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A Rainy Day in New York

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A Rainy Day in New York
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWoody Allen
Written byWoody Allen
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyVittorio Storaro
Edited byAlisa Lepselter
Production
companies
  • Gravier Productions
  • Perdido Productions
Distributed by
Release dates
  • July 26, 2019 (2019-07-26) (Poland)
  • October 9, 2020 (2020-10-09) (United States)
Running time
92 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million[2]
Box office$22 million[3]

A Rainy Day in New York is a 2019 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, starring Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Jude Law, Diego Luna, and Liev Schreiber. The film follows the romantic exploits of a young college student (Chalamet) on a weekend visit to his hometown of New York City, in hopes of deepening the relationship with his college girlfriend (Fanning) while she is in the city to interview a highly regarded independent film director (Schreiber).

The film was completed in 2018, but its distributor, Amazon Studios, halted its release following controversy regarding Allen and the Me Too movement. It was released in Poland on July 26, 2019, followed by releases in multiple European, South American, and Asian countries. It was released in the United States on October 9, 2020, by MPI Media Group and Signature Entertainment.

Plot

Gatsby Welles, the brainy but eccentric son of wealthy New York City-based parents, is a student at Yardley College, a liberal arts school in Upstate New York, and a successful gambler. When his girlfriend Ashleigh Enright, a journalism major from Tucson, has to travel to Manhattan to interview esteemed independent filmmaker Roland Pollard for the student newspaper, Gatsby tags along, planning a romantic weekend in the city, while trying to avoid his parents who are holding a gala in the evening, and with whom he has a conflicted relationship.

Ashleigh's interview with Pollard is supposed to last one hour, but the director is impressed by her charm and film knowledge and invites her to a private screening of his new film, which ruins her plans with Gatsby, much to his dismay. Strolling alone through New York, Gatsby bumps into a film student friend who is shooting a short film and who asks him to stand in for a missing actor for a shot that involves kissing his co-star. To Gatsby's surprise, the actress turns out to be Chan Tyrell, the younger sister of a former girlfriend. The two of them run into each other again when they both hail the same cab. Gatsby's romantic plans with Ashleigh are further delayed by Ashleigh getting increasingly involved with Pollard, who is having a creative crisis, and his long-suffering screenwriter, Ted Davidoff.

Feeling abandoned and without an itinerary, Gatsby accompanies Chan to her parents' apartment where he sings "Everything Happens to Me" on their piano. They discuss their love for New York and agree that on rainy days it is one of the most romantic places. They visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where Chan confesses that she used to have a crush on Gatsby. A chance meeting with his aunt and uncle at the museum forces Gatsby to attend his parents' gala.

While chasing after a vanished Pollard, Ashleigh and Ted stumble upon Ted's wife, who is having an extramarital affair. While Ted confronts his wife, Ashleigh goes to the studio where she meets film star Francisco Vega, who invites her out for dinner. Gatsby, meanwhile, uses his gambling skills to win big at a poker game his brother had arranged earlier in the evening. Back at his hotel room, he sees Ashleigh on the news hailed as Francisco's latest fling. Distraught, he goes for a drink at the Carlyle's cocktail lounge, where he meets an escort named Terry, whom he hires to impersonate Ashleigh at his family's gala.

Francisco takes Ashleigh to a film business party, where she reconnects with Pollard and Ted, who both declare themselves smitten with her. Afterwards, Francisco and Ashleigh retire to his apartment, and as they begin to have sex, Francisco's girlfriend arrives unexpectedly, driving Ashleigh to leave through the backdoor wearing only a raincoat over her bra and panties.

Gatsby arrives at his family's gala with Terry, but his mother sees through the charade. In an intimate talk, she reveals to Gatsby that she was an escort when she met his father, and that her earnings were the seed capital that resulted in their wealth. Her personal history is the reason she has pressured Gatsby into intellectual and artistic endeavors, education, and refinement that she acquired as an adult. This revelation changes Gatsby's perceptions of his mother. At the end of the night, Ashleigh finds a despondent Gatsby back at the Carlyle, assuring him that nothing happened with Francisco despite her lack of clothing and appearance.

