STAR WARS vs. ANNIE HALL
 

We've hit upon this debate in several threads. There seem to be two main camps here: one seems to think that Annie Hall winning over Star Wars was the biggest injustice in the history of the academy. The other camp says that the Annie Hall win was one of the few times the Academy got it right.

My thoughts as a fan of both films: As much as I love Star Wars, Annie Hall was the clear winner in my eyes. Star Wars was a great technical achievement in terms of razzle dazzle and special effects, but Annie Hall wins in other categories, including story, dialogue, editing, and acting.

So, what do you think? I also included the other nominees that year, and an "Other" option. Please specify if you haven't seen both films.

My screen name says it all.

I'd say Annie Hall, even though I just saw it for the first time and was very surprised how clever the film was.

Star Wars is great, but Annie Hall is better--Allen's best movie by a long shot.

"Those who can't, teach. And those who can't teach, teach gym."

Annie Hall by a mile

Annie Hall all the way.

One of the smartest picks the Academy ever made.

Other: That Obscure Object of Desire

Annie Hall is brilliant. I love Woody. But I voted for Star Wars.
It's not Woody's best film and why the Academy recognized it when it snubbed other superior films like Crimes and Missdemenors, Radio Days, and Stardust Memories is beyond me.

ooh, good one. Bunuel could take Allen and Lucas and slap'em Three Stooges style.

I like Annie Hall, more than Star Wars, but both suffer the same fate in my eyes: familiarity breeds contempt. Annie Hall to a lesser extent but I certainly don't think it's Allen's masterpiece.

Gotta be Annie Hall, although I love both movies just about equally I still remember playing over and over the battered VHS tape of "Hall" I recorded off of TV one night back in the late 1980s. It seemed like the first "grownup" movie I had ever seen and still stands as my favorite romantic comedy. "Star Wars" is the home of countless childhood memories for me but at the same time with age I see its flaws and of course the weak prequels have tarnished it all a bit for me. "Hall" is still a better "Best Picture" choice in my eyes.

Everyone who votes should also point out how old they were in 1977! I'm sure at the time I would have voted for Star Wars (I was only seven), but now realize Annie Hall is the better movie, although Star Wars is probably the one I'd prefer to get stuck on a desert island with...

Annie Hall, no contest.

how very true... oh and I was eight in '77.

Star Wars..

You know..Woody Allen is probably one of my favorite directors and actors of all-time...I own all of his DVDs, and have watched them all many times. I have to say that Annie Hall is one of my least favorites of his work. Not sure why, it just doesn't do much for me.

I think Star Wars should have won in '77, and Manhatten should have been nominated for Best Picture in 1980 (but lose out to Apocalypse Now - but that's a whole different argument).

I can see why Annie Hall was picked by the academy out of all of Woody's films. I think it's the sense of adventure and willingness to try anything. Annie Hall was genuinely something new in 1977 (as was Star Wars). I mean, using animation to talk about periods, the spirit leaving the room for sex, Diane Keaton's style of dress, bringing out Marshall McLuhan, etc. etc. Here was an intelligent filmmaker who made a very mature film that was both funny, sad, and exciting. While he made some other amazing films (personally I prefer both Love and Death and Manhattan to Annie Hall), Annie Hall in many ways is the archetypal Woody. Oh, and I voted for Annie Hall.

As for That Obscure Object of Desire, it was nominated that year for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.

I'll say Annie Hall. I saw it for the first time about two years ago and found it a very clever movie.

i voted annie hall. i was -2 in 1977.

I'm gonna have to go with Star Wars on this one.

Just to mess with everyone even more --- really if any of the Star Wars movies deserves best picture, I'd say EMPIRE STRIKES BACK over ORDINARY PEOPLE in 1980 was a no-brainer (and yeah, I know RAGING BULL was also out in 1980 but I wouldn't give it Best Picture either IMHO)

And I was 7 in 1977.

Absolutely Annie Hall.

I find it very interesting that those who voted for Star Wars in this poll give no explanation as to why.

As for me... I voted for Annie Hall and was not born yet.

And I agree with Sierra Disc... Empire was the better film.

Star Wars was more than razzle dazzle and special effects. Razzle dazzle and special effects don't stand the test of time for more than a quarter century. It doesn't permeate every area of popular culture. Couple razzle dazzle and special effects with great story, endearing characters, and good old-fashioned storytelling, and you have Star Wars. I think those things done so extraordinarily well, is what makes it the better choice. I think it does those just a bit better than Annie Hall.

As for the vote, I grew up with Star Wars. It's a great film, deserving of a Best Pic award. Annie Hall is a great film, that I've seen within the last 2 years. It's deserving of a Best Pic award. But I think Star Wars should have won. But even though it didn't, I don't cry injustice. Annie Hall was deserving as well. That's not even counting the monumental impact Star Wars had on film.

Empire Strikes Back deserved a nom which it didn't get. But with Raging Bull, it should have won. But it did deserve a nomination. Back then, the sci-fi and fantasy stigma was far greater than it is today.

I was 8 in 1977.

I went with star wars. As for the why? Well, Woody is quite possably the most Un-Funny hack on the planet next to say . . . oh, Sinbad. I had to suffer through Hall during a film 'art' class and was bored out of my skull.

I like Star Wars however the acting is pretty bad. Annie Hall should have won.