Product Details

• Actors: Woody Allen, George Hamilton, Téa Leoni, Douglas McGrath, Debra Messing
• Directors: Woody Allen
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English, French, Spanish
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Dreamworks Video
• DVD Release Date: September 17, 2002
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005JL81
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,404 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Hollywood Ending" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With Hollywood Ending, Woody Allen good-naturedly bites the hand that feeds him. The modern studio system is a ripe target for Allen’s rapier wit, but the veteran writer-director goes a delicious step further by playing a has-been filmmaker who suffers from psychosomatic blindness--during the production of his big-budget comeback! Rather than sabotage his career, he proceeds to direct the film with guidance from his Chinese cinematographer’s translator, telling his agent (played by another veteran director, Mark Rydell) while hiding the truth from his ex-wife and producer (Téa Leoni), her studio honcho husband (Treat Williams), and his ditzy actress girlfriend (Debra Messing), who has a small role in the film. Chaos ensues--and so does Allen’s predilection for casting much-younger female costars--but Hollywood Ending favors a more contemplative blend of comedy and drama, peppered with memorable punch lines and blessed with, yes, a Hollywood ending that’s as entertaining as the mayhem that precedes it. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

Once again biting the hand that feeds him with hilarious results, Woody Allen plays a once-hot filmmaker whose temperamental ways have relegated him to shooting TV commercials in Canada. When producer/ex-wife Tea Leoni lands Allen a job that could revive his career, things seem to pick up...until he comes down with hysterical blindness on the set! George Hamilton, Debra Messing, Mark Rydell, Treat Williams also star. 114 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; production notes; biographies; theatrical trailer.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 36 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Has some very funny moments. May 1, 2002

By "shankar_k"

What a relief to finally see an intelligent comedy without any gross scenes! Of late, comedies have been more and more gross, thanks mainly to the sickening trend set by movies like 'There is something about Mary'. Woody Allen deserves credit for giving us 'Hollywood ending', a film that has some very funny moments.

Woody Allen plays a washed-out film director, whose wife (played by Tea Leoni) has left him for a film producer (Treat Williams). Then this script comes into the hands of Treat Williams and his film company ('Galaxie films') and Tea Leoni thinks that Allen will be the best choice to direct it. She convinces Williams and his friends and then the laugh riot starts! Allen meets his ex-wife and the decision makers of Galaxie films and seals the deal (with some very funny scenes!). Come the first day of shooting and Woody Allen becomes blind (psychosomatic blindness). The rest of the story revolves around how he (with Tea Leoni's help) keeps his blindness a secret from everyone else and manages to direct the film.

Woody Allen is very very funny and steals many a scene, with the best one being the one in which he meets Tea Leoni at a restaurant after he lands the directing job. Leoni supports him very well and Debra Messing ('Will and Grace') plays Allen's new (and not so bright) girlfriend. All the supporting actors are good, with the Chinese cameraman and his translator being the pick of the lot.

Needless to say, the film directed by the blind Woody Allen gets horrible reviews initially, but then there is a twist in the climax that justifies the title - 'Hollywood ending'. The funny moments keep the film up and running and in the end, this is surely worth watching at least once.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Witty self referential and funny August 4, 2004

By Ian Muldoon

Format:DVD

I like Woody, I like this film, and I like his love of film. Mr Allen's love of human beings, his compassion and understanding of our foibles, vanities, and his own foibles and vanities, shine through this fine film. I also like his truth - in some ways he his almost anti-Hollywood in the sense that he does not try to cover up his physical deterioration, as if to say " Well, he I am and here you are, and are we going to make the journey with a joke or a whine?" To me, despite the jokes in the film about his character and being a great artist, I think he is one of America's great film makers, and a great humanitarian, with a deep understanding of his art, comedy and us. This is a good example of his work and worth owning.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a pleasant surprise August 21, 2004

By T. murphy

Format:VHS Tape

i was somewhat surprised by hollywood ending. it received so many bad reviews from critics that i went in not expecting much. but hollywood ending is easily one of woody's best film's in years, probably his best film since deconstructing harry.

many of woody's films are autobigraphical, and there's no question that woody is venting his frustrations at the movie industry and the american public when the #1 movie in america is alien vs. predator, and woody allen's movies barely break even in america. but he is still big in france, which he seems grateful for.

it's true that hollywood ending may not be hannah and her sisters or annie hall, but it's woody allen, and it's better than most of the crap out there today. thank fod for woody allen.