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
