Radio Days - 10 stars out of 10

Radio Days - 10 stars out of 10

From the moment that it began, "Radio Days" became one of my top 25 films of all time.  Woody Allen's inspired series of vignettes are an honest telling of life in the late 1930's, woven together by the memories triggered by a young boy's favorite radio shows and songs.  The young boy tells his story through a brilliant candid narration by Woody himself.  Although there are many characters, the film focuses on the boy's dysfunctional three-generation family living in a small house in New York City during the Golden Age of radio.  This family puts Ralphie's family from "A Christmas Story" to shame.  Woody writes the greatest characters, from the get-rich-quick scheming father to Aunt Bea, desperate to get married.  From the biggest roles to the smallest ones, this talented cast makes each one memorable.  The most famed performances come from Mia Farrow as Sally White, the waitress that just can't seem to catch a break, and Dianne Wiest as the comically single (and often dancing) Aunt Bea.  They are hilarious, but the depth of the smaller roles is what makes this film special, like Josh Mostel (the principal from Billy Madison) as Uncle Abe, the fish expert, and even Wallace Shawn who has a very small role as the Masked Avenger.  Julie Kavner (voice of Marge Simpson) and Michael Tucker have incredible chemistry as boy's argumentative parents, typifying the "do as I say, not as I do" parenting style.  Add in Danny Aiello as a gangster, Diane Keaton as the New Year's singer, and a very young Seth Green, and you have a conglomeration of big names of the past and yet to come.  I also love that it pays tribute to stars of the time period, like Kitty Carlisle from “A Night at the Opera” in a cameo as the Maxwell House jingle singer.  As is generally the case with most Woody Allen films, the script is simply incredible.  He manipulates the story to seamlessly include some of the most important moments in radio, such as the infamous Orson Welles’ 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds and the announcement of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all while painting his romanticized vision of NYC with the magic of a movie in Radio City Music Hall.  With it's tongue-in-cheek humor, memorable characters, and awesome jazz soundtrack, "Radio Days" is a must-see.