Throughout the long, successful career of Woody Allen, there's been a few masterpieces he's created along the way. Whether it's the romantic comedy of 1977's Annie Hall, the love to New York City in 1979's Manhattan, or the 1989 comedy-drama about morality in Crimes & Misdemeanors. Even fans have favorites whether its early films like 1971's Bananas or 1973's Sleepers to most recently, 2005's Match Point. Another film from the 1980s that mixed Allen's love for psychological drama and comedy is his 1986 masterpiece about the stories of a woman and her two sisters dealing with their own situations through the span of a few years on Thanksgiving dinners. The film is called Hannah & Her Sisters.

Written, directed, and starring Woody Allen, Hannah & Her Sisters deals with an actress/homemaker who deals with her own life and the relationship of her two sisters. Meanwhile, her husband is falling for one of her sisters while the other is trying to get a career going while dealing with her own sobriety from drugs. Another story involves a woman's ex-husband whose neurotic obsession with death leads him to question his own existential issues. With an all-star cast that includes Allen regulars like Mia Farrow, Dianne Weist, Sam Waterson, Julie Kavner, Tony Roberts, Joanna Gleason, and Julia-Louis Dreyfus plus Michael Caine, Barbara Hershey, Lloyd Nolan, Maureen O’Sullivan, Max Von Sydow, John Turturro, Daniel Stern and Richard Jenkins. Hannah & Her Sisters is a funny, sweet comedy-drama from the always talented Woody Allen.

It's another Thanksgiving dinner in New York City as Hannah (Mia Farrow) is leading the party with a bunch of people. Her accountant husband Elliot (Michael Caine) is staring at his sister-in-law Lee (Barbara Hershey) whom he's falling for as she's become aware that he's flirting with her. Helping Hannah with the food is her other sister Holly (Dianne Weist) who, along with friend April (Carrie Fisher), has been making some appetizers that's become a hit at the dinner. The warm reception has given Holly and April an idea to open their catering business as Hannah gives Holly a loan despite Holly's past drug use that has squandered previous loans. Joined by their parents including their pianist father Evan (Lloyd Nolan) and former Broadway star Norma (Maureen O'Sullivan), the dinner is a success.

Lee returns home still feeling strange from Elliot's flirt where she embraces her reclusive, anti-social lover Frederick (Max Von Sydow). Frederick's inability to be around people has made him bitter as he continues to work on his own art as he notices of Elliot's feelings around her. One day when Elliot is out, Hannah's ex-husband Mickey (Woody Allen) visits to give birthday presents to their twin sons as he is going through another of his neurotic, hypochondriac behaviors. Trying to get a TV show running after his ex-partner (Tony Roberts) has left him leaving him with squabbles with other writers including a writer (John Turturro) about a PLO sketch and Mary (Julia-Louis Dreyfus) about a child molestation sketch. Only his friend Gail (Julie Kavner) tries to help him but after a visit to the doctor about deafness in his right ear and another call to another doctor (Richard Jenkins), he fears he might get a brain tumor.

During another dinner party where Holly and April are catering, they meet up with an architect named David (Sam Waterson) who takes them on a tour of fascinating buildings around New York City. Upon returning home, Holly wonders about April's flirtations towards David since she too wants him. Hoping to get to know more about Lee, Elliot bumps into her to try and find a bookstore where he buys her a book by e.e. cummings. Won over by the book including a poem he suggested, Elliot visits her home accompanied by an art client named Dusty (Daniel Stern) to buy a painting by Frederick. A conversation with Lee suddenly leads Elliot to do something foolishly as the art meeting becomes a disaster. Dizzying over what he's done, Elliot feels like a fool until Lee wonders if there's anything wrong with him and Hannah. Immediately, the two begin an affair.

After an ongoing series of tests, Mickey is convinced that he will die after a doctor found a spot in his brain. He recalls a time when him and Hannah were visiting a fertility doctor where he's infertile and in an attempt for Hannah to experience childbirth. Mickey talks to his writing partner and his wife Carol (Joanna Gleason) where the result is his partner becoming the real father and a divorce. When the rest results came, Mickey realizes he's fine after all but his deal with God forces him to go into a spiritual and existential stage as he quits being a TV producer. After upsetting his parents about straying away from his Jewish roots, Mickey tries out different religions ranging from Catholicism to Hare Krishna. He even questions his own existence, especially recalling about a disastrous date he had with Holly where they went to a rock club and later a jazz bar when Holly was a coke addict.

After a series of disappointing auditions and a falling out with April over her flirtations with David, Holly becomes desperate to become a writer. During a lunch with her sisters, the bond of the three sisters are shaken as Holly questions Hannah's motives of her generosity while Lee starts to feel guilt about the affair with Elliot that Hannah doesn't know about. Elliot also feels guilty about his affair where he still loves Hannah yet adores Holly as he goes into confusion. During another Thanksgiving dinner, Holly's attempt at writing a script becomes disastrous for Hannah who begins to question about Holly's knowledge of her marital problems and her own role in a marriage. With another year going by, Elliot ponders his own relationships as Lee tries to find a new life after breaking up with Frederick. Mickey continues to ponder his own existence where Holly tries to deal with her own insecurities and Hannah's role as being the big success of the family.

Inspired by the works of Chekhov, Allen definitely goes for a story where there's layers upon layers with multiple storylines that comes together on a few occasions. What is really amazing is that Allen brings enough stories and little subplots that it doesn't lose sight of its main theme. That main theme is family. While everyone has their dysfunctions and issues with each other, they still come together for one reason or another. While the role of Hannah might have been a breadwinner and is the most stable among her entire family, as the film develops. She still has problems that every other character has, even in a little subplot as she tries to settle issues with her bickering parents. It's Allen's script that is really full of surprises in not just its approach to comedy but drama as well.

