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Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry

Comedy · Drama · 1997

Writer Harry Block draws inspiration from people he knows, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.

Movie details

Deconstructing Harry

“Harry Block wrote a bestseller about his best friends. Now, his best friends are about to become his worst enemies.”

1997 Comedy · Drama 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.3 / 10

Community rating

Writer Harry Block draws inspiration from people he knows, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Deconstructing Harry?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Woody Allen

Written by

Woody Allen

Woody Allen

Woody Allen

Harry Block

Judy Davis

Judy Davis

Lucy

Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley

Joan

Elisabeth Shue

Elisabeth Shue

Fay Sexton

Billy Crystal

Billy Crystal

Larry / The Devil

Bob Balaban

Bob Balaban

Richard

Hazelle Goodman

Hazelle Goodman

Cookie

Court is in session

Put Deconstructing Harry on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.