Hannah and Her Sisters

1986 Directed by Woody Allen

Between two Thanksgivings, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.

Woody Allen Michael Caine Mia Farrow Carrie Fisher Barbara Hershey Lloyd Nolan Maureen O'Sullivan Daniel Stern Max von Sydow Dianne Wiest Lewis Black Christian Clemenson Joanna Gleason Richard Jenkins Julie Kavner Julia Louis-Dreyfus Rusty Magee Fred Melamed Leo Postrel Tony Roberts Bobby Short John Turturro J.T. Walsh Sam Waterston Rob Scott

Alternative Titles

Hannah och hennes systrar, Hannah e le sue sorelle, Hannah og hendes søstre, Hannah e suas Irmãs, Hannah et ses soeurs, Hanna y sus hermanas

drama comedy

107 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Mike D'Angelo ★★★★ 1

76/100
Here's what's weird: I can now see in this old favorite the seeds of everything I dislike about his recent films. Much of the dialogue is clunkily expository and/or tin-eared; supporting characters (e.g. Daniel Stern's gauche rock star) often function as straw-man caricatures; source music is used as a cudgel. Yet it's mostly glorious, and I spent the whole damn movie trying in vain to pinpoint the difference. In the end, I think Tarantino may be right, at least in this case and some others: Woody's just old now, and his work has become correspondingly creaky, with its highs diminished and its flaws hugely magnified. In any case, he was unmistakably at the top of his game here—though he's…
Review by Sam Meltzer🏳️‍🌈 ★★★★ 13

I love New York. I love living in New York, I love the style of the city, the distinct feel of each season, the buildings, the streets, everything. But one thing I love more than New York is amazing character development in movies, and Hannah and Her Sisters has that and New York. All the acting is terrific. Woody Allen, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine, Mia Farrow and Barbra Hershey give excellent performances. The movie has brilliant writing and the script is so hilarious and believable. The comedic timing of all of these characters is great. I just love it so much, it’s amazing and I didn’t think I’d love it this much.
Woody Allen rank
Review by Richard Chandler ★★★★★ 16

"I had a great time tonight; it was like the Nuremberg trials."
While not as groundbreaking as the paradigm-shattering Annie Hall or as gleefully imaginative as the likes of Zelig and The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters is arguably Woody Allen's most graceful film and is certainly the most buoyant of his major works. The multigenerational family saga yielded a trio of little gold men (for Caine, Wiest and Allen's script) and proved one of Allen's biggest box-office scores.
Hannah (Mia Farrow) gets pride of place within the film's title, but it is nonetheless an ensemble piece through and through, with two primary narratives and five principals amid a host of ancillary characters. Acclaimed stage actor Hannah…
Review by davidehrlich ★★★★ 1

"how the hell should I know why there were nazis? I don't even know how the can opener works."
first off, i have to confess that i have an aversion to dianne wiest, and that plays a factor. but negated by Michael Caine? i think so.
one of Woody Allen's most profound and textured films, but so overbearing it's hard for me to stomach in one fell swoop. like a Chekhov play (though Ibsen is the playwright name-checked) that's ellipsed into tatters. it's so successful in conveying Allen's neuroses that it becomes an extremely anxious experience, which clashes with the overriding amiability.
Review by kyle97 ★★★★★ 2

What can I say about Hannah and Her Sisters? I think this is my second favorite Woody Allen film after Annie Hall!
The movie is a feast of witty, hilarious dialogue (as you would expect from Woody Allen) and vivid characters that hooked me right off the bat. Allen makes an engaging story out of ordinary people and strikes a nice balance between drama and comedy. And once again, he effortless pulls me into his romanticized version of New York City to tell a story about four sisters and four men whose lives are intertwined through love and secrets.
Allen deals with a lot of characters and subplots in the movie, but he weaves each narrative thread together in a…
Review by Caty Alexandre ★★★★★ 14

Woody Allen really is a fantastic writer and director, we all know that. He is always able to create amazing characters, fantastic dialogues, simple stories with situations that could happen and real life and none of his stories ever felt forced. All feel real and actually very believable. Hannah and Her Sisters is no exception.
An amazing comedy/drama script, that tell us the stories of multiple characters all connected because of three sisters Hannah, Lee and Holly. Family interations, romances, dramatic discoveries or even hilarious moments it's what you are going to find throughout the story.
All of the performances are absolutely fantastic, everyone is able to play their parts in the perfect way possible. Dianne Wiest, Woody Allen himself…
Review by Paul Elliott ★★★★½ 2

