Don't Drink the Water

Starring:Erick Avari, Mayim Bialik, Dom DeLuise, John Doumanian, Michael J. Fox, Ed Herlihy, Edward Herrmann, Vit Horejs, Julie Kavner, Stas Kmiec, Brian McConnachie, Rosemary Murphy, Austin Pendleton, Skip Rose, Josef Sommer, Robert Stanton (II), SÃ¡ndor TÃ©csy, Leonid Uscher, Ed Van Nuys
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Fans of Woody Allen's earlier, more purely comic movies will enjoy Don't Drink the Water, a film of his successful stage play about a hapless diplomat during the cold war. Michael J. Fox plays Axel McGee, the son of an ambassador to an unnamed Communist country. Though forced by family pressure to enter diplomacy, McGee has no talent for it whatsoever and has been kicked out of cities, countries, and even entire continents. When his father goes back to Washington to seek a higher position, he reluctantly leaves Axel in charge. For a few days, all goes well. But then the Hollanders arrive (Julie Kavner, Mayim Bialik, and Allen himself), a Jewish family from New Jersey who accidentally took pictures of a sensitive intersection. Accused of being spies, they seek asylum at the embassy--and immediately send everything out of whack by insulting the chef, tying up the phones with long distance calls, and almost starting an international incident by squabbling with a Middle Eastern emir. Eccentric characters abound, including a priest who's been in asylum at the embassy for so long he's taken up magic tricks to pass the time (Dom DeLuise) and a snooty bureaucrat who thinks McGee is an idiot (Edward Herrmann). It was funnier when the cold war was still going on, but it's still an entertaining farce, directed by Allen. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Ever-popular Michael J. Fox (MARS ATTACKS!, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT) and Woody Allen (SMALL TIME CROOKS, DECONSTRUCTING HARRY) star in this hilarious comedy where an outrageous mix-up labels an unsuspecting family of American tourists as a notorious ring of spies! The Hollanders are enjoying their trip behind the Iron Curtain until Walter (Allen) innocently snaps a picture of the sunset ... over a politically sensitive area! Before he knows it, his family is the focus of a major international espionage incident! Forced to seek refuge at the American Embassy -- it's up to the Ambassador's diplomatically inept son (Fox) to keep the Hollanders from landing behind bars! With Mayim Bialik (BEACHES, TV's BLOSSOM), Dom DeLuise (ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS) and Julie Kavner (DECONSTRUCTING HARRY, TV's THE SIMPSONS) in a great cast of familiar faces -- you'll laugh along with the hapless Hollanders as they find out just how hard it is to get around the Iron Curtain!

Customer Reviews:

DON'T DRINK THE WATER WOODY ALLEN!!.......2007-01-05

One of the best movies ever made by Woody. A rare look at the complexities of the former Communist world through the antics in the US Embassy of an invented country of Vulgaria. Like a great old cartoon, with wonderful characters, especially the leader of the local KGB, played by Vit Horejs! He is hilarious, as is Woody's wife portrayed by the incomparable Julie Kavner. Michael J. Fox stars as bumbling son of the out of office Ambassador. Great comedians all. With documentary film style camera work. Great!!

Woody's Worst?.......2006-06-27

My wife and I are great Woody Allen fans. While we have most of his movies, this is one we missed. Based on the high Amazon ratings, we ordered it. What a dog of a movie! Michael J. Fox, Dom DeLuise and the girl playing Woody's daughter stink. Their combined horrible acting brings down the movie. Casting Fox in this role is beyond comprehension! His "acting" was pathedtic. He couldn't stand still for even a few seconds in a scene. Woody should have burned all copies since this leaves a bad taste for his other great films. Save your money on this one. Clearly it is Woody's Worst! I never trust those five star ratings again.

Stagey Gem.......2006-02-26

This one is a must for fans and will certainly earn Woody more of the same. I like it because it was very stagey, no surprise for a filmed play. Woody has made some brilliant films and this isn't one of them, but its fun, energetic and we see him in classic Jewish Kay/Hope/Marx/Lewis/Allen mode. Great fun. And dont forget the marvellous Julie Hagerty, voice of Marge Simpson, but even so much better as a comedienne.

A very surprisingly average comedy........2005-07-11

`Don't Drink the Water', directed by Woody Allen and based on a Broadway play by Allen is distinctly different from most of his other films due to its dated and just ordinarily funny plot and jokes.

As amazing as it may be to say this, almost all of Allen's movies hold up extremely well over time. There seem to be no serious dependencies on the events of the day. Even Zellig, which takes place in a definite time in history, stands up as well as, for example, `Casablanca' or `The Godfather' based on the durability of the story. The movie under consideration, however, depends a lot on early cold war situations as they may have played out in an American embassy in Prague, Budapest, or Warsaw in the early sixties. Much of the background depends on the pre-Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy administration. Even the title pictures Eastern Europe as not much more advanced in public sanitation as a Banana Republic, let alone our favorite target of such jokes, Mexico.

I believe this movie, which may have been made for television, was filmed relatively recently, probably after Michael J. Fox left `Family Ties' and while or before he began his last TV series before retiring due to Parkinson's Disease. I have strong suspicions, however, that the play was written in the early sixties, not too long after the time in which the play takes place.

One result of this being an adaptation from a stage play is that there is little or none of Allen's visual humor. All on screen business is written to be done on a stage with one scene on stage at a time. There are also practically none of Allen's favorite topics and plot tricks. This is nothing more than a stage comedy, and virtually none of Allen's other movies are `nothing more than stage comedies'.

That does not mean this is not funny. Allen is as good a joke writer as he ever was. It's just that the movie doesn't engage our interest. Compared to, for example, two average Allen movies, `Shadows and Fog' and `A Midsummer's Night Sex Comedy', the characters simply don't sustain our interest. This may be due in part to weaker acting by Fox, Kavner, DeLuise, and Herrmann, when compared to Mia Farrow, John Malkovich, Jose Ferrer, and Tony Roberts, but I don't think so, as the principle's are pretty well cast into parts for which they are eminently suited. Julie Kavner, for example, plays almost exactly the same role as she does in the excellent `Radio Days'.

Even the plot resolution and the minor love interest are predictable.

So, while I am a great Woody Allen fan, I suggest this is one of the very few of his works you can pass up without feeling any sense of loss. It is enjoyable to watch once, but it has little staying power.

Hysterical!.......2005-03-03

From their entrance into the American Embassy to their exit, the Hollanders are a handful. It's funny just watching Michael J. Fox's character attempting to deal with all the craziness that occurs as soon as they arrive. I don't know where Woody Allen comes up with such interesting storylines for his movies; the set ups are completely unique, and they pave the way for such easy and instant laughter. I rarely choose to check out movies that I haven't seen before because I'm always wanting to watch my favorites again & again, like this one.

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