When you think about it, Alvy Singer and William Shakespeare have a lot in common. They're both men. They're both writers. They're both huge Knicks fans. Okay, so that last one's not true, but this one is: Both Alvy and Big Willy dig the idea that "all the world's a stage"; that, in everyday life—answering questions in Algebra class, making a peanut butter and Frito sandwich, complimenting Mom's bodacious new perm—we're always acting.
Life is a series of roles we perform. In Annie Hall, Alvy's a comedian, Annie's a singer, and Rob's an actor. But their performances aren't limited to the stage and the screen. Sex is also treated as a performance: one that can earn rave reviews or threaten to destroy an entire relationship.
Questions about Sex
- How does sex contribute to the end of Alvy's first two marriages?
- Why does Annie feel the need to smoke marijuana before being intimate with Alvy?
- The movie posits that sex is one of several ways that Alvy and Annie perform, or act, in their everyday lives. What are some other ways that they perform in their relationship?
Chew on This
Sex plays a major role in the demise of Alvy and Annie's relationship.
For Alvy, love and sex are inextricably linked.