Everyone Says I Love You

Directed by Woody Allen
Starring Woody Allen, Goldie Hawn, Drew Barrymore, Natasha Lyonne, Edward Norton, Alan Alda, Julia Roberts, Tim Roth
USA, 1996
Rated R (brief strong language)

C

EMPTINESS
Woody Allen plays Woody Allen in a delightful, dainty little musical-comedy possibly concocted as a tribute to the great old songs of Astaire-Rogers and ‘40s and ‘50s musicals. It is a sloppy endeavor: aimless Carlo DiPalma camera movements, choppy editing, and misplaced musical numbers all create a mild nausea for the viewer. Allen assembles a perfect cast including the likes of Goldie Hawn, favorite Alan Alda, Julia Roberts, and a pre-Slums of Beverly Hills Natasha Lyonne. I am not too disappointed with Everyone Says I Love You because it’s quite enjoyable (as one would expect an Allen movie to be). But it seems to be a futile, albeit occasionally witty, attempt at a celebration of love and music.

DJ (Lyonne), a student at Columbia University, is the daughter of Joe (the Allen character) and his ex-wife Steffi (Hawn). Despite being divorced, the two parents get along well as friends. Steffi is now married to Bob (Alda) in a pleasant Manhattan apartment. Joe, while in Venice, puts on a facade to impress an art-loving, gorgeous nut (Roberts). Her name is Von and she’s neurotic (great match for the equally insane Joe) and is married, but that matters not because she believes he is her soul mate. The two seem to share ever single common interest: Bora Bora, art, and Beethoven.

In New York, Bob’s daughter Skylar (Drew Barrymore) is getting married to Holden (Edward Norton), a nice fellow who is desperately trying to be romantic for her. Steffi, a political-rallying type, brings home an ex-convict whom she helped get out of prison, Charles Ferry (Tim Roth). Being the smooth-talking criminal he is, Charles, for his own malicious purposes, woos the vulnerable Skylar. She, being the kind of girl who enjoys a little serenading, melts and dumps her fiancee to see what will become of a relationship with Charles.

When things get too confusing, the characters break into song. All the actors, save Barrymore, do their own singing and, while Julia Roberts is rather atonal, all give mildly enjoyable numbers. The musical numbers are often misplaced but none lack a certain subtle charm and humor (particularly a hospital scene to the song of "Makin’ Whoopee," a number in a funeral parlor to "Enjoy Yourself," and a somewhat enchanting number in France with Goldie Hawn flying in midair while reminiscing with Woody Allen to the tune of "I’m Through With Love".) The voices are ordinary- there are no major vocal outbursts- but that’s what makes Everyone Says I Love You special- it applies the musical number to the average voice. You don’t have to be Astaire or Garland to break into song.

Nothing in the movie is particularly funny, except for a few scenes with Tim Roth as Charles Ferry, Goldie Hawn explaining to police officers the need for better "cuisine" in jail, and Lukas Haas arguing with his democratic family on his newfound republican morals. Woody Allen, as always, alludes to the movies- this time at the French Cinemateque at a Marx Bros. party. This is a moderate comedy that finds its laughs in the twists, turns, and fickleness of love and its illusion. It is a joyous feast of romantic and musical tidbits. Everyone Says I Love You is definitely one of the most disorganized and least of Woody Allen’s writing and directing achievements of the ‘90s, but it is certainly one of his most unique efforts to date.

There’s always the next annual Allen offering to look forward to.

By Andrew Chan

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