Woody Allen's 1994 film stars John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, and Jennifer Tilly. Proud and stubborn playwright David Shayne (Cusack) wants to produce and direct his new play on Broadway, but the only person willing to finance it is mobster Nick Valenti (Joe Viterelli). The catch, though, is that Shayne must cast Valenti's ditzy and talentless girlfriend Olive (Tilly) in a crucial role. Additionally, Shayne must deal with the demands of veteran theatre actress Helen Sinclair (Wiest) and Olive's bodyguard, Cheech (Chazz Palminteri), who might even be a better playwright that Shayne. How Woody Allen manages to churn out a film a year I will never understand because, somehow, they all manage to be pretty good. This was one of my favorites. Very creative and wildly funny, the screenplay (by Allen and Douglas McGrath) and acting (especially from Tilly and Wiest -- who won an Oscar) are excellent. Short and sweet, this film is a must-see.
Should you see it: Yes
Grade: A
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