Celebrity
"A funny look at people who will do anything to get famous... or stay famous."
Lee is a once promising writer whose career has stalled and whose personal life feels stuck. He divorces his quiet wife Robin and begins a new gig as an entertainment reporter, chasing stories in Manhattan's glitziest circles. From one lavish party to the next, he flirts with a string of empty... Read more
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About Celebrity
Lee is a once promising writer whose career has stalled and whose personal life feels stuck. He divorces his quiet wife Robin and begins a new gig as an entertainment reporter, chasing stories in Manhattan's glitziest circles. From one lavish party to the next, he flirts with a string of empty romances and starts to question the value of his work. In parallel, a powerful TV producer named Tony falls for Robin and drags her into the orbit of fame, where sunshine and cameras mask deeper tensions. The satire follows Lee's growing sense that success is a mask, and it skewers the vanity and fever of the celebrity scene.
Released in 1998, the film was directed by Woody Allen and written by Allen himself, featuring a tight ensemble cast. It stands as an original screenplay rather than a formal adaptation, built around Allen's eye for anxieties and media culture.
Critics offered mixed notices, with some praising the sharp look at celebrity culture and the way the cast handles the film's sly mood, while others found the tone uneven or fragmented. The movie probes ambition and dissatisfaction, asking whether fame can substitute for genuine connection in a glossy world today.
The film is notable for featuring a young Leonardo DiCaprio in one of his early screen roles, a detail fans often mention when tracing his rise. It also captures late 90s Manhattan glamour and Woody Allen's brisk satirical bite, giving viewers a window into the era's pop culture preoccupations today.
Details
- Release Date
- September 07, 1998
- Runtime
- 1h 53m
- Rating
- R
- User Ratings
- 499 votes
- Type
- Movie
- Genres
- Drama, Comedy
- Country
- United States
- Studio
- Sweetland Films +1 more
- Budget
- $12,000,000
- Box Office
- $5,078,660
- External Links
- View on IMDB
Official Trailer
Cast
Hank Azaria
David
Kenneth Branagh
Lee Simon
Judy Davis
Robin Simon
Leonardo DiCaprio
Brandon
Melanie Griffith
Nicole Oliver
Famke Janssen
Bonnie
Michael Lerner
Dr. Lupus
Joe Mantegna
Tony Gardella
Bebe Neuwirth
Nina - the Hooker
Winona Ryder
Nola
Director: Woody Allen