- Jerry Falk learns a lesson the hard way when he falls in love with the beautiful but flighty Amanda.
- Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs) and David Dobel (Woody Allen), who meet at a business meeting, become fast friends. Their commonality is that they are both fledgling New York City based comedy writers, largely writing material for stand-ups, are Jewish (although David is an atheist), and are each of bundle of different neuroses. Their big difference is that Jerry is twenty-one, while David is sixty, with forty more years worth of life experience, knowledge, and neuroses. While Jerry writes full time - he is also working on a novel - David has kept his day job as a public school teacher just in case. In their relationship, David becomes somewhat of Jerry's mentor, providing advice on Jerry's life issues, most which revolve around the fact that Jerry is a product of inertia, having trouble leaving anyone. That's why Jerry's still with the only manager he's ever had, Harvey Wexler (Danny DeVito). Jerry not only being Harvey's only client (which is a testament to his effectiveness in the job), Harvey also has a twenty-five percent take as stipulated in their contract, which he wants to extend for another seven years. That's why Jerry is still in therapy with a psychiatrist who has done him no good, and who advised Jerry to stay in therapy with him as opposed to taking a job in Los Angeles, California. But that not being able to leave largely applies to his love life. Jerry already has one divorce. He is having problems with his current girlfriend Amanda (Christina Ricci), who he believes is the love of his life. He fell in love with her at first sight, when he was already in a cohabitational relationship with Brooke (KaDee Strickland), and Amanda dating Jerry's friend, Bob Stiles (Jimmy Fallon). Even after Jerry began sleeping with Amanda, he could not be up front with Brooke about the situation, leaving her to figure out his lies. What Jerry is unable or unwilling to see is that Amanda not only manipulates him, but that he focuses on the things between them that make them truly compatible, while disregarding those many more things which make them incompatible. What has made their relationship more difficult of late is that her mother, who is trying to find herself, has moved in with them in their small apartment. Despite David's unique view of life, he may be able to see Jerry and Amanda's relationship more clearly as an objective bystander. The question becomes how much of David's advice Jerry will take in its entirety.—Huggo
- Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs) is madly in love with Amanda (Christina Ricci). However, she is rather fickle and strange and Jerry is not sure he can trust her. David Dobel (Woody Allen), a fellow comedy writer, is the man Jerry generally turns to for advice, but he can be a bit paranoid at times.—grantss
- Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs), a fledgling comedy writer with an inept agent, is about to celebrate an anniversary with his girlfriend Amanda (Christina Ricci). There's trouble in paradise: she's late (and has already eaten), she's been uninterested in sex for a few months, and her quixotic mother is moving in with them. Jerry looks back to meeting Amanda and dumping Brooke (KaDee Strickland). A constant is his friendship with another wannabe comedy writer, a sixty-year-old teacher named David Dobel (Woody Allen), prone to long walks and advice filled talks. As Amanda's and Jerry's relationship flounders and her mom's noisy presence makes writing difficult for him, he and David plan something different. Wouldn't anything else be better?—<jhailey@hotmail.com>
- Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs) is an aspiring writer living in New York City who falls in love at first sight with Amanda (Christina Ricci) and dumps his girlfriend to get with her. Seeking advice, Jerry turns to the aging struggling artist who acts as his oracle - and that includes trying to help sort out Jerry's romantic life.—behemuthm
- Jerry Falk (Jason Biggs) and David Dobel (Woody Allen), who meet at a business meeting, become fast friends. Their commonality is that they are both fledgling New York City based comedy writers, largely writing material for stand-ups, are Jewish although David is an atheist, and are each of bundle of different neuroses. Their big difference is that Jerry is twenty-one, while David is sixty, with forty more years worth of life experience, knowledge, and neuroses. They meet in the park for long talks. Dobel does most of the talking. Jerry writes full time. He is also working on a novel. David has kept his day job as a public school teacher just in case. In their relationship, David becomes somewhat of Jerry's mentor, providing advice on Jerry's life issues, most which revolve around the fact that Jerry is a product of inertia, having trouble leaving anyone. That's why Jerry's still with the only manager he's ever had, Harvey Wexler (Danny DeVito). Jerry is Harvey's only client which is a testament to his effectiveness in the job. Harvey also has a twenty-five percent take as stipulated in their contract, which he wants to extend for another seven years. Jerry is also still in therapy with a psychiatrist who has done him no good, and who advised Jerry to stay in therapy with him as opposed to taking a job in Los Angeles, California. Not being able to leave largely applies to his love life. Jerry already has one divorce. He is having problems with his current girlfriend Amanda (Christina Ricci), who he believes is the love of his life. He fell in love with her at first sight, when he was already in a cohabitational relationship with Brooke (KaDee Strickland), and Amanda dating Jerry's friend, Bob Stiles (Jimmy Fallon). Even after Jerry began sleeping with Amanda, he could not be up front with Brooke about the situation, leaving her to figure out his lies. David has fears, not all of them revealed, and takes his young protégé Jerry to a gun shop to buy him a weapon. Everyone needs a gun, he explains, to feel safer, to protect themselves. David also encourage Jerry to start building a survival kit. Jerry is dubious, Amanda is appalled and David seems to be revealing only the surface of his fears. Jerry is unable or unwilling to see is that Amanda only manipulates him. When the ever-optimistic Jerry makes reservations at a fancy restaurant to celebrate their anniversary, she stands him up and declares she already ate. Rather, he focuses on the things between them that make them truly compatible, while disregarding those many more things which make them incompatible. Amanda is an actress who seems to keep Jerry around primarily as a foil for intimate improv scenes in which she explains the ways his life must be miserable if he is to continue enjoying her company. He asks if she doesn't love him. "Just because when you touch me I pull away?" she even asks. At one point, she declares a six-month moratorium on sex. At one point, Amanda moves out, then moves back in after a trip to Italy with a lover. One night, a sexually frustrated Jerry suggest to Amanda that they check into a hotel like they used to before they moved in together. She agrees but has a body reaction whenever Jerry gets near her that requires seeing a medical doctor. The medical doctor feels her up as he examines her. Jerry introduces Amanda to David. David's verdict is instantaneous: "She's cheating on you." He advises Jerry to spy on her, which he does by lurking in stairwells and skulking in doorways for hours at a time, until finally he thinks he has enough proof to confront her, not realizing that in matters of cheating the worst thing you can do is expose the other person because then they have their excuse to leave. Amanda rationalizes her affair as therapeutic sex which was designed to see if she could still enjoy such intimacy. Despite David's unique view of life, he may be able to see Jerry and Amanda's relationship more clearly as an objective bystander. What has made their relationship more difficult of late is that her mother, Paula (Stockard Channing) who is trying to find herself, has moved in with them in their small apartment. She is without resources and wants to start over as a torch singer. She has a young boyfriend she met at an AA meeting which was apparently not a successful one, since they're soon doing coke together. With a girl who doesn't want to live with him and her mother who does, Jerry's almost ready to listen when David suggests he dump everything so that just the two of them can leave for Los Angeles, where all the jobs are anyway. This would mean leaving Harvey, Jerry's long-time agent. Harvey feels so strongly about the agent-client relationship that when Jerry hints it may be ending, he pulls a scene in a restaurant that more or less defines the notion of a public spectacle. When Jerry finally realizes it is in his best interest to start over, he tries to break up with Amanda. However, Amanda tells him she is leaving having found someone new. David tells Jerry in a remote part of Central Park that he can no longer go to California with him implying that he may have shot a state patrolman after he made an Anti-Sematic remark. When Jerry takes his final cab ride to the airport, he sees that Amanda has been dating the doctor from her emergency room visit.
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