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Deconstructing Harry (1997)

R  |   |  Comedy  |  12 December 1997 (USA)
7.4
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Ratings: 7.4/10 from 33,638 users   Metascore: 61/100
Reviews: 128 user | 103 critic | 19 from Metacritic.com

Suffering from writer's block and eagerly awaiting his writing award, Harry Block remembers events from his past and scenes from his best-selling books as characters, real and fictional, come back to haunt him.

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Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Janet (as Stephanie Roth)
Dan Frazer ...
Joel Leffert ...
...
...
Ken
...
Yankee Announcer (voice)
Jane Hoffman ...
...
...
Annette Arnold ...
Frederick Rolf ...
...
Lortensia Hayes ...
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Storyline

Harry Block is a well-regarded novelist whose tendency to thinly-veil his own experiences in his work, as well as his un-apologetic attitude and his proclivity for pills and whores, has left him with three ex-wives that hate him. As he is about to be honored for his writing by the college that expelled him, he faces writer's block and the impending marriage of his latest flame to a writer friend. As scenes from his stories and novels pass and interact with him, Harry faces the people whose lives he has affected - wives, lovers, his son, his sister. Written by Gary Dickerson <slug@mail.utexas.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

Harry Block has written a best seller... bout his best friends... he revealed their deepest secrets... and they're not pleased... now Harry Block is going to Hell... See more »

Genres:

Comedy

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and some sexuality | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

12 December 1997 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

The Meanest Man in the World  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$356,476 (USA) (12 December 1997)

Gross:

DEM 1,795,078 (Germany) (29 May 1998)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

(Mono)

Color:

(Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Woody originally wanted Elliott Gould to play his part as Harry Block. See more »

Goofs

In Harry's line "I once almost ran over a book critic..." the word "book" doesn't match his lips; "book" is dubbed over what looks to be "film." See more »

Quotes

Grandma: [Unaware that Leslie is fellating Ken because she is blind] Boy, you must really love onions!
See more »

Connections

Featured in Woody Allen: A Documentary (2012) See more »

Soundtracks

The Way You Look Tonight
(1936)
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Performed by Erroll Garner
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
See more »

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User Reviews

One of his better movies, where you can see the possibilities of true cinema
19 May 2004 | by (Amsterdam, Netherlands) – See all my reviews

I'm sure some people wouldn't agree with me, but this movie is a great piece of art on film. Like Hitchcock, Coppola, and others, Woody Allen is a real cinema artist. He makes great use of the possibilities of cinema without losing himself in expensive special effects.

Of course cinema is a medium to create a near-perfect realism on a fictional story. But it can also be an artistic medium. Playing with the possibilities. An example in this film is Robin Williams. A men who is 'out of focus'.

The story is, like most films, not very original. A character that struggles with his personality and social life. But unlike most movies, you can see an artist made this film. It's a Woody Allen creation. His own style, his own characters, his own humor. Not a collection of an expensive scriptwriter with an expensive director, an expensive special effects team , an expensive director of photography etc. to make a total non-personal creation for the big public. Of course the whole crew did a perfect job, but it is surely a Woody Allen film!

A great movie with a nice plot. Some nice switching in timeline and fiction / reality (for the story that is) makes it more interesting then the story really is. Also the jumpcuts, the camera movement, the cast and the humor are making this film a must see! Even if you are not a Woody Allen fan you will like this movie. If you are a fan of big blockbuster movies (standard Hollywood confention movies) this movie is a must see as well! Not only to see the real art of cinema (something different then perfect special effects) but also just for a nice evening and some good humor.


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Who else thinks this is the funniest movie of all time? superduperspit
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what does this film have to do with deconstruction? swim_two_birds
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