Deconstructing Harry | Rotten Tomatoes

Deconstructing Harry

R

Released Dec 12, 1997

1 hr. 36 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

73%

37 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Novelist Harry Block (Woody Allen) has become a success by turning his family and friends' lives into fodder for his books. Due to his novels' popularity, the university that once kicked Harry out has asked him to return for a ceremony that will honor him. As Harry sets out for the trip, he is confronted by his fictional characters, as well as real people who no longer want anything to do with him, and he learns how deeply his overly candid stories have affected those around him.

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Alec B

Allen's angriest movie but it never ventures into outright nihilism which is why it is also one of his best movies. I really like the way the short stories are dramatized in connection with the primary story

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

J M

I'm tempted to suggest that this may be the most underrated film Woody Allen has made. It's not quite in the exalted echelon of my 5-star Woody masterpieces, of which there are more than any other filmmaker. But it's definitely high among his second level output. It's a most ingenuous, highly entertaining and often achingly funny comedy that takes no prisoners. In fact, this may also be Woody's "naughtiest" movie, both in terms of language and sexual situations. It most definitely earns its R rating. What may be most impressive is how he takes the most outrageous of situations and makes them almost plausible. He even visits Hades!! There are some minor issues here and there. The plot reverts back and forth between real-life and the characters in his books re-enacting real life, and it gets a bit jarring from time to time. A couple of the characters and plot lines could have been excised without being missed. Most of the performances work, but Demi Moore underplays, and Kirstie Alley grossly overplays - it's a very unpleasant performance. Other than that, this is a winner and one of the few truly memorable comedies among Allen's latter-day lineup. - Jeff Marshall, Movie Blogger (Facebook)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/24

Full Review

Alexsander F

Esse filme é muito bom, simples mas sofisticado. Só Woody Allen para transformar a "sessão da tarde" em algo não fútil.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/23

Full Review

Robert R

With "Deconstructing Harry," writer/director/star Woody Allen once again ventures into the realm of all things "meta," looking to define the thin line between art and real life. With this, you not only see the protagonist dealing with the implications of their works, but — potentially — Allen reckoning with his own in turn. This makes for an interesting, if undeniably self-indulgent work on the part of the filmmaker in question. The self-deprecation definitely helps to even things out in the end, but I'd still say this isn't one of Woody Allen's finest efforts. Still, it's fun to see this absolutely stacked cast have fun with the material at hand. Also, some of the vignettes littered throughout were very funny. All in all, I can't say I necessarily regret the watch.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/07/23

Full Review

Steve D

Worse than most of his already bad films.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

isla s

This is very much a Woody Allen film. I felt a bit put off it because it's quite such a Woody Allen film - there are some amusing moments but the main character is certainly less than likeable and I didn't feel entirely comfortable at how the main protagonist regards women, some of the comments made. Some of the situations are amusing, in a farcical kind of a way and I like the fact of it being seemingly part based on a writers prose. There's a good cast in this film but it's not a film I'd outrightly recommend, no...it seemed too much of an ego trip to me. Also, there is a twist at the end that kind of explains it but it didn't change my overall opinion of the film overall.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Woody Allen

Director

Caroline Aaron

Doris

Woody Allen

Harry Block

Kirstie Alley

Joan

Bob Balaban

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Richard Benjamin

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Mike Clark

USA Today

Certain echoes from Allen's own tabloid ferment get channeled through bombastic speakers here.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 9, 2018

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

David Stratton

Variety

Deconstructing Harry is abrasive, complex, lacerating and self-revelatory. It's also very funny, most of the time.

Nov 26, 2008

Full Review

PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

A reminder of a time when Woody Allen made films that were forces of energy, bundles of fun, and bubbling with ideas, ingenuity and a real surplus of humour.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 15, 2019

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

In this nasty, verbose comedy, Woody Allen the director has cast Woody Allen the actor as a foul-mouthed, self-absorbed, sex-obsessed writer.

Rated: B-

Apr 6, 2011

Full Review

Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

Too bad it is difficult to really care about what is going on since such a thoroughly unpleasant character is at the center.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 31, 2009

Full Review

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Synopsis

Novelist Harry Block (Woody Allen) has become a success by turning his family and friends' lives into fodder for his books. Due to his novels' popularity, the university that once kicked Harry out has asked him to return for a ceremony that will honor him. As Harry sets out for the trip, he is confronted by his fictional characters, as well as real people who no longer want anything to do with him, and he learns how deeply his overly candid stories have affected those around him.

Director: Woody Allen
Executive Producer: Letty Aronson, J.E. Beaucaire, Charles H. Joffe, Jack Rollins
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Distributor: New Line Cinema, Fine Line Features
Production Co: Sweetland Films, Jean Doumanian Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 12, 1997, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.7M
Sound Mix: Dolby
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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