Product Description

Romance meets comedy in Woody Allen's first movie musical, and it's a glorious celebration of love that had audiences laughing and critics cheering. In intertwining stories, Joe's (Woody Allen) attempt to win the heart of Von (Julia Roberts) takes him to scenic Venice and Paris, while his ex-wife, Steffi (Goldie Hawn), and her current husband, Bob (Alan Alda), deal with erupting family matters in their swank but crowded Manhattan apartment. In the meantime, Steffi and Bob's daughter, Skylar (Drew Barrymore), is torn between two boyfriends (Edward Norton and Tim Roth), adding to the complications. But through it all, Allen's dream cast knows the perfect moment to express their emotions with a classic love song or a hilarious production number. Musical comedy has seldom been played with such wit, humor, and sophistication. Get ready to fall in love with love ... and to sing the praises of EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11486 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-08-17
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 101 minutes

Amazon.com
Writer-director Woody Allen has produced yet another challenging and funny film, this time taking on the musical genre and bending it to his own unique vision. The result is one of the most charming films in recent years, as Allen assembles a typically sterling ensemble cast to evoke the romanticism of years past. This time, the large cast (including Alan Alda, Drew Barrymore, Goldie Hawn, Edward Norton, and Tim Roth) not only turn in funny and touching performances, but they sing the classic songs of the 1930s and 1940s themselves, and sing them very well. The plot centers on an extended family in New York and their various romantic entanglements, including Allen's pursuit of Julia Roberts through the streets of Paris and the canals of Venice. The musical numbers are the film's high point, displaying wonderful choreography ranging from a room full of dancing Groucho Marxes to a dancing couple in flight at the banks of the Seine. Everyone Says I Love You is a witty and entertaining fantasy, and a truly romantic escape. --Robert Lane

From The New Yorker
Woody Allen's latest movie is one of his frothiest, and weirdest, to date: a throwback picture that tries to resurrect the spirit of thirties musicals without recourse to irony. People dance in the streets-a conceit made somewhat simpler by the fact that the streets in question are seldom far from Park Avenue. There is a deliberate roughness to both the singing (which is kind of charming) and the choreography (which is unwieldy and a little graceless). The all-star cast includes a few Allen first-timers, and the plot, as you might expect, is a multiple quest for love. Woody falls for Julia Roberts, Tim Roth seduces Drew Barrymore, Alan Alda tries not to lose control of his family, and so forth; to keep the soufflé from collapsing, Allen throws in a few scenes in Paris and Venice. There is plenty to wince at; the big, splashy numbers don't work as well as the intimate croonings (not least Woody's own timid, barely audible rendition of "I'm Thru with Love"). But who else would dare to make such a film these days? You emerge bemused but undeniably cheered up, partly because of the uncomplicated magic of the climax, in which Woody dances with an airborne Goldie Hawn on the bank of the Seine. It may be a shameless nod to "An American in Paris," but it's the most lyrical scene he's ever filmed. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

I smiled during the whole film!
First of all, allow me to say that I am not a Woody Allen fan. I find his screen persona to be whiny, scatter-brained, and somewhat grating on the nerves. And he seems to use the same persona in film after film after film. I don't think I've really enjoyed any of the few Woody Allen films I've seen.

That being said, also allow me to say that this film was one of my favorite films of the last ten years. From the very first song until the song-and-dance at the end, I couldn't stop smiling. The film was utterly delightful and harkened back to the golden days of the movie musical, where the fun and the the spirit of the musical were more important than big budget stereophonic extravaganzas. Woody Allen uses a whole batch of classic-if-somewhat-forgotten tunes to complement his light and fluffy love story. Practically everyone in the movie is given a chance to sing (except Drew Barrymore, who was dubbed). Some are better than others, but the overall effect is quite magical. My favorite tune was the simple ballad that Alan Alda sings to Goldie Hawn during their characters' anniversary. It was touching and just quite romantic. And it's quite amusing (in a good way) to watch Edward Norton(!) and Tim Roth(! ) sing. This is easily one of the best musicals to come out in an extremely long time. As for Woody Allen, he plays...Woody Allen, but for once, I didn't mind at all. I was simply too enthralled by the spell his film was casting over me.

As for the DVD, the transfer is quite acceptable. The picture looks good, and the sound, while monophonic, is crystal clear. Unfortunately, the DVD doesn't have an extras at all (typical of the early Disney DVDs). If the lack of extras doesn't bother you, and you love musicals as much as I do, then by all means get "Everyone Says I Love You" and you'll thank me!

It's a parody, and a fine one.
Who is better qualified to comment on the absurdity of romantic relationships than Woody Allen? In this under-rated bauble, the king of neurosis confirms the answer to that question in the first person. The humor is typical Allen --- witty, droll and fast-paced --- and the parody is sufficiently far over the edge to make the point without beating it to death. The concept of a Woody Allen musical only adds to this glorious parody of Allen's New York.

Reading reviews that criticize this film because the singing is less than first-rate, I can only chuckle. The point of the film is absurdity. Pavarotti's rendition of "I'm Through With Love" wouldn't cut it. Oh, and by the way, corpses can't actually sing. Whatever flaws the actors bring to the songs help make the point.

So after a long day of trying to talk some sense into your boss or your goofiest relative, kick off your shoes, grab a good stiff drink and watch this film. You'll feel better.

Sublime, delightful, utterly charming
Who woulda thought the Woodman could do something like this? Even as recently as 1996,when this film came out, Woody still had major chops, as witnessed by this perfect musical. This is a sublime blend of whimsy, romance, and wit. It's hard not to say that when you see a roomful of ghosts singing and rhumbaing to "Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think"), or when a hospital staff and crippled patients sing and dance about love, marriage, and parenthood.

It's also touching to see Tim Roth as a tough escaped convict sing a love song to Drew Barrymore; the juxtaposition of these two opposites brings out the feeling much more than a singing citizen ever could have. And Woody and Goldie's flight-filled romantic rendition of "I'm Through With Love" on the banks of the Seine is utterly charming, making the heart float as lightly as Goldie does during her dancing.

Woody evokes Groucho Marx in an ensemble dance number about Captain Spalding (sung in French, no less!), and individually, when talking to Goldie, complete with glasses, eyebrows, and mustache--and he does a more than passing fair version of Mr. Marx himself.

One subplot about a girl in her twenties going through six or seven boyfriends in the course of the film is a hoot, and there's even a tinge of political satire as well--in the shape of a Young Republican who undergoes a magical transformation.

This will make you smile all the way through. If only Woody had the panache now that he showed so well in this film. This one's superb Woody Allen.