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  Average Rating for September [1987] - 4 out of 5

  
  (based on 1 user reviews)
• September [1987]

  Edward Howard 16 October 2007

  

  Woody Allen's second attempt at a straightforward dramatic work after Interiors is far more successful than the first one. September is filmed entirely in a country house, which Woody floods with the rich amber glow of autumnal light streaming through its lightly curtained windows. This bright, warm atmosphere plays against the often dark emotions and bitterness of the film's characters, who are desperately looking for love or some other comfort from the confusion of their lives. This is a drama of misplaced love, as the suicidal Lane (Mia Farrow) pines for Peter (Sam Waterston), who desires the sweet, sensitive Steffie (Diane Wiest), who is married but guiltily returns his feelings. Lurking outside this central triangle is Howard (Denholm Elliott), the elderly neighbor who hopelessly and quietly loves Lane, and Lane's selfish celebrity mother (Elaine Stritch), whose loud visit opens up old wounds and sets off the film's explosive climax. This is Woody's drama at its best, because he has a clear affection for these miserable characters and their stumbling efforts at making sense of it all. The film is somber, to say the least, and there's only the barest sparkle of hope amidst the anguish, but it's still a compelling viewing experience. Especially worthy of note is the lengthy, gorgeous sequence when the house's lights go out during a storm, and the candlelit atmosphere and hushed conversations take on a hypnotizing, charming aura. Dianne Wiest murmuring and smiling by candle light is worth the price of admission alone.

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Mia Farrow, Sam Waterston and Elaine Stritch star in this drama written and directed by Woody Allen. The film follows Lane (Farrow), who is staying at her childhood home in Vermont as she recovers from a nervous breakdown. She has been having an affair with Peter (Waterston), a writer who lives nearby, but now relations between them seem to have inexplicably cooled. When Lane's mother Diane (Stritch) arrives with unexpected news, and the fate of her relationship with Peter becomes clear, Lane's emotional world is thrown into turmoil once again.