''Husbands and Wives'' is a 1992 American comedy-drama film written and directed by

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

. The film stars Allen,

Mia Farrow Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...

, Sydney Pollack,

Judy Davis Judith Davis (born 23 April 1955) is an Australian actress in film, television, and on stage. With a career spanning over 40 years, she has been commended for her versatility and regarded as one of the finest actresses of her generation. Frequen ...

Lysette Anthony Lysette Anne Chodzko (born 26 September 1963), known professionally as Lysette Anthony, is an English actress and model. She is known for her roles in the film ''Husbands and Wives'' (1992), as Princess Lysssa in the 1983 fantasy epic ''Krull ...

, Juliette Lewis,

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...

and Blythe Danner. The film debuted shortly after the end of Allen and Farrow's romantic and professional partnership, and was the last of their 13 films together. The movie is filmed by

Carlo Di Palma Carlo Di Palma (17 April 19259 July 2004) was an Italian cinematographer, renowned for his work on both color and black-and-white films, whose most famous collaborations were with Michelangelo Antonioni and Woody Allen. Early life Carlo Di Palma ...

with a handheld camera style and features documentary-like interviews with the characters interspersed with the story. ''Husbands and Wives'', released by

TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...

, was Allen's first film as sole director for a studio other than

United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...

or Orion Pictures (both now part of

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

) since ''

Take the Money and Run ''Take the Money and Run'' is a 1969 American mockumentary comedy film directed by Woody Allen. Allen co-wrote the screenplay with Mickey Rose and stars alongside Janet Margolin. The film chronicles the life of Virgil Starkwell, an inept bank ro ...

'' (1969). It received critical acclaim despite being a box-office failure, and was nominated for two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, Best Supporting Actress (Judy Davis) and

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...

(Woody Allen).

Plot

The film is about two couples: Jack and Sally, and Gabe and Judy. The film starts when Jack and Sally arrive at Gabe and Judy's apartment and announce their separation. Gabe is shocked, but Judy takes the news personally and is very hurt. Still confused, they go out for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. A few weeks later Sally visits the apartment of a colleague. They plan to go out together to the

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

and then to dinner. Sally asks if she can use his phone, and calls Jack. Learning from him that he has met someone, she accuses him of having had an affair during their marriage. Judy and Gabe are introduced to Jack's new girlfriend, Sam, an aerobics trainer. While Judy and Sam shop, Gabe calls Jack's new girlfriend a "cocktail waitress" and tells him that he is crazy for leaving Sally for her. About a week later, Judy introduces Sally to Michael, Judy's magazine colleague, in whom Judy herself is clearly interested. Michael asks Sally out, and they begin dating; Michael is smitten, but Sally is dissatisfied with the relationship. Meanwhile, Gabe has developed a friendship with a young student of his, Rain, and has her read the manuscript of his novel. She comments on its brilliance but has several criticisms, to which Gabe reacts defensively. At a party, Jack learns from a friend that Sally is seeing someone and flees with Sam in a jealous rage. They have an intense argument, and Jack drives back to his house to find Sally in bed with Michael. He asks Sally to give their marriage another chance, but she tells him to leave. Less than two weeks later, however, Jack and Sally are back together and the couple meets Judy and Gabe for dinner like old times. After dinner, Judy and Gabe get into an argument at their apartment about her not sharing her poetry. After Gabe makes a failed pass at her, Judy tells him she thinks the relationship is over; a week later Gabe moves out. Judy begins seeing Michael. Gabe goes to Rain's 21st birthday party and gives her a music box as a present. She asks him to kiss her, and though the two share a romantic moment, Gabe tells her they should not pursue it any further. As he walks home in the rain, he realizes that he has ruined his relationship with Judy. Michael tells Judy he needs time alone and he can't help still having feelings for Sally. Angry and hurt, Judy walks out into the rain. Highlighting her "passive-aggressiveness," Michael follows and begs her to stay with him. A year and a half later, they marry. In the end, the audience sees a pensive Jack and Sally back together. Jack and Sally admit their marital problems still exist (her frigidity is not solved), but they find they accept their problems as simply the price they have to pay to remain together. Gabe is living alone because he says he is not dating for the time being, as he does not want to hurt anyone, including himself. The film ends with an immediate cut to black after Gabe asks the unseen documentary crew, "Can I go? Is this over?"

Cast

The cast includes (in credits order): *

as Gabe Roth *

as Judy Roth *

as Sally Simmons * Sydney Pollack as Jack Simmons * Juliette Lewis as Rain *

as Michael Gates *

as Sam *

Cristi Conaway Cristi Lea Conaway (born August 14, 1964) is an American actress and fashion designer. Early life and education Conaway was raised in Lubbock, Texas. Her father was a car dealer and her mother is a real estate agent. She attended Southern Method ...

as Shawn Grainger, call girl * Timothy Jerome as Paul, Sally's date *

Ron Rifkin Ron Rifkin (born Saul M. Rifkin; October 31, 1939) is an American actor best known for his roles as Arvin Sloane on the spy drama '' Alias'', Saul Holden on the drama '' Brothers & Sisters'', and District Attorney Ellis Loew in '' L.A. Confiden ...

as Richard, Rain's analyst *

Bruce Jay Friedman The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been ...

