New York Stories

PG

Released Mar 10, 1989

2 hr. 3 min.

Comedy

List

76%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

56%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Martin Scorsese's "Life Lessons," Francis Coppola's "Life Without Zoe" and Woody Allen's "Oedipus Wrecks."

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dave s

New York Stories consists of three short films, all set in New York and each one directed by an American master. Martin Scorsese's Life Lessons feels and looks like a Scorsese movie – interesting characters, a probing camera perched on a swivel, a great music score, etc. – and starts things out on the right foot. Woody Allen closes things out with Oedipus Wrecks, a strong effort about a middle-aged Jewish man hounded by his mother, filled with crisp dialogue and solid performances. Things falter significantly with the middle piece, Life Without Zoe, by Francis Ford Coppola. It is irritating from the first frame to the last and feels more like a bad episode of an old Disney Channel show than it does something from the director of Apocalypse Now. The acting is brutal, as is the script and the story. Clearly, New York Stories is a mixed bag, but palatable if you can skip over Coppola's story.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Shioka O

Coppola's was dull, the other two I enjoyed as a short. All are high production quality. I think Woody Allen is the most effective in this type of project.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/27/22

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stefano t

I especially liked the last part, the one from Woody Allen. It was really funny.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Spotty but good. Has high and low moments.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

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Audience Member

Yes, Virginia, there are exactly three stories in New York. Oh ya and there all told by old white guys. I know, shocking, right? Mostly misses during three unrelated shorts.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The only one that saves this mess is Allen's segment which is great, Scorsese's one is just forgettable and mediocre. Finally Coppola's one is the shittiest shit someone has put on screen and that includes Beverly Hills Chihuahuas

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Woody Allen

Director

Francis Ford Coppola

Director

Martin Scorsese

Director

Nick Nolte

Lionel Dobie

Heather McComb

Zoe

Mia Farrow

Lisa

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Whether it happened by chance or design, the sketches have more than just New York in common: all three have something to do with middle age, as well as with romantic relationships.

Rated: 3/4

Dec 11, 2007

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Only Woody Allen seems to have understood what is possible in a featurette.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

It's still too early to tell whether the cheering New York Stories will be a box-office hit, but one can hope.

Rated: 4/5

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Anthology films are a rarity nowadays, even in Europe where they were popular in the sixties... One hopes the film will not be an anomaly.

May 9, 2023

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Scorsese's is good, Coppola's is bad, and Woody Allen's is exceptional. [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 11, 2022

Full Review

Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

Oedipus Wrecks...is a real gift to people who want to see a quintessential Woody Allen movie but only have 40 minutes to spare.

Rated: 6/10

Oct 29, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Martin Scorsese's "Life Lessons," Francis Coppola's "Life Without Zoe" and Woody Allen's "Oedipus Wrecks."

Director: Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 10, 1989, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.6M

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