I've always found it odd that this film is considered such a classic. Why didn't anyone find the story about a 42-year-old man dating a 17-year-old girl creepy back then? I know 1979 was a long time ago but it certainly wasn't the dark ages either. 17 isn't even the age of consent in some states.
http://www.agcwebpages.com/BLINDITEMS/2017/NOVEMBER.html
296. ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER 11/28 **#13**
The Second Movie Ruined My Life: Even when this actress opens up about her past and tells you things that make you feel like you are getting it all, she will add a little nugget that makes the story even more incredible. She is from celebrity royalty. Everyone knows the last name and no, it is not Barrymore, but you are headed in the right direction. Everyone knows a little something about her drug and alcohol problems. They don't know it all. They assume it is a family thing, genetic perhaps. They wouldn't be wrong, but she says there were some moments in her youth and the youth of family members that contributed to all the death and destruction that has surrounded her life. This is one of those moments. She was still in her mid teens when she began working in movies. It's funny, but everyone assumes her first movie would have given her the most nightmares. She says that movie was fine. It was the second that still gives her nightmares. Even though she was in her mid teens, she had been having sex for a few years. For the most part, the men she was having sex with were in their 20's and 30's. Looking back, she realizes how messed up that sounds, but an older family member she looked up to had been doing the same thing, so our actress assumed it was OK. On her second movie, she says she was alone with an actor when he violently raped her. He had been groping and pawing her for about a week and one day he dragged her to an empty set and raped her. He then told her to never tell anyone about it. Every day for the next two weeks of filming, if he managed to see her alone, he would take her somewhere and rape her. She actually did tell that close family member. That close family member said if our actress told anyone that even if they believed her, nothing would happen to the actor and that our actress would never get anymore work. So, our actress turned to drink
https://goo.gl/HRwKzZ
Actress: Mariel Hemingway
Celebrity royalty: paternal grandparents were Hadley Richardson (1891–1979) and Nobel Prize–laureate novelist Ernest Hemingway
Death and destruction: Grandfather Ernest Hemingway shot himself with his favorite shotgun; sister Margaux Hemingway died from an overdose of phenobarbital; In 2013, her younger sister Mariel revealed in the documentary "Running from Crazy" that both Margaux and their older sister Muffet had been sexually abused by their father
First movie: "Lipstick"
Second movie: "Manhattan"
Older family member: sister Margaux Hemingway (dated Robert Evans 14 years older; Warren Beatty 17 years older; Errol Weston 14 years older; Bernard Faucher
Actor: Woody Allen
Louis C.K. thinks it's cool in 2017.
shareI love this movie, it's one of my favorites, but you do have a point.
shareWaaaah! Fiction is weird!
shareIt was a different time in history. People didn't care as much about May/December relationships.. It was controversial back then but not seen as "dastardly" like it is today. The fact is, the 70s was a more liberal time than what we live in today.
Anyhow, I think this is WA's best film. I mean, when it comes to him acting all neurotic, this film seems to fit that type of character really well. I don't think it fits as well in some of his other films but in this one, it's perfect. Despite the controversial content, I'd give it an 8.7 out of 10. I think Manhattan is a really good movie...