Radio Days (1987)

 Radio Days (1987)

Before the era of television, streaming, and smartphones, there was just the basic radio. If you want to watch a film that is heavy in nostalgia and remembrance, I may suggest that you watch Woody Allen’s 1987 feature, Radio Days. The film romanticizes Allen’s childhood as a Jewish kid living with his Queens family and how radio played a major part in their lives. Allen, who also wrote the script, does not use comedy as much as his other films but there are still some zany lines we come to associate Allen with. Instead he focuses on the nostalgia and the importance of radio. He uses music to complete the threading of the story. The sound of big band/swing is used for transitions. I found that to be a pretty unique way of storytelling.

 

For the most part, I enjoyed the film thoroughly. That said, I did find it lacking when you compare it to other Allen films from the era such as Hannah and Her Sisters. The film did not have much of a story to it as it does not have a proper beginning and finish. I think my biggest issue, and it is no fault of Allen, is that I did not grow up in this time period. People from older generations fell in love with this movie because it reminded them of their past from many moons before. In fact, director Stanley Kubrick fell madly in love with this movie calling the film a collection of home movies. While it was nice to see this kind of movie, I did not connect with it as other people did and that is okay! It would be a similar situation of movies that reminisces the 1990’s and 2000’s. That said, the film has some excellent visuals and the production design is anything unlike Allen has done before. So, if anything, the film is a dazzling feast for the eyes.

 

It really is hard to describe the plot because it really does not have the proper beginning, middle, and ending as a normal film would. Instead, it has a boatload of characters. Allen uses these characters to narrate the story of Rockaway native, Joe and his family. As he describes the serials or the music on the radio, he actually visualizes these stories hence the big cast. It will take me decades to write a proper plot so I will not even begin to try. All we just need to know is the film focuses on Joe and his family during the “Golden Age of Radio” as the radio was used for news, music, and entertainment.

 

As Allen made a film dripping with nostalgia, it made sense that his cast was comprised of actors he used in his previous films such as Mia Farrow, Danny Aiello, Jeff Daniels, Diane Keaton, Dianne Wiest, Tony Roberts, and the list goes on and on. Some roles are obviously bigger than others. Farrow and Wiest have the biggest roles. They all do a wonderful job! Allen himself does not appear but his voice narrates the movie as the older Joe. Very young Seth Green plays the 10-year-old Joe.

 

Radio Days is no Hannah and Her Sisters or Annie Hall, but it is still a serviceable film. The boomer generation and their parents loved the movie which makes total sense. The comedy is less compared to other Allen films, but there still happens to be amusing moments. My favorite scene is when burglars rob a house and they win the lottery. So, the owners of the home are befuddled when the winnings show up. I enjoyed the film for what it was, and it gave me a better understanding of 1940’s popular music. I seem to like Duke Ellington’s music, so there is that!

 

My Grade: B