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Mighty Aphrodite

Play trailer Poster for Mighty Aphrodite R Released Nov 3, 1995 1h 35m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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78% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
When Lenny (Woody Allen) and his wife, Amanda (Helena Bonham Carter), adopt a baby, Lenny realizes that his son is a genius and becomes obsessed with finding the boy's biological mother in hopes that she will be brilliant too. But when he learns that Max's mother is Linda Ash (Mira Sorvino), a kindhearted prostitute and porn star, Lenny is determined to reform her immoral lifestyle. A Greek chorus chimes in to relate the plot to Greek mythology in this quirky comedy.
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Mighty Aphrodite

Mighty Aphrodite

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Critics Consensus

Mighty Aphrodite may not stand with Woody Allen's finest work, but it's brought to vivid life by a thoroughly winsome performance from Mira Sorvino.

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Critics Reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 4/5 Sep 4, 2003 Full Review Leah Garchik San Francisco Chronicle Rated: 3/4 Jun 18, 2002 Full Review Tom Ryan The Sunday Age Full of wise-cracks and featuring a deliciously ironic denouement, Mighty Aphrodite is an amiable romantic farce which thumbs its nose at political correctness and smiles benignly at human foibles. Jul 19, 2023 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins It's rare to see a film so wholeheartedly casual, silly, effervescent, and yet genuinely touching. Rated: 8/10 Sep 14, 2020 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com A minor comedy in Allen's work, though Mia Sorvino, who won an Oscar, shines as the prostitute, despite the director's condescending Rated: C+ Jul 2, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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David H Honestly, this has a pretty dumb plot, but it makes clever use of a Greek chorus, who occasionally interacts with the protagonist inside the story. It also features a lot of great characters who play their roles well. It's definitely worth watching, but don't set your expectations too high. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/06/24 Full Review Chinu D Its a really good movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review Peter G I never saw this Allen film when it came out & now that I have I find it to be one of his more interesting & unusual (utilizing a Greek chorus no less, a device that works well initially but wears out its welcome somewhat towards the end) comedies. Much of the charm here comes courtesy of Mira Sorvino who gave a deserved & wonderful breakthrough performance. Whenever Allen‘s less than winning character threatens to sabotage things there is always, in their scenes together, Sorvino‘s very appealing character & presence to compensate. Hers is a real star making career turn which however suffered from her dealings with Harvey Weinstein but she has persevered nevertheless & I always enjoy her work & hope to see more of it. The parallels with the Greek chorus aside the films charm & plot trajectory is appealing & the ironic but upbeat ending pleases me as well. I find it gratifying when Allen tries to put a spin on one of his initially standard comedic movies even if the results prove a bit uneven at times. Well worth seeing especially for Sorvino‘s performance. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/23 Full Review Mikey H A fine Woody Allen film. I don't see any reason why I'd watch it over many of his other works. Not bad by any means, just ok. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 07/28/23 Full Review william d A very funny movie. Mira Sorvino is terrific. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review dave s A couple of years after Lenny (Woody Allen) and his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) adopt a newborn, Lenny embarks on a mission to determine his son's roots. Much to his shock, he eventually discovers that the birth mother of his child is Linda (Mira Sorvino), a prostitute and porn actress who turns out to be the opposite of the towering intellectual Lenny was expecting. The first act of the movie feels a bit sluggish, but once Sorvino's character is introduced, things pick up significantly. Sorvino is a wonder and steals every scene she is in, playing the clueless and vulnerable hooker to the hilt. Allen, who also directed, wisely allows for scenes to be played out in long takes, allowing the impressive cast to go with the flow. The movie feels like it is dragged down by the Greek chorus that pops up throughout the film and disrupts its flow, but Mighty Aphrodite is, for the most part, fun to watch, mostly for the performance of Sorvino. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Mighty Aphrodite

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis When Lenny (Woody Allen) and his wife, Amanda (Helena Bonham Carter), adopt a baby, Lenny realizes that his son is a genius and becomes obsessed with finding the boy's biological mother in hopes that she will be brilliant too. But when he learns that Max's mother is Linda Ash (Mira Sorvino), a kindhearted prostitute and porn star, Lenny is determined to reform her immoral lifestyle. A Greek chorus chimes in to relate the plot to Greek mythology in this quirky comedy.
Director
Woody Allen
Producer
Robert Greenhut
Screenwriter
Woody Allen
Distributor
Miramax Home Entertainment [us], Buena Vista Pictures, Miramax Films
Production Co
Miramax Films, Magnolia Pictures, Sweetland Films
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 3, 1995, Wide
Release Date (DVD)
Jun 6, 2006
Box Office (Gross USA)
$4.8M
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Surround
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