Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)

In 1986, Woody Allen completed his brilliant New York trilogy that he began with "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" by delivering HANNAH AND HER SISTERS.

While its core is the familiar one you might expect, with Woody playing his NYC neurotic, nebbish character to perfection as he questions the meaning of life, the world around the familiar is filled with powerful stories.

Woody is the ex husband of successful actress Hannah (Mia Farrow) who is now married to Elliott (Michael Caine in an Academy Award winning performance).

Elliott has fallen in love with Hannah's sister Lee (Barbara Hershey) who is in a relationship with anti-social, reclusive artist Frederick (Max Von Sydow).

Circling these couples is Hannah's other sister Holly (Dianne Weist in the film's second Academy Award winning role) who is a rudderless, coke sniffing, entitled mess.

When Holly decides to go on a date with Hannah's ex Mickey (Allen) it's one of the funniest parts of the film and an all-time bad date.

Terrific actors like Carrie Fisher, Sam Waterston, Maureen O'Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (in her film debut!) and Daniel Stern circle these characters and bring plenty of laughs and drama to the film.

Many of Hannah's scenes were filmed in Farrow's actual apartment. Allen said that Farrow once had the eerie experience of turning on the television, stumbling upon a broadcast of the movie, and seeing her own apartment on television, while she was sitting in it!

HANNAH is one of Woody's most positive, heartfelt movies and the journey all these characters take between several Thanksgiving holidays is perfectly written in Allen's Academy Award winning screenplay.

The first Thanksgiving gathering is in a time of contentment, the second in a time of trouble, and the third showing what happens after the resolution of their troubles. It was Allen's biggest box office hit, with a $40 million take until 'Match Point" topped it decades later.

Beautifully structured, funny and hearfelt, it's one of Woody's best, a terrific film, excellent ensemble cast and a solid A.

Perfect Thanksgiving week viewing for the days ahead!