Melinda and Melinda (2004)

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer (WGA):

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

29 October 2004 (Spain)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Life can be a comedy or a tragedy, it all depends on how you look at it.

Plot:

Two alternating stories about Melinda's (Mitchell) attempts to straighten out her life.

Plot Keywords:

Party | Marriage Problems | Alcoholism | Extramarital Affair | Small Talk

Cast

Wallace Shawn	...	Sy
Neil Pepe	...	Al
Stephanie Roth Haberle	...	Louise
Larry Pine	...	Max
Radha Mitchell	...	Melinda Robacheau
Michael J. Farina	...	Man with Dog
Jonny Lee Miller	...	Lee
Chloë Sevigny	...	Laurel
Matt Servitto	...	Jack Oliver
Arija Bareikis	...	Sally Oliver
Brooke Smith	...	Cassie
Zak Orth	...	Peter
Will Ferrell	...	Hobie
Andy Borowitz	...	Doug
Amanda Peet	...	Susan
Shalom Harlow	...	Joan
David Aaron Baker	...	Steve Walsh
Christina Kirk	...	Jennifer
Alyssa Pridham	...	Acting Student
Katie Kreisler	...	Director
Quincy Rose	...	2nd A.D.
Steve Carell	...	Walt Wagner
Chiwetel Ejiofor	...	Ellis Moonsong
Richard Holmes	...	Party Guest (as Rick Vincent Holmes)
Michelle Durning	...	Party Guest (as Michele Durning)
Geoffrey Nauffts	...	Bud
Josh Brolin	...	Greg Earlinger
Yi-wen Jiang	...	Shanghai Quartet
Honggang Li	...	Shanghai Quartet
Weigang Li	...	Shanghai Quartet
Nick Tzavaras	...	Shanghai Quartet (as Nicholas Tzavaras)
Rob Buntzen	...	Antique Shop Owner
Daniel Sunjata	...	Billy Wheeler
Vinessa Shaw	...	Stacey Fox
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lauren Adler	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Michalina Almindo	...	Susan's Neighbor (uncredited)
James Ecklund	...	Kissing Guy (uncredited)
Kenneth Edelson	...	Disco Guest (uncredited)
Alex Harder	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Sabrina Lloyd	...	(uncredited)
Jacqueline Lovell	...	Halloween Partygoer (uncredited)

Directed by
Woody Allen

Writing credits (WGA)
Woody Allen		(written by)

Produced by
Letty Aronson	....	producer
Charles H. Joffe	....	executive producer
Helen Robin	....	co-producer
Jack Rollins	....	executive producer
Stephen Tenenbaum	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Vilmos Zsigmond

Film Editing by
Alisa Lepselter

Casting by
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Santo Loquasto

Art Direction by
Tom Warren

Set Decoration by
Regina Graves

Costume Design by
Judy L. Ruskin		(as Judy Ruskin Howell)

Makeup Department
Robert Fama	....	hair stylist
Lorraine Godfrey	....	additional hair stylist
Wayne Herndon	....	key hair stylist
Lori Hicks	....	key makeup artist
Nuria Sitja	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Helen Robin	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dean Garvin	....	second assistant director
Kathleen E. Kearney	....	second assistant director
Richard Patrick	....	first assistant director
Danielle Rigby	....	first assistant director: reshoots
Kevin Shaw	....	dga trainee

Art Department
Julia Barraclough	....	scenic artist
Michael J. Cerullo	....	chief construction grip
Ed Ferraro	....	stand-by carpenter
Danielle Giovannello	....	assistant property master
Rafael Gonell	....	art production assistant
Daniel K. Grosso	....	lead man
John Kouromihelakis	....	art production assistant
Frank Leal	....	art production assistant
Glenn Lloyd	....	art department coordinator
Sarah Maine	....	set dresser
Wayne Moss	....	construction coordinator
Ron Petagna	....	head carpenter (as Ronald Petagna)
Chinyere Ryan	....	scenic artist
Cliff Schorr	....	stand-by scenic artist
R. Vincent Smith	....	assistant property master
James Sorice	....	master scenic artist
Paul Weathered	....	property master

Sound Department
Gary Alper	....	production sound mixer
Coll Anderson	....	foley supervisor
Michael Barry	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nancy Cabrera	....	foley artist
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer
Frank Graziadei	....	boom operator
Robert Hein	....	supervising sound editor
Thomas Kodros	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Michelle Mader	....	cable person
Sylvia Menno	....	dialogue editor
Dave Paterson	....	sound effects editor
Glenfield Payne	....	sound effects editor
Marilyn Teorey	....	apprentice sound editor
David Wahnon	....	first assistant sound editor
Akil Wilson	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
John Ottesen	....	special effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Matt Balzarini	....	assistant camera
David E. Baron	....	first assistant camera
Tim Davies	....	grip
Glenn Fishel	....	grip
Michael Green	....	camera operator
Scott Gregoire	....	best boy electric
Brian Hamill	....	still photographer
Elizabeth Hedges	....	camera loader
Petr Hlinomaz	....	gaffer
Gary Martone	....	key grip
Jessica Miglio	....	assistant still photographer
Tally Morse	....	dolly grip
Anna Novick	....	grip
Charles Quinlivan	....	best boy grip
Jon W. Rosenbloom	....	grip
Kyle Rudolph	....	steadicam operator
David J. Thompson	....	steadicam operator