The next morning, the pair take a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park before returning to Yardley. Ashleigh, however, is disappointed by the misty weather, and when Gatsby mentions a Cole Porter lyric, she misattributes it to Shakespeare. Realizing their incompatibility, Gatsby abruptly ends their relationship and announces that he will withdraw from Yardley to stay in New York. He later goes to the Delacorte Clock outside the Central Park Zoo, reenacting a scene from an older movie, The Clock, the fantasy he and Chan previously shared. As the clock strikes six, Chan arrives, and the pair kiss in the pouring rain.

Themes

As common in Allen films, A Rainy Day in New York makes various homages to older classic films including The Clock which featured a final scene where the main protagonists(played by Judy Garland and Robert Walker) have difficulty meeting after separating in New York City but use a landmark clock to find each other in the end.

Cast

Production

In August 2017, Timothée Chalamet, Selena Gomez, and Elle Fanning joined the cast of Woody Allen's newest film, with Allen directing from a screenplay he wrote. Letty Aronson produced, while Amazon Studios was to distribute it.[4][5] In October 2017, Allen confirmed the film was titled A Rainy Day in New York.[6] In September 2017, Jude Law, Diego Luna, Liev Schreiber, Annaleigh Ashford, Rebecca Hall, Cherry Jones, Will Rogers, and Kelly Rohrbach joined the cast of the film.[7][8] In October 2017, Suki Waterhouse joined the cast.[9]

Filming

Principal photography began on September 11, 2017 in New York City and concluded on October 23.[10][11]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack features many songs played by jazz pianist Erroll Garner.

Release and box office

A Rainy Day in New York was first released in Poland on July 26, 2019, by Kino Świat.[12] It was subsequently released in Lithuania, Greece, Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, France, Slovakia, Israel, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Germany, Brazil, South Korea, Russia, and Central and South America throughout the second half of 2019.[1][13][14][15][16][17] It was released in the United Kingdom on June 5, 2020.[18] It was released in the United States on October 9, 2020, by MPI Media Group and Signature Entertainment.[19]

The film was the opening night premiere at the Deauville American Film Festival on September 6, 2019, before opening theatrically in France on September 18.[20]

During the weekend of May 8–10, 2020, the film grossed over $330,000 in South Korea, becoming the highest-grossing film globally during that week. In its opening weekend in the United States, it grossed $2,744 from six theaters, with an average of $457 per theater.[21] The film has earned approximately $22 million worldwide.[22]

Lawsuit

The film completed post-production in the third quarter of 2018. Amazon shelved the project as being effectively unmarketable, and later dropped the film; thus, 2018 marked the first time since 1981 that an entire calendar year had gone by without a new Woody Allen film. In February 2019, Allen filed a $68 million lawsuit contesting that Amazon had failed to meet contractual obligations to release the film as contracted, alleging the studio had dropped the film for only "vague reasons" and terminated the four-picture contract over "a 25-year-old, baseless allegation". The legal action was seeking minimum guarantee payments for the four films, plus damages and legal fees.[23][24] In May 2019, it was reported that Amazon had given the U.S. distribution rights back to Allen.[25] In November 2019, Allen settled his breach of contract lawsuit against Amazon, and both parties voluntarily filed a joint notice dismissing the case.[26][27] The film was eventually released on Amazon Prime in 2021.[28]

Me Too movement responses

The film's production coincided with the start of the Me Too movement, causing a resurgence in public interest in the 1992 sexual abuse allegation against Allen. In October 2017, actor Griffin Newman announced via Twitter that he regretted acting in the film and would not work with Allen again in the future. Newman donated his salary to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).[29][30] In January 2018, Chalamet donated his salary to the RAINN, Time's Up and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of New York City.[31] Gomez made a donation of over $1 million, exceeding her salary, to Time's Up.[32] Like Gomez, Hall donated her salary to Time's Up.[33] She later explained, "I've been deliberate in saying that the choice wasn't making a judgment one way or another. I don't believe anyone in the public should be judge and jury on a case that is so complex."[34] Gomez and Chalamet, despite their financial donations, continued to promote the film, including during a video chat posted to instagram.

