Dustin Hoffman – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

DROP DEAD CITY: NYC in Film During the 1970s – Essay by Yael Friedman (Guest post)

February 6, 2026February 8, 2026 Guest Post al pacino, documentary, Drop Dead City, Dustin Hoffman, federal bailout, martin scorsese, Michael Rohatyn, Motion Picture Production Code, NYC fiscal crisis, Pauline Kael, Peter Yost, robert deniro, urban crisis, Yael Friedman

The wonderful recent documentary Drop Dead City by Michael Rohatyn and Peter Yost about the 1975 fiscal crisis is a fittingly dramatic retelling of this pivotal moment in the city’s history. It is, of course, titled after the famous Daily News headline from when President Gerald R. Ford allegedly told the city to “drop dead,” after Mayor Abe Beame and Governor Hugh Carey arrived in Washington, hats in hand, asking for federal aid. The film shows the disdain for New York held by politicians and folks elsewhere, and the righteous indignation of New Yorkers after seeing the headline. Ultimately, President Ford’s conviction to let New York City fail did not prevail, his coarse morality tale about the role of government and the spendthrift Sodom was disrupted. With aid from Washington and a new austerity plan created by the newly formed Municipal Assistance Corporation (MAC), New York pulled back from the brink–––even if to emerge a lesser city in many ways.

Reviews

MEGALOPOLIS – Review by Susan Granger

September 25, 2024September 29, 2024 Susan Granger Adam Driver, aubrey plaza, Dustin Hoffman, francis ford coppola, Giancarlo Esposito, Jason Schwartzman, Jon Voight, Laurence Fisbburne, Mary Beard, Megalopolis, Nathalie Emmanuel, Roman Coppola, Shia LaBoeuf, Talia Shire

Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project Megalopolis is a futuristic fable about the downfall of the American Empire. The 85 year-old auteur envisioned the dystopian concept 40 years ago, writing, revising and re-casting it, spending $120 million to make it, using funds he’d made from Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, etc. and his California wine business. Archaic references to the fall of Rome are everywhere, along with Shakespearean dialogue, peppered with quotes from Greek/Roman/Sapphic poets. Adam Driver even delivers Hamlet’s famous “To be or not to be…” soliloquy in its entirety.

Reviews

DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

June 19, 2023June 19, 2023 Valerie Kalfrin Bob Balaban, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy, Desperate Souls, documentary, Dustin Hoffman, John Schlesinger, Jon Voight, nancy buirski, Waldo Salt

The documentary is an immersive kaleidoscope of reflections from the people who helped Midnight Cowboy come to be. Director Nancy Buirski blends insightful interviews and archive footage to craft a picture of the era when Midnight Cowboy debuted, touching on the Vietnam War, New York City’s financial troubles, and attitudes toward homosexuality. Shots from Midnight Cowboy fade in to real-life New Yorkers, anti-war footage, or scenes from director John Schlesinger’s documentaries, enhancing the film’s feel as a product of those times.

Reviews

AS THEY MADE US – Review by April Neale

March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 April Neale As They Made Us, candice bergen, Dianna Agron, Dustin Hoffman, Mayim Bialik, Simon Helberg

As They Made Us is an emotionally resonating and deeply piercing film about learning to forgive, accepting that your parents are flawed human beings just as anyone else, and becoming more strengthened and wiser as you make your way in life, a finite journey for us all. Director Mayim Bialik’s intimate dramedy is a filmed snapshot of a dysfunctional family’s journey at the end of life. Bialik’s film underscores that time will heal, that having an adult understanding of the hurts we bury deep in our psyche is not our fault. And that letting go and forgetting past injuries to the heart and soul sometimes can be the best medicine anyone will take.

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AWFJ Movie of the Week, May 5-11: CHEF

May 5, 2014October 11, 2014 Sandra Kraisirideja (Archived Contributor) 0 Comments Dustin Hoffman, jennifer merin, Jon Favreau, kristy puchko, leba hertz, scarlett johansson, Sofia Vergara

Opening May 9, the AWFJ Movie of the Week is Chef, a deliciously funny comedy written, directed and starring Jon Favreau. It’s a return to roots for the indie filmmaker, who wrote and starred in “Swingers.” Serving up the laughs alongside Favreau is an impressive supporting cast including Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey, Jr., the red-hot Scarlett Johansson, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara and Bobby Cannavale. Read on…