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ComedyRomance

Mighty Aphrodite

- Of all human weaknesses, obsession is the most dangerous, and the silliest!

When Lenny and his wife, Amanda, adopt a baby, Lenny realizes that his son is a genius and becomes obsessed with finding the boy's biological mother in hopes that she will be brilliant too. But when he learns that Max's mother is Linda Ash, a kindhearted prostitute and porn star, Lenny is determined to reform her immoral lifestyle. A Greek chorus chimes in to relate the plot to Greek mythology in this quirky comedy.

Release Date : 1995-09-13

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : MiramaxJean Doumanian ProductionsSweetland Films

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Woody Allen

Character Name : Lenny

Original Name : Woody Allen

Gender : Male

Mira Sorvino

Character Name : Linda Ash

Original Name : Mira Sorvino

Gender : Female

Helena Bonham Carter

Character Name : Amanda

Original Name : Helena Bonham Carter

Gender : Female

F. Murray Abraham

Character Name : Chorleiter

Original Name : F. Murray Abraham

Gender : Male

Donald Symington

Character Name : Amanda's Father

Original Name : Donald Symington

Gender : Male

Claire Bloom

Character Name : Amanda's Mother

Original Name : Claire Bloom

Gender : Female

Olympia Dukakis

Character Name : Jocasta

Original Name : Olympia Dukakis

Gender : Female

Michael Rapaport

Character Name : Kevin

Original Name : Michael Rapaport

Gender : Male

David Ogden Stiers

Character Name : Laius

Original Name : David Ogden Stiers

Gender : Male

Jack Warden

Character Name : Tiresias

Original Name : Jack Warden

Gender : Male

Peter Weller

Character Name : Jerry Bender

Original Name : Peter Weller

Gender : Male

Danielle Ferland

Character Name : Cassandra

Original Name : Danielle Ferland

Gender : Female

Paul Giamatti

Character Name : Extras Guild Researcher

Original Name : Paul Giamatti

Gender : Male

Tony Sirico

Character Name : Boxing Trainer

Original Name : Tony Sirico

Gender : Male

Pamela Blair

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Pamela Blair

Gender : Female

Rene Ceballos

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Rene Ceballos

Gender : Female

Elie Chaib

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Elie Chaib

Gender : Male

George De La Pena

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : George De La Pena

Gender : Male

Joanne DiMauro

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Joanne DiMauro

Gender : Female

Denise Faye

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Denise Faye

Gender : Female

Marian Filali

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Marian Filali

Gender : Female

Angelo Fraboni

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Angelo Fraboni

Gender : Male

Scott Fowler

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Scott Fowler

Gender : Male

Seth Gertsacov

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Seth Gertsacov

Gender : Male

Patti Karr

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Patti Karr

Gender : Male

Fred Mann III

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Fred Mann III

Gender : Male

John Mineo

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : John Mineo

Gender : Male

Christopher Nelson

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Christopher Nelson

Gender : Male

Sven Toorvald

Character Name : Greek Chorus

Original Name : Sven Toorvald

Gender : Male

J. Smith-Cameron

Character Name : Bud's Wife

Original Name : J. Smith-Cameron

Gender : Female

Steven Randazzo

Character Name : Bud

Original Name : Steven Randazzo

Gender : Male

Jeffrey Kurland

Character Name : Oedipus

Original Name : Jeffrey Kurland

Gender : Male

Tucker Robin

Character Name : Infant Max

Original Name : Tucker Robin

Gender : Male

Nolan Tuffy

Character Name : Two-Year-Old Max

Original Name : Nolan Tuffy

Gender : Male

Jimmy McQuaid

Character Name : Max

Original Name : Jimmy McQuaid

Gender : Male

Yvette Hawkins

Character Name : School Principal

Original Name : Yvette Hawkins

Gender : Male

Karin Haidorfer

Character Name : Park Avenue Couple

Original Name : Karin Haidorfer

Gender : Male

Gary Alper

Character Name : Park Avenue Couple

Original Name : Gary Alper

Gender : Male

Rosemary Murphy

Character Name : Adoption Coordinator

Original Name : Rosemary Murphy

Gender : Female

Peter McRobbie

Character Name : Linda's Ex-Landlord

Original Name : Peter McRobbie

Gender : Male

Kathleen Doyle

Character Name : Ex-Landlord's Wife

Original Name : Kathleen Doyle

Gender : Female

Jennifer Greenhut

Character Name : Lenny's Secretary

Original Name : Jennifer Greenhut

Gender : Female

Sondra James

Character Name : Operator / Chorus

Original Name : Sondra James

Gender : Female

William Addy

Character Name : Superintendent

Original Name : William Addy

