NEWSMariel Hemingway Feels Woody Allen Film About Inappropriate Relationship With Young Girl '100% Couldn't Come Out' Today
With cancel culture calling attention to any and all questionable works and people who have seemed to cross the line, actress and granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, Mariel Hemingway, speculated that Woody Allen's film, Manhattan — in which she starred alongside the director — would certainly not make the cut in 2021.
While discussing Manhattan and her relationship with Allen on set of the 1979 film, Hemingway told Anne Heche and Heather Duffy on their "Better Together with Anne & Heather" podcast that the film "100 percent couldn't come out" today given the plot of the movie.
Heather Duffy, Mariel Hemingway and Anne Heche after the Better Together with Anne & Heather podcast
In the aforementioned film, Hemingway played a 17-year-old who is dating Allen's character, a twice-divorced 42-year-old comedy writer who ends up falling in love with his best friend's mistress.
Hemingway said today's society has become way more accepting of people's unique life choices but also very quick to denounce anything deemed unacceptable — such as the inappropriate relationship seen in Manhattan.
"In many ways, we have developed, we've opened up, we're OK with things," she said, "and then in many ways, we're going, 'Wait we have to put a stop to'" anything that is inappropriate.
Hemingway — who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film — also praised the film while emphasizing that she doesn't think the nature of the relationship between the two main characters is acceptable.
Woody Allen and Mia Farrow from the film "Manhattan"
Manhattan was "a great and wonderful and interesting film. It's beautiful is what it is," she told the podcast hosts before noting that she is "not condoning any behavior" seen in the movie.
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And while Hemingway said she personally has no bad blood with Allen, the Lipstick star chose to steer clear of the controversy surrounding the director.
Hemingway reflected on her film with Allen following the bombshell sexual assault allegations made against her former costar by estranged daughter Dylan Farrow in HBO’s Allen v. Farrow (the four-part docuseries covered Allen and Mia Farrow’s time together and the explosive affair with one of their adopted daughters, Soon-Yi Previn).
As OK! previously reported, in the series, Farrow's adopted daughter, Dylan, claimed Allen abused her as a child — allegations the filmmaker has fiercely denied.
When asked if she's seen Farrow. V Allen, Hemingway replied: "No I have not," adding that "it's a bit touchy for me because he was never disrespectful of me or unpleasant." In fact, she admitted that she "loved him."
Heche told the actress she shouldn't feel bad for thinking highly of Allen, but Hemingway remained at a stand still about the topic.
"Listen this is good news to hear," Heche told Hemingway of her thoughts on Allen. "Don't apologize for not having a bad story."
Hemingway explained that it's difficult for her to share a concise opinion on Allen when she doesn't know Farrow's family and their side to the story that plagued the once beloved director.
"I don't know that story, it's not my story to tell," the 59-year-old candidly said.
"I know that my experience was wonderful," she added of her time with Allen before stating: "Was he making a movie about sleeping with a 17-year-old girl? Yes he was."
