CROSSING DELANCEY
US, 1988, 97 minutes, Colour.
Amy Irving, Peter Reigert, Jeroen Krabbe, Sylvia Miles, Kathleen Wilhoite, David Hyde Pierce, Rosemary Harris.
Directed by Joan Micklin Silver.
Crossing Delancey is an attractive romantic comedy, set in New York. Commentators have noted a resemblance with Moonstruck. This might be called a Jewish Moonstruck.
Amy Irving is very attractive as Izzy, in her thirties, unmarried, interested in her career, with a grandmother very much concerned about her getting married. She is attracted by the literary world of New York, especially a novelist played by Jeroen Krabbe. However, an extraordinary matchmaker, played with vigour by Sylvia Miles, helps the grandmother to arrange the wedding. The choice is a pickle producer, played attractively by Peter Reigert.
There are the predicted complications but all attractively done. Of particular interest is the grandmother, played by Jewish New York actress,
The film was the work of Joan Micklin Silver, director of Hester Street and Head Over Heels.
1. Enjoyable and attractive comedy romance? An old-fashioned film of the '80s?
2. The world of New York, bookshops, fashionable New York, across Delancey Street in the old Jewish section, homes and streets? The musical score, the humour of the songs and the lyrics for particular sequences, the Prokofiev music?
3. The title, familiarity with New York, its various worlds and styles? Influence, heritage? Change?
4. The portrait of Izzy? Amy Irving - presence, age, experience, hopes, career, relationships, girlfriends? At work, the interest in Anton, the party and her serving, his reaction? His attention to her? Organising the readings? Her shyness, phoning and the invitation to dinner, mistaken? Her going to eat with him? Her relationship with the friend who would call in and stay the night? The different world of her grandmother, the affectionate name, her feeding her, home? The arrival of the matchmaker and her vigorous talk? Izzy's reaction? The arrangement, Sam's arrival, the meeting and its awkwardness, her anger, her apologies to Sam? Her birthday and the gift? Going to his store? Watching him play? Going to the dinner and setting him up with her friend? Her growing attraction towards him? Meeting him again, the change, his courting her? The build-up in the relationship, inviting him to meet Anton and her world? Anton and his secretary, using Izzy, going to his apartment, being late, her hopes, the apologies? Her grandmother setting up the scene? Her future? Izzy as a New York woman, her thirties, hopes and meaning in life?
5. The Jewish grandmother, her style, talk, wisdom, home, love? Izzy's visits and their easy relationship? The matchmaker and her meals? Setting up Sam? The grandmother's friends, the arrangement? The humour of the finale in getting Sam to clean the windows, in having him over, her pretending to lose her memory?
6. The matchmaker and the traditions, loud, story of her husband, eating, methods?
7. Sam as a nice man, the pickle factory, the arrangement, his being hurt, the birthday gift, at the store, playing sport, his reaction to Izzy? Her party and his leaving? The meal and the friend and the pick up, his seeing through it? His going to clean the windows and being caught by Izzy? His waiting for her, her being late, his telling her the story about his always loving her?
8. Anton as the fashionable author, style, behaviour at the party, treatment of Izzy, relationships, women, the restaurant, the reading session, Izzy having to cut him off, taking Izzy home, seducing her with the novel manuscript?
9. The bookshop, the boss and his treatment of Izzy, the staff and their socials, friendship with her?
10. Her own school friends, talk, sharing? Izzy fixing up Sam with her friend? The elaborate preparations, the meal itself, the change?
11. Pleasing Jewish comedy, humour? Romantic comedy? Light exploration of themes of love?
