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Radio Days
1987 89 min United States of America PG 6+
★7.9
Comedy, Drama
Director: Woody Allen
Trailers
Description
The Narrator tells us how the radio influenced his childhood in the days before TV. In the New York City of the late 1930s to the New Year's Eve 1944, this coming-of-age tale mixes the narrator's experiences with contemporary anecdotes and urban legends of the radio stars.
Budget:
$16M
US Gross:
$14.79M
Worldwide:
$14.79M
Starring
Mia Farrow
Actor
Dianne Wiest
Actor
Mike Starr
Actor
Awards
BAFTA 1988
— Best Costume Design
BAFTA 1988
— Best Production Design
BAFTA 1988
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1988
— Best Screenplay
Academy Awards 1988
— Best Production Design
BAFTA 1988
— Best Original Screenplay
BAFTA 1988
— Best Production Design
BAFTA 1988
— Best Picture
BAFTA 1988
— Best Supporting Actress
Key opinion
Radio Days is widely considered one of Woody Allen's most charming and accomplished works, serving as a nostalgic, episodic homage to his childhood in 1930s-40s New York. By blending a witty, fragmented narrative with a meticulously curated period aesthetic, the film captures the communal power of radio to both unify families and provide a gateway to escapist fantasy.
| Acting | The ensemble cast delivers nuanced, quirky performances that anchor the episodic narrative with warmth and humanity. | |
| Production | The production design and period-accurate visuals create a lush, authentic, and evocative reconstruction of the 1930s and 40s. | |
| Score | The soundtrack skillfully uses era-appropriate music to establish atmosphere and connect the audience to the historical setting. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay effectively balances lighthearted irony with poignant reflections on memory and the transience of life. | |
| Pacing | The fragmented, memory-driven structure is seen by some as a masterful, Fellini-esque flow, while others initially find the disjointed approach shallow or disconnected. |