Mighty Aphrodite
1995
***½
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Woody Allen, Mira Sorvino, Helena Bonham Carter, Michael Rapaport, F. Murray Abraham, David Ogden Stiers, Claire Bloom, Peter Weller, Jack Warden, Olympia Dukakis
Lenny and his wife Amanda adopt a boy they name Max. When Max turns out to be a bright little boy, Lenny secretly tracks down his biological mother, who turns out to be a sex worker named Linda. Woody Allen's comedy could be mean and judgmental, but instead it's clever and warm-hearted, as Lenny attempts to guide Linda towards a more respectable path. This is a well written film with a nice cast, although Woody is once again about 30 years older than the women around him. Mira Sorvino earned an Academy Award for her performance as the naïve but kind-hearted Linda. The story includes elements inspired by Greek tragedy.
