studies, Vanderbilt University, USA, and author of Generations of Jewish Directors: Wyler, Lumet, and Spielberg (2021) *
Like it or not, Annie Hall has been a highly influential and much-watched film that many remember fondly. Remembering Annie Hall reassesses this landmark movie, offering new insights not only into the picture itself but also its position within wider film culture and the study of it. Featuring a range of scholars, the book is far from celebratory but critical and incisive, scrutinizing both the film and its director. * Nathan Abrams, Professor of Film and Lead Director for the Centre for Film, Television and Screen Studies, Bangor University, UK *

What does it mean to remember Annie Hall today, in light of Woody Allen’s tarnished reputation? How do we approach (if we still want to) a genre-defining, hugely influential, erstwhile charming and popular film whose primary author is regarded by many as critically beyond the pale?

These are the core questions that this excellent collection of essays engages with, clear-sightedly and directly, deftly avoiding ‘auteur apologism’ and glib pleas to separate art and artist – which would be tricky to accommodate with something as autobiographical as Annie Hall anyway. Instead, these thematically and theoretically varied essays by some of the leading scholars in the field, along with an incisive interrogative introduction, permit the reader to re-approach and remember the archetypal ‘nervous romance’ of the 1970s in new ways, acknowledging that it is not solely a Woody Allen film and that its legacy and influence is complex and manifold. All the while, it addresses one of the major critical dilemmas of our time: what should we ‘do’ with the work of problematic filmmakers?

* Melanie Williams, Professor of Film and Television Studies, University of East Anglia, UK *