Attempting to impress his ideologies on religion, relationships, and the randomness (and worthlessness) of existence, lifelong New York resident Boris Yellnikoff rants to anyone who will listen, including the audience. But when he begrudgingly allows naive Mississippi runaway Melodie St. Ann Celestine to live in his apartment, his reclusive rages give way to an unlikely friendship and Boris begins to mold the impressionable young girl’s worldly views to match his own. When it comes to love, “whatever works” is his motto, but his already perplexed life complicates itself further when Melodie’s parents eventually track her down.
Whatever Works is a film written and directed by the prolific film maker Woody Allen. This film stars Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Kristen Johnston, Larry David, Ed Begley, Jr., Michael McKean, and Henry Cavill. Wood plays the naïve young wife of Larry David’s Ebenezer Scrooge-like character.
The film is a dark comedy starring Larry David as an eccentric man from Greenwich Village who gets caught up in a series of love stories which get him in tangled up with a young girl from the south (Evan Rachel Wood) and her parents. The movie was filmed in New York City, marking Allen’s return to that city after a four-film sojourn to Europe. “It’s very classic Woody Allen but it’s still different than anything he’s done,” revealed Evan Rachel Wood in a December 2008 interview.
About the Story
Boris Yelnikoff (Larry David) is a misanthropic chess teacher and former Columbia professor. Divorced, he eschews human contact except for his friends (Michael McKean, Adam Brooks, Lyle Kanouse) and students, criticizing everyone he meets for not matching him intellectually.
Boris comes home one night to find Melodie (Evan Rachel Wood), a simpleminded 21-year-old, lying on his doorstep. He reluctantly lets her in for a meal and soon she tells him her story. She turns out to be of a distinctly southern background, having been born to fundamentalist parents in Mississippi and ran away from them. She asks if she can stay the night, which Boris eventually allows, and she stays with him while she’s looking for a job. Melodie develops a crush on Boris despite their age difference and their varying cultures and intelligence.
Melodie finds a job as a dog walker while still living with Boris. Out on the job, she meets Perry (John Gallagher, Jr.) and they arrange a date. When she comes back home, she explains to Boris that she didn’t like Perry because he loved everything in the world too much. Boris realizes that he loves her and they get married.
After a year passes, her mother Marietta (Patricia Clarkson) finds Melodie, explaining that she and her husband John (Ed Begley, Jr.) thought Melodie had been kidnapped. She goes on to tell her that John left her and sold their house after John lost money in the stock market. She meets Boris and is disappointed with him, so she tries to convince Melodie to end her marriage.
The three go for lunch at a restaurant and meet Boris’ friend, Leo (Conleth Hill). As Marietta goes to use the restroom, Randy James (Henry Cavill) inquires about Melodie. Marietta slyly decides to recruit him to end Melodie’s marriage. Later that evening, Leo, who had taken an interest in Marietta, asks her over for dinner. They spend the evening together, and they both discover that she is a wonderful photographer and he even makes plans to contract her professionally.
Whatever Works (2009)
Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Ed Begley Jr, Patricia Clarkson, Evan Rachel Wood, Henry Cavill, Kristen Johnston, Michael McKean, Yolonda Ross, Carolyn McCormick, Samantha Bee, Willa Cuthrell, Nicole Patrick
Screenplay by: Woody Allen
Production Design by: Santo Loquasto
Cinematography by; Harris Savides
Film Editing by: Alisa Lepselter
Costume Design by: Suzy Benzinger
Set Decoration by: Ellen Christiansen
Art Direction by: Tom Warren
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual situations including dialogue, brief nude images and thematic material.
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: June 19, 2009
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