Without commenting on the allegations against Allen, Law said in November 2018 that it's "a terrible shame" the film got shelved.[35] Cherry Jones, conversely, defended Allen in April 2019, saying: "[...] I went back and studied every scrap of information I could get about that period. And in my heart of hearts, I do not believe he was guilty as charged [...] [t]here are those who are comfortable with their certainty. I am not. I don't know the truth, but I know that if we condemn by instinct, democracy is on a slippery slope."[36]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 47% based on 105 reviews, with an average rating of 5.40/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Its outstanding cast helps elevate a middling screenplay, but A Rainy Day in New York falls well short of Woody Allen's best efforts."[37] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 38 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[38]

Variety's Jessica Kiang wrote "Despite featuring some of the best actors of their respective generations, A Rainy Day in New York feels like a film born of profound creative exhaustion."[39] Matt Thrift of Little White Lies was more positive, calling the film "hardly top-tier Allen" but had "such wonderful performances" from the cast.[40] Lisa Nesselson for Screen Daily praised the "splendid performances" and Vittorio Storaro's brilliant cinematography, and noted that the film is "far more hit than miss".[41] Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter suggested that "A Rainy Day has its moments, most of them thanks to star Timothée Chalamet [...] who does a terrific job channeling your typical Allenian antihero," and "Fanning does her best with such a problematic character", but concluded that the film is merely Allen's watchable rehashed themes.[42] Jade Budowski of Decider panned the movie for its unlikable characters and its "painfully pretentious and on-the-nose" dialogue, before concluding by advising readers to skip the film: "The allegations against Allen alone should be enough reason to avoid A Rainy Day in New York, but even without them, it is a barely watchable affair."[43]