Casting Department
Karen E. Etcoff	....	extras casting
Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto	....	casting associate
Julie Schubert	....	casting assistant
Bill Tripician	....	extras casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Adkins	....	wardrobe supervisor
Stephanie Biear	....	shop wardrobe supervisor
Winsome G. McKoy	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Winsome McKoy)
Yleana Nunez	....	costume production assistant
Frankie Ritacco	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Sara Corrigan	....	first assistant editor
Elise DuRant	....	apprentice editor
Morgan Neville	....	assistant editor
Joe Violante	....	dailies advisor

Music Department
Dick Hyman	....	musician: piano
Jill Meyers	....	music clearances
Roy B. Yokelson	....	music recording engineer

Transportation Department
Peter Tavis	....	transportation captain
Timothy J. Wood	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Sarah Allentuch	....	assistant: Mr. Allen
Abby Bailey	....	assistant accountant
Daniela Barbosa	....	production assistant
Greg Conroy	....	location scout
Leslee Dart	....	unit publicist
Ged Dickersin	....	location scout
Tracy Ershow	....	set
James Feldman	....	production assistant
Eduardo Garabal	....	location assistant
Steve Gilbaud	....	payroll accountant (as Steve Guilbaud)
Janet Henry	....	location scout
Joe James	....	stand-in
Scott Kordish	....	production coordinator
Brian Lamia	....	location assistant
Adam Leon	....	production office assistant
Pietro Lorino Jr.	....	production accountant
Daniel Lowe	....	production assistant
Derek J. Manganelli	....	location assistant
Gil McKinney	....	set production assistant
Christie Mullen	....	location manager
Justin Pandolfino	....	production assistant
Christine Putnam	....	production assistant
William Sepulveda	....	craft service
Eugene Stamos	....	additional craft service assistant
Amy R. Trachtman	....	assistant production coordinator
Carl Turnquest Jr.	....	projectionist
Joe Violante	....	dailies advisor
Sheila Waldron	....	script supervisor
Eric Wrolstad	....	assistant location manager
Michael J. Harker	....	completion bond representative (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Fox Searchlight Pictures
• Perdido Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (2004) (worldwide) (all media)
• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2005) (Italy) (all media)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2005) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Bontonfilm (2005) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Hispano Foxfilms S.A.E. (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Big Film Design (opticals)

Other Companies

• Big Film Design  titles and opticals
• DeLuxe Laboratories  color and prints
• J.G. Films  negative matching
• Kee Casting  extras casting
• Orbit Digital  avid equipment
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• The McKenna Brothers  craft service

Also Known As:

Melinda & Melinda (USA) (alternative spelling)
Untitled Woody Allen Fall Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for adult situations involving sexuality, and some substance material.

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Mono)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Norway:A | Hungary:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | Canada:G (Quebec) | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-7 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:12A | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Germany:o.Al.

Filming Locations:

Dune Road, The Hamptons, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

During filming, Radha Mitchell was the only actor who had the entire script. The other actors just had their storyline.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the beginning of the movie it is poring with rain and yet not a single car that drives by on the street has its windshield wipers on

Quotes:

Hobie: They still talk about my portrayal of King Lear. I played it with a limp.

Movie Connections:

Features The Black Cat (1934)

Soundtrack:

Moonglow

Witty, incisive, refreshing

This film probably marks the crucial point where Woody Allen takes one step back and lets others take over the Woody persona of a typical Allen film. It's happened before, in Celebrity and Anything Else, but now the lead characters can breathe as themselves without having to essentially 'be Woody'. Sure the resemblances are still there but more in the situations than in the characters. Will Ferrell displays proper comic timing and Jonny Lee Miller tries valiantly with what he's given. The script sparkles with more one-liners than most recent efforts and an appropriate return of the 'lust for life' motif seen in earlier films such as Hannah and Her Sisters or Everyone Says I Love You. If you don't appreciate that comic situations are both sad and full of life, and that tragedy has a fair share of unexpected delights as well as heartache, than you're definitely missing the point. Woody displays both of these in equal quantity spread liberally throughout the film in all situations. And so what if the end plays more like a series of sketches than a full-on film? It's the mark of a master than can make us enjoy what we see regardless of narrative form. 8 out of 10.