Michael Showalter on Crossing Delancey
Michael Showalter on Crossing Delancey
Why Joan Micklin Silver's 1988 Jewish rom-com blew Michael Showalter's 18-year-old mind.
Turns out that the creator of Wet American Summer and director of The Big Sick is a quite lovely and thoughtful man who is easily moved by the revelations of flawed humanity that cinema can provide. Don’t get me wrong, the man is funny, but as we delved into his pick of Crossing Delancey, we learned a ton about screenwriting and what makes for a good romantic comedy as we bathed in a nostalgic glow for the disappearing culture of Manhattan’s lower east side. Never will I see a pickle in the same way again. — T. J.
From his first viewing at the Angelika as a freshman at NYU, Joan Micklin Silver’s 1988 rom-com Crossing Delancey blew Michael Showalter’s mind. In this episode Michael shares how and why the movie made a lasting mark and how it continues to influence his work today. Adapted by Susan Sandler from her play of the same title, this is the story of Izzy Grossman (Amy Irving), a nice Jewish girl with roots in Manhattan’s lower east side but now living uptown with literary-adjacent aspirations. Sam Posner (Peter Reigert) is a purveyor of pickles, with a shop down the street from Izzy’s grandmother’s apartment.
We learn how the film’s spot-on portrayal of 1980s city living with characters who exist in coffee shops and bars and bookstores and apartments, resonated with the life 18-year-old Michael imagined for himself. As he unpacks what makes this a rom-com classic, co-hosts Cooper and Tabitha debate the off-screen future for Sam and Izzy, and where they might be today.
About the Film
A Manhattan single meets a man through her Jewish grandmother's matchmaker. 1988.
Directed by Joan Micklin Silver
Written by Susan Sadler, adapted from her play of the same name
Principal Cast
Amy Irving (Isabelle Grossman)
Peter Reigert (Sam Posner)
Reizl Bozyk (Bubbie Kantor)
Music by Paul Chihara
Cinematography by Theo van de Sande