Whatever Works (film)
| Whatever Works | |
|---|---|
Promotional film poster
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| Directed by | Woody Allen |
| Produced by |
Letty Aronson Stephen Tenenbaum |
| Written by | Woody Allen |
| Starring |
Ed Begley Jr. Patricia Clarkson Larry David Conleth Hill Michael McKean Evan Rachel Wood |
| Cinematography | Harris Savides |
| Edited by | Alisa Lepselter |
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Production
company |
Gravier Productions
Wild Bunch |
| Distributed by | Sony Pictures Classics |
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Release date
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Running time
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92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million |
| Box office | $35,085,646 |
Whatever Works is a 2009 American comedy film directed and written by Woody Allen, starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson, Ed Begley Jr., Michael McKean, and Henry Cavill.
Boris Yelnikoff (Larry David) is a cynical chess teacher and former Columbia professor in quantum mechanics. Divorced, he avoids human contact except for his friends (Michael McKean, Adam Brooks, Lyle Kanouse) and students, patronising everyone he meets for not matching him intellectually. He spends much of the film washing his hands, all the while singing the "Happy Birthday" song—an attempt to gauge the proper length of time for the process.
Boris comes home one night to find Melody (Evan Rachel Wood), a simpleminded 21-year-old, lying on his doorstep. He reluctantly lets her in for a meal and soon she tells him her story. She turns out to be of a distinctly southern background, having been born to fundamentalist parents in Mississippi and ran away from them. She asks if she can stay the night, which Boris eventually allows, and she stays with him while she looks for a job. Melody develops a crush on Boris despite their age difference and their varying cultures and intelligence.
Melody finds a job as a dog walker while still living with Boris. Out on the job, she meets Perry Singleton (John Gallagher Jr.) and they arrange a date. When she comes back home, she explains to Boris that she ultimately did not like Perry because he loved everything in the world too much. Boris realizes that he loves her and they get married.
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