Has the picture started yet?

SCENE FROM MANHATTAN

This sums up me going to the cinema:

Alvy singer and Annie Hall meet

outside a cinema in Manhattan.

They move into the ticket line, 

still talking.  A billboard next to 

them reads "INGMAR BERGMAN'S 'FACE 

TO FACE’ LIV ULLMAN ")

ALVY

(To the ticket clerk)

H'm, has the picture started yet?

TICKET CLERK

It started two minutes ago.

ALVY

(Hitting his hand on the counter)

That's it!  Forget it!  I-I can't go in.

ANNIE

Two minutes, Alvy.

ALVY

(Overlapping Annie)

No, I'm sorry, I can't do it.  We-we've

blown it already. I-you know, uh, I-I

can't go in in the middle.

ANNIE

In the middle?

(Alvy nods his head yes and let's

out an exasperated sigh)

We'll only miss the titles.  They're in

Swedish.

ALVY

You wanna get coffee for two hours or

something?  We'll go next-

ANNIE

Two hours?  No, u-uh, I'm going in. 

I'm going in.

She moves past the ticket clerk.

ALVY

(Waving to Annie)

Go ahead.  Good-bye.

Annie moves back to Alvy and takes his arm.

ANNIE

Look, while we're talking we could be

inside, you know that?

ALVY

(Watching people with tickets move

past them)

Hey, can we not stand here and argue in

front of everybody, 'cause I get embarrassed.

ANNIE

Alright.  All right, all right, so whatta

you wanna do?

ALVY

I don't know now.  You-you wanna go to

another movie?

(Annie nods her head and shrugs

her shoulders disgustedly as Alvy,

gesturing with his band, looks at

her)

So let's go see The Sorrow and the Pity.

ANNIE

Oh, come on, we've seen it.  I'm not in

the mood to see a four-hour documentary

on Nazis.

ALVY

Well, I'm sorry, I-I can't ... I-I-I've

gotta see a picture exactly from the start

to the finish, 'cause-'cause I'm anal.

ANNIE

(Laughing now)

H'h, that's a polite word for what you are.

©Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman 1977