Deconstructing Harry
| Deconstructing Harry | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Woody Allen |
| Written by | Woody Allen |
| Produced by | Jean Doumanian |
| Starring | Woody Allen, Kirstie Alley |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista International |
Release date | 12 December 1997 |
Running time | 96 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20,000,000 |
Deconstructing Harry is a film by Woody Allen released in 1997. This film tells the story of a successful writer called Harry Block, played by Allen himself, who draws inspiration from people he knows in real-life, and from events that happened to him (sometimes causing these people to become alienated to him as a result).
The actual plot is that of Block driving to a university from which he was once thrown out, in order to get a honorary degree. The passengers he takes with him on the journey are his son, whom he has kidnapped from his divorced wife, a black prostitute and a friend who dies of a heart attack en route. However, there are many flash-backs, parts of his stories that are played out, and interactions with his characters.
The film earned Allen an Academy Award nomination for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.
Influences
Allen is a well-known admirer of many established directors who came before him, and his films in particular often draw upon the works of Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini. Deconstructing Harry is widely considered to based, either directly or loosely, on Bergman's Wild Strawberries.
It is also widely acknowledged that Allen based the name of Harry Block on Antonius Block (Max von Sydow), the protagonist from Bergman's The Seventh Seal.
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