While Allen's own segment as the hypochondriac trying to find answers about his own existence is the funniest bit of the film. It's the segment that balances everything else as it gives a break from the often dysfunctional storylines of the film involving Hannah, Lee, Elliot, and Holly. Yet, it's that segment that provides some of the film’s smartest moments about existential and spiritual issues. The storyline about Elliot's affair with Lee is wonderfully handled in the way it reveals this love triangle as Elliot is a bit bored with Hannah's stability while Lee has become frustrated with Frederick's anti-social, cynical view of the modern world. The development of that storyline leads to guilt where Hannah becomes a bigger player about her own role as a wife and sister. Then, there's Holly's storyline where she aims to try to be successful and find a man while she deals with her own insecurity often caused by Hannah's generosity and her own past as a drug addict.

This is one of the reason why Woody Allen is regarded as an amazing artist where its his writing that provides the crutch for all of these storylines to come together. When he's playing a director, he takes the structure of his script and breaks it down to moments where he's trying to have the audience be aware of what's going on. Using his beloved New York City as the backdrop, it couldn't be anymore perfect. There, Allen uses New York City to show the characters in their own unique personalities whether it's the punk club that Holly takes Mickey go to or the bookstore that Lee brings Elliot to. Its Allen in one of his most heartwarming and funny takes on humanity as it truly stands out as one of his best films.

Helping Allen in his vision is longtime cinematographer Carlo di Palma whose lighting in many of the film's interior scenes reveals the lovely feel and atmosphere that is New York City. The work of the late Italian cinematographer is gorgeous to see from the exterior locations he shoots to the diverse world that is New York City. Production designer Stuart Wurtzel and set decorator Carol Joffe also help capture the atmosphere and vibrancy of the city with their detailed look at the posh world of its people to the art world that Frederick lives. Longtime editor Susan E. Morse does great work with cutting many of the film's varied storylines into wonderful little segments and moments while cutting to black backgrounds to help structure Allen's script. Helping Morse as one of the small editors is a then-unknown future filmmaker in the name of Nicole Holofcener. Another part that makes Allen's films so interesting is the soundtrack that is filled with not just elements of musical cuts ranging from Bach and Mozart but jazz music featuring a performance of Bobby Short while Allen does something rare by putting a rock band in 39 Steps to convey their post-punk sound.

Finally, there's the film's large cast which include some small, early appearances from the likes of John Turturro, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Joanna Gleason, and Richard Jenkins plus Tony Roberts in an un-credited cameo as Allen's ex-partner. Also making cameos are the scores of children that were adopted by Mia Farrow including Allen's future wife, Soon-Yi Previn. Daniel Stern makes a funny appearance as a kooky art collector while Julie Kavner does excellent work as Allen's producing partner. Sam Waterson is wonderful as the architect, opera-loving David while Carrie Fisher is also great as Holly's flirtatious friend and business partner April. Max Von Sydow gives a great performance as the anti-social Frederick whose ills against the modern world and its pop culture plays against him when Lee decides to break up with him. In his final film role, Lloyd Nolan is great as the frustrated, compulsive Evan while Mia Farrow's real-life mother Maureen O'Sullivan is also great in the role of Norma whose boozy, crazed personality brings a perfect tone as both characters stand out.

Barbara Hershey is amazing in the role of Lee, a young woman whose life with a reclusive, intelligent artist has trapped her emotionally as she finds comfort in Elliot. Hershey brings a lot of warmth and sympathy to a woman who later finds guilt and her own role in life as Hershey brings a true complexity to the character. Mia Farrow is also great as the eldest of the three sisters, Hannah. Farrow brings a lot of stability to her character until the third act when all of her generosity and supportive gestures backfires as she becomes a woman who is in need and trying to understand her role. It's one of Farrow's best performances while her co-star Dianne Weist gives the film's best performance as Holly. Weist brings a lot of complexity as a woman whose cheerfulness exterior is balanced by her internal struggle to get by as an actress only to turn to writing. While her character has the most showy role of the female cast, she brings a lot of charm and excitement to the role as it stands as one of her best performances.

Michael Caine brings in one of his best performances as Elliot with his subtle, flirtatious behavior and charming personality. He carries his performance with ease and innocence as a man who is just smitten by his sister-in-law only to develop into a man driven by guilt and confusion. Caine brings all the right notes and reactions to his performance as he has great chemistry with Hershey and Farrow in their respective scenes. Woody Allen also gives a great performance as Mickey with his neurotic, funny take on a hypochondriac who goes a quest for spiritual and existential answers. Allen brings his comic timing and reaction to a role that only he can do best. It's truly one of Woody Allen's finest performances.

Released in early 1986, Hannah & Her Sisters was a hit as it was also hailed by fans and critics as another masterpiece from Woody Allen. The film went on to win three Oscars for Best Screenplay to Allen and Supporting Acting honors to Michael Caine and Dianne Weist. While it maintains to be one of Allen's most successful features, it would only be topped three years later with 1989's Crimes & Misdemeanors. Still, Hannah & Her Sisters offers something for fans of Woody Allen while newcomers will find this to be enjoyable for its humor and realistic take on family. Thanks to a great cast and Allen's talents, Hannah & Her Sisters is a true, heartwarming masterpiece.

Woody Allen Films: Bananas - Annie Hall - The Purple Rose of Cairo - Crimes & Misdemeanors - Deconstructing Harry - Match Point - Scoop - Vicky Cristina Barcelona - (Whatever Works)

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age