as Peter Styles * Jeffrey Kurland as interviewer-narrator (voice) * Benno Schmidt as Judy's ex-husband * Nick Metropolis as TV scientist * Rebecca Glenn as Gail *

Galaxy Craze Galaxy Craze (born 1972) a British-American novelist and former actress. Biography Craze was born in London, England. She moved to the United States with her mother in 1980. She appeared in a few independent films in the 1990s, such as ''Pi ...

as Harriet * John Doumanian as Hamptons' party guest * Gordon Rigsby as Hamptons' party guest * Ilene Blackman as Receptionist * Blythe Danner as Rain's mother *

Brian McConnachie Brian McConnachie (born December 23, 1942) is an American actor, comedy writer, and children's book author. In 1982, he won an Emmy Award as part of the writing team for ''SCTV Network'', and in 1979 he was nominated for an Emmy as part of the w ...

as Rain's father * Ron August as Rain's ex lover * John Bucher as Rain's ex lover * Matthew Flint as Carl, Rain's Boyfriend

Soundtrack

*"What Is This Thing Called Love" (1929) by Cole Porter, performed by

Leo Reisman Leo F. Reisman (October 11, 1897 – December 18, 1961) was an American violinist and bandleader in the 1920s and 1930s. Born and reared in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, he was of Jewish ancestry; from German immigrants who immigrated to th ...

and His Orchestra *"West Coast Blues" (1960), written and performed by

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

*Symphony No. 9 in D, I. ''Andante Commodo'' (1909–10) by Gustav Mahler, performed by

John Barbirolli Sir John Barbirolli ( Giovanni Battista Barbirolli; 2 December 189929 July 1970) was a British conductor and cellist. He is remembered above all as conductor of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, which he helped save from dissolution in 194 ...

and the

Berlin Philharmonic The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. History The Berlin Philharmonic was fo ...

*"That Old Feeling" (1937) by

Lew Brown Lew Brown (born Louis Brownstein; December 10, 1893 – February 5, 1958) was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States. During World War I and the Roaring Twenties, he wrote lyrics for several of the top Tin Pan Alley composers, esp ...

(lyrics) and Sammy Fain (music), performed by Stan Getz and

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

*"Top Hat, White Tie and Tails" (1935) by

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Born in Imperial Russ ...

, performed by Bernie Leighton *"Makin' Whoopee" (1928), by

Walter Donaldson Walter Donaldson (February 15, 1893 – July 15, 1947) was an American prolific popular songwriter and publishing company founder, composing many hit songs of the 1910s to 1940s, that have become standards and form part of the Great American Song ...

(music) and

Gus Kahn Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist who contributed a number of songs to the Great American Songbook, including " Pretty Baby", " Ain't We Got Fun?", " Carolina in the Morning", " Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo ...

(lyrics), performed by Bernie Leighton *"The Song Is You" (1932), by

Jerome Kern Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in ove ...

(music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics), performed by Bernie Leighton

Reception

Box office

''Husbands and Wives'' opened on September 18, 1992 in 865 theatres, where it earned $3,520,550 ($4,070 per screen) in its opening weekend. It went on to gross $10.5 million in North America during its theatrical run. The film was also screened at the 1992 Toronto Festival of Festivals.

Critical response

''Husbands and Wives'' opened to acclaim from film critics. The review aggregator

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

reports that 93% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 40 reviews, with an average score of 8.2/10.

Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born ) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film interview prog ...

of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' called it "a defining film for these emotionally embattled times; it's classic Woody Allen."

Todd McCarthy Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...

of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' similarly praised the film as "a full meal, as it deals with the things of life with intelligence, truthful drama and rueful humor."

Vincent Canby Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' called it "a very fine, sometimes brutal comedy about a small group of contemporary New Yorkers, each an edgy, self-analyzing achiever who goes through life without much joy, but who finds a certain number of cracked satisfactions along the way." He added, "'Husbands and Wives' -- the entire Allen canon, for that matter -- represents a kind of personal cinema for which there is no precedent in modern American movies. Even our best directors are herd animals. Mr. Allen is a rogue: he travels alone." Roger Ebert of the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago ...

'' opined, "... what 'Husbands and Wives' argues is that many 'rational' relationships are actually not as durable as they seem, because somewhere inside every person is a child crying me! me! me! We say we want the other person to be happy. What we mean is, we want them to be happy with us, just as we are, on our terms." In 2016, '' Time Out'' contributors ranked ''Husbands and Wives'' fifth among Allen's efforts, with Keith Uhlich praising the work's "trenchant examination of long-term relationships on the downswing". The same year, Robbie Collin and Tim Robey of ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' listed ''Husbands and Wives'' as his seventh greatest film, calling it "a rapid marvel of four-way characterization" and praising the opening scene as "one of Allen’s most vividly written, shot and acted scenes ever".

Accolades

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Husbands And Wives 1992 films 1990s romantic comedy-drama films 1990s mockumentary films American mockumentary films American romantic comedy-drama films American satirical films Best Foreign Film Guldbagge Award winners Films about marriage Films directed by Woody Allen Films produced by Robert Greenhut Films set in New York City Films shot in New York City Films whose writer won the Best Original Screenplay BAFTA Award Films with screenplays by Woody Allen TriStar Pictures films 1992 comedy films 1992 drama films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films