The smartest thing Woody Allen ever did was never join the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts & Sciences, because they could not kick him out once the controversies bubbled up. As his famous line goes, paraphrasing Groucho, he would never want to belong to any club that would have him as a member.
I grew up on Woody Allen. I didn’t watch his movies. I existed inside his movies. When I saw Annie Hall, I felt seen. I was just like her in high school. His thoughts on life, his ideas, his jokes planted themselves inside my mind and heart, where they have remained my entire life.
I know the lines to Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Stardust Memories, and Sleeper by heart, but most, if not all, of his films from Crimes and Misdemeanors backwards are masterpieces. Even the worst Woody Allen films are better than most movies made today.
Most people in showbiz, I will admit, have disappointed me, but not Woody Allen. I am so glad he never did because I don’t know what I would do if that last tiny bit of faith I have in humanity disappeared. Sure, he became a target of accusations (which I never believed), and yes, he married Mia Farrow’s daughter, but to condemn him for mere accusations is a time in American history I hope we’re leaving behind.
Bari Weiss sat down for a wonderful interview with Woody Allen. They talk for one hour and a half. They cover much territory about his life, his upbringing, his views on art, his favorite movies, and his famous fear of death. I listened to the entire thing with a smile on my face. American culture has not gotten better, getting rid of bright lights like Woody Allen, that’s for sure.
Bill Maher had an equally compelling and entertaining interview with The Woodman:
Even if mainstream American culture won’t invite him back in, I’m grateful that a counterculture has been carved out where we can hear from him before he’s gone forever.
