Another Woman

Directed by Woody Allen

Released in 1988

Woody Allen hits us with another of his serious films in "Another Woman", an intelligent drama told in a series of parallel ironies.

Set in Manhattan, of course, "Another Woman" takes us on a journey of self-discovery as Marion (Gene Rowlands) assesses her life upon turning fifty. Marion is a successful writer/former philosphy professor in the midst of writing another book. The small downtown apartment she has taken as a quiet space turns out to have noises all its' own. Marion finds she can hear the ironically telling confessions of the patients in the adjacent psychiatrist's office, and involves herself in the drama she "overhears."

Through various theatrical twists, Marion's inner workings are revealed. We revisit the low points of her life that she seems so drawn to dwell upon, as she is reminded of her past conflicts and present weaknesses. And we learn the story behind the title: This movie is full of "other women."

Marion was the other woman in her husband Ken's (Ian Holm) life, when their affair broke up his first marriage to Kathy (Betty Buckley). It is also through another woman, a very pregnant Mia Farrow as the suicidal patient Marion latches onto, that Marion is able to realize the broken aspects of herself. Then, in conversation with almost-paramour Larry (Gene Hackman), she is told she is two people. And, in true extramarital justice, Marion loses her husband to another woman, this time their best friend Lydia (Blythe Danner).

This is more a film of truth than action, and by the film's end, we have seen enough beige clothing, cloudy days, and heard enough formulaically placed ten-letter words to see the design. And we have no choice but to agree with Marion that her life is bleak and dull.... and we feel for her. Maybe if she bought a red scarf.....

Betty Buckley masters the abbreviated role of Kathy. We first hear about Ken's first wife and daughter Laura (Martha Plimpton) when Marion and Ken take a phone call at a party. Laura has had a fight with Kathy and wants to spend the night with Dad and Marion. In one of the film's ironic moments, Marion says of the woman whose marriage she busted up, that allowing Laura to escape her mother is "not fair to Kathy". Marion speaks to Laura advising the young girl to cope: "You know your mother is high-strung. She's just going to get frantic..." (Ironic in another respect...Betty DID get "Frantic"....and got to co-star with Harrison Ford! Did Woody know?)

We get to meet Kathy in a flashback to Marion and Ken's engagement party, when Kathy drops by to leave the last box of Ken's personal belongings. She walks into a house full of old friends basically celebrating her loss, and she confronts them honestly in a brief but powerful scene. Before departing, Kathy asks which of the guests is Ken's intended. Marion, just back in the room having extricated herself from the clutches of Larry, boldy stakes her claim. Ken warns Kathy that what she is doing is in terrible taste and Kathy responds to this sarcastically saying that her "ex-husband is an authority on taste." We learn that Ken chose to commit adultery while his wife was in the hospital having a hysterectomy. Ken seizes Kathy by the arm and leads her out the door. I wanted to follow her and Ken outside to see the rest of the scene since Kathy was one of the more colorful roles in the film. I hated to see her exit.