Woody Allen exhibits a great deal of restraint in the writing of the characters which populate the intertwined narratives within this comedy-drama, and which, thanks to the strength of Carlo Di Palma’s gorgeous cinematography, furthermore satisfies as his customary declaration of affection to the city of New York.
It sports a marvellous cast that includes Mia Farrow as Hannah and Michael Caine as her husband Elliot, as well as a supporting role for Allen as her vastly amusing hypochondriac ex-husband Mickey. The interweaving experiences shouldered by Hannah and her two sisters over a two year narrative period have loosened and subtle mannerisms which evolve into an accomplished combination of reflection and straightforward comedy.
Even though the complications which materialise for…
Review by Neil Bahadur ★★ 1

So disappointing - this used to be my favorite of Allen's films as a teenager. Soon-yi being on screen during Caine's monologue about wanting to "touch her and caress her," followed by Allen's appearence making a child molestation joke is disgusting. Allen's alternate title must have been "Mia and her Daughters." What a fucked up, sociopathic film.
Review by Monday Seagull 2

Do you go to snooty dinner parties where there’s pretentious hors d'oeuvres and intellectual discourse? Does the subject of cinema come up? Do you secretly hope someone will talk about Hannah and Her Sisters; allowing you to appear literate by casually dropping the adjective Chekhovian?

No? Me neither.
Just a few more questions: Is Hannah and Her Sisters where you first discovered somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond by e.e. cummings? Did you used to quote it in letters to your wife? Did you have it read at your wedding?
Yes? Me too!!
Review by Enfant du Siècle ★★★★★ 2

Hannah and Her Sisters remains one the finest in Allen's filmography and a personal favourite of mine. The film takes us into the lives of a series of complex and imperfect characters, revealing their yearnings, fears and failures. In the end, they are all people in search of themselves, of answers that sometimes nobody has, people who live day by day, suffer and rejoice, who need to love and be loved. I believe that this work perfectly synthesizes the favorite themes of the director. On one hand, everything around personal relationships such as love, infidelity and communication; on the other hand, the constant reflections on death, spirituality and the meaning of life that cause so much anxiety and uncertainty. An intelligent and endearing piece, with touches of romance and nostalgia, it has the superb work of an incomparable cast, and the perfect balance between drama and comedy that portrays with singular precision the tribulations of everyday life.
Review by Colin the dude ★★★★★ 4

On some days, this is my favorite Woody film, edging out Annie Hall just slightly and the tipping point has to be Michael Caine. He transforms himself into the antithesis of Jack Carter. The Woody dialogue rolls off his tongue so naturally, it's a shame they never worked together again. Every little mannerism and insecurity goes noticed, but it's never pompous or showy. He's playing a man in midlife crisis with secrets and desires that he cannot express clearly and he is a fully fleshed character.
The whole cast is on fire. All their interactions and inner monologues are lived in and their midlife woes and sorrows feel instinctive and driven and they all have arcs that leave them somewhere…
Review by Cadinho93 ★★★★★

"If Jesus came back and saw what's going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."
Hannah and Her Sisters is one of Woody Allen's best films. The web of relationships in Hannah and Her Sisters are complex. Woody Allen deals with infertility, infidelity, insecurity, throw fear of dying, lying and keeping secrets from your family. Woody Allen's approach for God "in a Godless universe" strikes a familiar chord with the viewer. His philosophical humor penetrates even the most disillusioned heart and provides food for thought that things somehow work out for the best in the long run. Overall, it's a beautiful film.

Recent reviews

Review by WL Thomson

Seen at UCLA James Bridges Theatre in Westwood, CA.
Review by Yam 1

מרגש ועצוב, מורכב ומעניין
Review by Sheldrake ★★★½

40 Movies to Watch - List #10
Movie #25
Very much a character piece, and I'm not in love with those characters just yet. Feels like you kind of need to, but maybe that's something that naturally happens over multiple watches. At least the movie was quite funny throughout, however it does take some time. Allen's third best film I've seen so far.
Review by maxwolfson ★★★★★

pretty great
Review by Xtwelve ★★★★★

Woody, you've ruined my ability to be charmed by a film for anyone else.
Review by Pedro Pinto de Azevedo ★★★★½

um dos melhores filmes do woody (se não o melhor). O seu personagem é uma versão caricata de mim mesmo. Extremamente engraçada a jornada hipocondríaca dele.. com certeza o ponto alto do filme.
Quanto às irmãs, gostei bastante de Holly e Lee.
O roteiro é bastante inteligente e a ironia é contagiante. A direção e a edição são bem leves e envolventes.
Review by TheAlterEgo ★★★★★

Manhattan - New York, USA.
Brooklyn - New York, USA.
10/10
Review by juan manuel sánchez acosta ★★★★★

a cold brewski and the misadventures of ol holly and lee and hannah...top saturday evening
Review by Ruth

i kept telling myself that the isolated artist looked very similar with max von sydow, and i’m not wrong. gonna give this a proper review anytime soon because i’m still not sure what did i just watch.
Review by danielle ½

i wish i could give you 0 stars so terribly badly
Review by paulakkari ★★★★½

neurosis
Review by Jay

I'm not yet sure what I think of this movie but I definitely watched it.