Oscar Got It Wrong!: Best Original Screenplay 1984

The Contenders:

Beverly Hills Cop
Broadway Danny Rose
El Norte
Places in the Heart (winner)
Splash

Oscar Got It Wrong!: Best Director 1984

The Contenders:

Milos Forman: Amadeus (winner)
Woody Allen: Broadway Danny Rose
Roland Joffe: The Killing Fields
David Lean: A Passage to India
Robert Benton: Places in the Heart

My Day with Woody

Film: Broadway Danny Rose; Mighty Aphrodite
Format: MGM HD Channel (Danny Rose and DVD from Princeton Public Library through interlibrary loan (Aphrodite) on rockin’ flatscreen.

I tend to like Woody Allen. I’m not always sure why I like his films, but I often do. Allen isn’t always great, but he often is, and often is at least entertaining. When his writing is on, there are few people that can match him. I’ve liked almost every one of his films that I’ve seen. His dramas are tremendous and when his comedies are clicking, he’s among the best there is. In fact, one of Allen’s biggest problems is often Allen’s nebbish-y performance.

Broadway Danny Rose begins with the conceit that the entire story is going to be told in flashback as a story being told by a third-party observer. A number of old vaudeville-style and club performers are sitting around a New York deli discussing their pasts and the people they’ve known in the business. Eventually, the topic turns to former performer and eventual agent Danny Rose (Woody Allen). The men swap stories about him for a few moments until one says he’s got the ultimate Danny Rose story. This story will be the basis for the film.