Gender : Male

Kenneth Edelson

Character Name : Ken

Original Name : Kenneth Edelson

Gender : Male

Dan Mullane

Character Name : Messenger

Original Name : Dan Mullane

Gender : Male

Thomas Durkin

Character Name : Race Announcer

Original Name : Thomas Durkin

Gender : Male

Dan Moran

Character Name : Ricky, the Pimp

Original Name : Dan Moran

Gender : Male

Paul Herman

Character Name : Ricky's Friend

Original Name : Paul Herman

Gender : Male

Tony Darrow

Character Name : Boxing Trainer

Original Name : Tony Darrow

Gender : Male

Ray Garvey

Character Name : Boxing Trainer

Original Name : Ray Garvey

Gender : Male

Kent Blocher

Character Name : Zeus (voice)

Original Name : Kent Blocher

Gender : Male

Joseph P. Coleman

Character Name : Porno Film Star

Original Name : Joseph P. Coleman

Gender : Male

Georgette Pasare

Character Name : Porno Film Star

Original Name : Georgette Pasare

Gender : Male

Al Cerullo

Character Name : Helicopter Pilot

Original Name : Al Cerullo

Gender : Male

Bray Poor

Character Name : On-camera Helicopter Pilot

Original Name : Bray Poor

Gender : Male

David H. Kramer

Character Name : Chorus (voice)

Original Name : David H. Kramer

Gender : Male

Dann Fink

Character Name : Chorus (voice)

Original Name : Dann Fink

Gender : Male

Karen Longwell

Character Name : Chorus (voice)

Original Name : Karen Longwell

Gender : Male

Dominic Marcus

Character Name : Chorus (voice)

Original Name : Dominic Marcus

Gender : Male

Craig Sechler

Character Name : Chorus (voice)

Original Name : Craig Sechler

Gender : Male

Bill Timoney

Character Name : Chorus (voice)

Original Name : Bill Timoney

Gender : Male

Lisa Vidal

Character Name : Chorus (voice)

Original Name : Lisa Vidal

Gender : Female

Bruce Winant

Character Name : Chorus (voice)

Original Name : Bruce Winant

Gender : Male

Reviews

W

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2023-06-08

**_An older man befriends a kindhearted prostitute_** A Manhattan scriptwriter (Woody Allen) meets the young mother of his adopted boy, a hooker (Mira Sorvino), and tries to help her situation. Meanwhile, his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) is caught up in her ambitious work as a curator of art galleries, not to mention the serious flirting of a colleague (Peter Weller). A Greek chorus occasionally chimes in (F. Murray Abraham, etc.), linking the story to that of Oedipus. “Mighty Aphrodite” (1995) is a quirky comedy set in Manhattan, which is unsurprising with Woody at the helm. The heart of the plot, described in my title blurb above, is reminiscent of “Hardcore” (1979) minus the gravity. Both Helena and Mira were in their prime and look great in totally opposite ways. The flick is amusing, touching and ironic. I enjoyed the audacious Greek chorus element, something few filmmakers could pull off, but Woody does so effortlessly. The movie runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Manhattan with the Greek chorus scenes done at Teatro Greco on Sicily, Italy. GRADE: B

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-11-28

To minimise the inconvenience to their daily lives, a married couple adopt a baby from birth, but by the time he is five the fizz has rather gone out of their marriage. He's a sports journalist and is a bit bored with her (Helena Bonham Carter) more "arty" friends whom she knows from her all-consuming work in her gallery. When their adopted son "Max" starts to show signs that ne might just be some sort of a prodigy, dad "Lenny" (Woody Allen) decides that he wants to try to track down the birth mother. Imagine his disappointment when he discovers that it's "Linda" (Mira Sorvino). She's an expensive hooker with hopeless aspirations to get on the stage and as thick as two short planks into the bargain. He decides that maybe he can help her out of her wicked ways, so tries to set her up with one of his pals so she can better conform to his own expectations of the parent of this boy genius. All the while, "Lenny" (and the audience) is being informed and guided by an ensemble of artistes from an ancient greek chorus who offer him sagely words of wisdom and prophecy which he invariably chooses to disregard - and so what ensues can at times resemble a work that might just have made Aeschylus proud. Allen always just seems the same to me, and here is no different, but Sorvino really does deliver the goods as the well-meaning woman who has an honesty streak a mile wide. Of course, there's the obligatory age gap between the two, and between him and his wife (she's thirty years his junior) which again serves to fuel the frustrations of a man who seems determined never to be satisfied - but hey, isn't that true of most Woody Allen films. There is some wit from the observational script but it's really all down to the comically potent artistes delivering their warnings of woe and joy and to a superbly engaging Sorvino to make this work. They do.