I always have such conflict when writing about Woody Allen. On one hand, I enjoy a good 90% of his films. On the other hand, he left long time girlfriend, Mia Farrow, for her adopted teenaged daughter whom he helped raise. It’s like, how can I stand behind you even though I think “Midnight in Paris” is really dope.
However, every so often Woody Allen makes it really easy for me to say “Man, fuck your film making, you’re a goddamn, self-centered idiot. You’re like a little white, Jewish, nebbish, Kanye West. But a Kanye West nonetheless.” His recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter made me feel this way.
When the reporter asked Woody how his wife of 20 years, Soon Wi, had changed him, Woody turned the question around by saying how HE’D changed HER life by making it way better. Woody said:
Oh, well, one of the great experiences of my life has been my wife. She had a very, very difficult upbringing in Korea: She was an orphan on the streets, living out of trash cans and starving as a 6-year-old. And she was picked up and put in an orphanage. And so I’ve been able to really make her life better. I provided her with enormous opportunities, and she has sparked to them. She’s educated herself and has tons of friends and children and got a college degree and went to graduate school, and she has traveled all over with me now. She’s very sophisticated and has been to all the great capitals of Europe. She has just become a different person. So the contributions I’ve made to her life have given me more pleasure than all my films.
Ok, two things right off the bat:
- I get that Woody Allen is 80, but I think he might have his relationship with Soon Yi confused with the movie “My Fair Lady.” Except in this case Soon Yi is from Korea and not Essex, but boy did Mr. Allen make a right proper lady out of her!
- Woody didn’t actually save her from that shitty life in Korea. Or from a shitty life at all. Mia Farrow and Andre Previn adopted Soon Yi when she was 7, and she then moved to America and lived in a beautiful Manhattan apartment with her wealthy and loving parents until they split up and mom moved in her new bf, Woody Allen, who then proceeded to help raise Soon Yi until he got an awkward little boner for her. I mean, does Woody really think he saved her from the gutters of Korea. I mean, again, I get that he’s 80, but does this man have any concept of what his actual life has been?
The interviewer asks Woody twice more how Soon Yi has improved his life or changed it, but both times Woody switched it around and made it about what he’s done for Soon Yi. Seriously dude, you started banging your adopted step-daughter when she was 17, stop acting like you’re a goddamn saint who saved her from Korean child slavery.
I like some of your movies, but it’s not like you directed “Cool Runnings”, so I won’t back you up THAT much.
dude says
What in God’s holy name are you blathering about?