Felicity Jones's Favorite Film Is a Surprising '70s Comedy Classic
With her new film generating major awards buzz, you might be surprised to learn which iconic 1970s romantic comedy this Oscar-nominated actress considers her absolute favorite. Her choice reveals a deep appreciation for a Hollywood legend.
Felicity Jones is currently making waves online with her new movie Train Dreams, which recently dropped on Netflix. The film stars Joel Edgerton as a railroad worker navigating life with his family in the American wilderness over a century ago. It's a story of total escapism, though not always a peaceful one, as the characters endure significant hardships. Adapted from a Pulitzer-nominated novella by Denis Johnson, the movie is already generating considerable Oscar buzz, particularly for Jones's portrayal of Gladys Granier, Edgerton's wife. Of course, Jones is no stranger to awards season, having earned two previous Oscar nominations for her roles in the Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything and last year's epic The Brutalist with Adrien Brody.
A Deep Dive into a Cinematic Favorite
When it comes to her own viewing habits, Jones holds one particular movie from the seventies especially close to her heart. She revealed to Red that her go-to picture is Woody Allen’s 1977 romance Annie Hall, a major Oscar winner starring the legendary Diane Keaton.
She explained her admiration for the picture, stating, “I love Annie Hall; I will always come back to that film again and again. Diane Keaton has been such an inspiration to me. She always brings humour, but complexity, and I love watching her on screen. She’s got real charisma.”
The Making of a Masterpiece
Interestingly, Annie Hall started its life as a completely different project. The original concept was a murder mystery comedy titled ‘Anhedonia,’ a clinical term for the inability to experience pleasure—a sentiment some modern audiences might associate with any Woody Allen film today. However, the filmmakers eventually realized that the romantic storyline was the most compelling part of the script. They scrapped the murder plot to focus entirely on the central relationship.
The title character was also loosely based on Diane Keaton herself. Her real last name was Hall, and Allen incorporated much of her quirky personality and unique way of speaking into the character, having observed her up close on previous projects.
Lasting Impact and Hidden Gems
The movie became influential for many reasons. Allen frequently broke the fourth wall, a technique that was quite unusual for American comedies at the time. It also sparked a major fashion trend, with Keaton's menswear-inspired outfits of baggy pants, ties, and hats becoming a popular look in cities across the U.S, much of the film's witty dialogue was improvised on set by the actors, whose chemistry was helped by the fact that Keaton and Allen had dated for years before shooting began.
Another fun fact to spot on a first watch is an early appearance by future Pulp Fiction star Christopher Walken. He plays Annie Hall’s intensely strange brother, Dwayne, who has dark fantasies about driving into oncoming traffic. In terms of awards, the movie achieved a rare feat at the Oscars, winning Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, along with a Best Actress award for Keaton. This was a huge upset in a year everyone expected to be dominated by Star Wars, which had revolutionized the industry and shattered box office records.
Meanwhile, Jones has a holiday movie coming to Prime Video called Oh. What. Fun. She'll be starring alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Wes Anderson regular Jason Schwartzman, and Denis Leary. The film is a comedy about a mother who decides to leave her family just before Christmas to see how they'd manage without her. The answer, quite realistically, is not well at all.