References

  1. ^ a b "Un jour de pluie a New York". Mars Distribution. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  2. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (January 31, 2018). "Netflix, Amazon Look Past Sundance for Their Own Blockbusters". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  3. ^ "A Rainy Day in New York". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  4. ^ Ford, Rebecca (August 8, 2017). "Selena Gomez Joins Elle Fanning in Woody Allen's Next Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  5. ^ Lang, Brent (August 8, 2017). "Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Timothée Chalamet to Star in Woody Allen Film". Variety. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  6. ^ V. Nepales, Ruben (October 22, 2017). "Woody Allen reveals he only gets $35 allowance every 2 weeks (Part 2)". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 6, 2017). "Jude Law Joins Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez in Woody Allen's Next Film (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  8. ^ Kilday, Gregg (September 11, 2017). "Diego Luna, Liev Schreiber Join Woody Allen's New Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
  9. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 6, 2017). "Suki Waterhouse Cast In Woody Allen's Next Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  10. ^ "DGA" (PDF). Directors Guild of America. Retrieved September 11, 2017. (registration required)
  11. ^ "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About A Rainy Day in New York". The Woody Allen Pages. November 5, 2017.
  12. ^ "W deszczowy dzień w Nowym Jorku" (in Polish). Kino Świat. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  13. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (May 5, 2019). "Woody Allen's 'A Rainy Day in New York' to Be Released in Italy (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  14. ^ Marshall, Alex (May 9, 2019). "Amazon Dropped Woody Allen's Latest Film. Europe Has Picked It Up". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
  15. ^ ""A Rainy Day in New York", novo filme de Woody Allen, estreia nos cinemas portugueses". Comunidade Cultura e Art (in Portuguese). May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  16. ^ Meza, Ed (May 8, 2019). "Woody Allen's 'A Rainy Day in New York' Set for Release in Germany". Variety. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  17. ^ Welk, Brian (May 9, 2019). "Woody Allen's 'A Rainy Day in New York' Picked Up in Additional International Territories (Report)". The Wrap. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  18. ^ "Woody Allen's new film has landed a UK release". Film Stories. April 16, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  19. ^ Geier, Thom (September 17, 2020). "Woody Allen's 'A Rainy Day in New York' to Hit US Theaters Next Month". TheWrap. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  20. ^ "Woody Allen's 'A Rainy Day in New York' to Open Deauville American Film Festival in France". TheWrap. August 21, 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  21. ^ Brueggemann, Tom (October 12, 2020). "Woody Allen's 'A Rainy Day in New York' Finally Reaches U.S. Theaters Only to Fizzle Out". IndieWire. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  22. ^ Pulver, Andrew (May 13, 2020). "Woody Allen's A Rainy Day in New York tops global box office". The Guardian. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  23. ^ Maddus, Gene (February 7, 2019). "Woody Allen Files $68 Million Suit Against Amazon for Film Deal Breach". Variety. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  24. ^ Gardner, Eriq (February 7, 2019). "Woody Allen Sues Amazon for Terminating Movie Deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 7, 2019.
  25. ^ Donnelly, Matt (May 20, 2019). "Amazon Studios Has Returned Woody Allen's Movie. Will Any U.S. Distributor Release It? (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  26. ^ Vigdor, Neil (November 9, 2019). "Woody Allen and Amazon Settle Breach of Contract Lawsuit". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 10, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  27. ^ Maddaus, Gene (November 9, 2019). "Woody Allen Settles $68 Million Suit Against Amazon". Variety. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  28. ^ https://www.amazon.com/Rainy-Day-New-York/dp/B08MT15YX7
  29. ^ McHenry, Jackson (October 16, 2017). "The Tick Actor Griffin Newman Regrets Working With Woody Allen, Promises to Donate His Salary From the Film". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  30. ^ Barsanti, Sam (October 15, 2017). "The Tick's Griffin Newman says he regrets working on new Woody Allen movie". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  31. ^ Shanley, Patrick (January 16, 2018). "Timothée Chalamet Donates Salary from Woody Allen Film to Time's Up Fund". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  32. ^ Tracy, Brianne (January 16, 2018). "Selena Gomez Made Significant Donation to Time's Up That 'Far Exceeded' Woody Allen Film Salary". People. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  33. ^ Stefansky, Emma (January 13, 2018). "Rebecca Hall Donated Her Salary from Woody Allen's Next Movie to Time's Up". Vanity Fair. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  34. ^ Schneller, Johnanna (February 8, 2018). "Rebecca Hall's fight for nuance in the #TimesUp era". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  35. ^ Pulver, Andrew (November 20, 2018). "'A terrible shame': Jude Law defends Woody Allen film after Amazon shelves it". The Guardian.
  36. ^ Williams, Zoe (April 16, 2019). "Chimerica's Cherry Jones: 'Everything progressive in America has been trampled on'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  37. ^ "A Rainy Day in New York (2020". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  38. ^ "A Rainy Day in New York Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  39. ^ Kiang, Jessica (August 26, 2019). "Film Review: Woody Allen's 'A Rainy Day In New York'". Variety. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  40. ^ Thrift, Matt (July 29, 2019). "A Rainy Day in New York". Little White Lies. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  41. ^ Nesselson, Lisa (August 27, 2019). "'A Rainy Day in New York': Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  42. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (August 26, 2019). "'A Rainy Day in New York': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  43. ^ Budowski, Jade (November 11, 2020). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Rainy Day In New York' On VOD, A Fittingly Bleak Wrap On Woody Allen's Career". Decider. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
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