Matthew B
Radio Days was the most expensive film that Woody Allen had made up until that point, and it is easy to see where the money went. This sprawling story has a rich gallery of sets and scenes, a larger number of actors and extras than usual, various bands and singers, and the use of age-appropriate props – re-creations of signs from the era, old-fashioned cars and exquisite costumes.
Inevitably some short cuts are taken. The scene where a child falls down a well is obviously taking place in a studio where lighting and darkness conceal the low-budget re-enactment of this dramatic event. Nonetheless the film is less thrifty than the average Allen movie, simply by dint of its ambitiousness.
Yet this comparatively lavish expenditure did not prevent the film from running at a loss of over a million dollars, and it is easy to understand why. It is not that Radio Days is a bad movie. Sometimes the story meanders, but in an amiable way, and no more than Annie Hall. Admittedly Annie Hall had a more serious thread running through it. Nonetheless this film is charming, warm and funny, and there is much to enjoy.
However most audience members are missing an entire dimension of understanding when they watch Radio Days, and I include myself in this. The film dwells in nostalgia for an old era before televisions were found in every house when everyone sat home and listened to the radio. Allen celebrates and affectionately mocks the age when many of the most famous celebrities were radio stars.
The film is semi-autobiographical. It is not Allen's real childhood, but a misty, idealised version of it, filmed in colours that are both bright and muted, giving the film a brown look. The opening words of the movie are "Once upon a time…", and this gives us some idea how literally we should take these events. We are seeing the early years of Allen's life as it appears in his fondest memories, not his life as it really happened.
The story features a family who may or may not have been Allen's own, and the experiences of a young boy with familiar large glasses, who is naturally interested in kissing girls. (Allen himself does not appear in the film, but he does narrate it.) There is no attempt to offer up all the details of this semi-fictional boy and his family. The focus is on the ways in which their lives related to the radio, the hub of their social interactions and fantasies. The radio shows that they enjoy reflect something of their personalities.
Allen shows us the realities of radio broadcasts. We see how they were recorded, and get to meet the stars. In the process, we are given a chance to laugh at the realities of the radio world – the quizzes, dramas, thrillers, chat shows and silly inspirational sports stories. A number "old radio stories" are reeled out too, such as one about the burglars who pick up the phone in a house they are robbing, and find themselves answering music questions on a radio show.
The narrating Allen concludes by saying:
I've never forgotten any of those people or any of the voices we used to hear on the radio. Although the truth is with the passing of each New Year's those voices do seem to grow dimmer and dimmer.
Radio Days constitutes one final attempt to capture those treasured memories on film before those voices disappear forever.
I wrote a longer appreciation of Radio Days on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/05/06/radio-days-1987/
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
09/05/23
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Kevin L
Wasn't for me. Didn't enjoy the story lines, the wasn't that drawn in by the acting, and too much of the music of the time. Farrow and Kavner were solid, but otherwise, the acting seemed half-hearted. Hard to believe that's Seth Green. Doesn't even look much like him.
I get what Allen was going for (I assume, anyway), but it comes off too much as nostalgia for me. And the mix of segments on the radio business, the lives of the grownups, and the scenes of the kids on their own just didn't add to much that was interesting. 2.6 stars
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
01/24/23
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dave s
Set in early 1940s New York, Radio Days is Woody Allen's loving tribute to the golden age of radio. Centered around young Joe (Seth Green) and his seemingly dysfunctional but tightly-knit family, the film consists of a series of vignettes, all centered around the impact of radio broadcasting on its listeners. Like most of Allen's movies, the cast is expansive (Mia Farrow, Danny Aiello, Jeff Daniels, Julie Kavner, Dianne Wiest, among others) and does an excellent job with a solid script. Filled with great music from the era and spot on period details, the film effectively captures the essence of the times. It is one of Allen's most pleasant and satisfying films.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
03/30/23
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don k
I have watched this movie twice: once, thirty-five years ago, when it came out; and the second time tonight, as a tonic to counter unnerving current events. More refreshing than the movie‘s Pepsi Cola props. The stories/vignettes, the performances, and the actors themselves were as fresh as they were in 1987. The movie is much less dated and much more timeless than one might expect. By way of with, insight, observation or story-telling, no one evokes the spirit of New York better than Woody Allen. With poignant realism countered by unabashed romanticism, he is as singular as his City.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
robert p
Throwing everything at the screen, Radio Days gives a first person (by Woody Allen) of what it was like back in the 1940's with war with Germany and Japan, it was a golden era if not for gangsters. I rate this movie *3 & 1/2* stars!!!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
Wonderful nostalgic, funny film.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/22/23
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