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Erick Avari, Mayim Bialik, John Doumanian, Taina Elg, Michael J. Fox ... see more see more... , Ed Herlihy , Edward Herrmann , Julie Kavner , Brian McConnachie , Rosemary Murphy , Austin Pendleton , Frederick Rolf , Robert Stanton , Victor Steinbach , Woody Allen , Dom DeLuise , Josef Sommer , Skip Rose , Ed Van Nuys

The second film to be made from Woody Allen's successful stage comedy (following a 1969 feature starring Jackie Gleason), Don't Drink the Water is a made-for-television adaptation directed by and star... read more read more...ring Allen himself. The fish-out-of-water premise remains the same: Allen plays Walter Hollander, a caterer from New Jersey who takes his family on vacation to a fictional Eastern European country. The trip turns sour when, thanks to a series of misunderstandings involving some inopportune snapshots, they are accused of espionage. The family goes on the run, taking refuge in the American Embassy. There, with the help of a wily young diplomat, they try to figure out a way to return to America without sparking an international incident. Though this version is set 25 years later than the original film, the changes are mostly cosmetic: the visual style is hand-held and more frantic, and the script replaces numerous references to the Cold War with a few glancing nods to present-day politics. Another notable change, the addition of an opening montage parodying newsreels, was reportedly the result of network pressure after Allen's initial cut proved too short for the planned time slot. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Flixster Users

38% liked it

1,343 ratings

Critics

44% liked it

9 critics

PG, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Woody Allen

Release Date: December 18, 1994

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DVD Release Date: July 1, 2003

Stats: 68 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (68)

  • JonathanHutchings
    March 11, 2012
    JonathanHutchings
    Woody's Cold War satire is overwrought, overwritten, and ultimately, underwhelming.
  • SirPant
    November 21, 2011
    SirPant
    I can see how Don't Drink the Water would have been a fantastic stage play back in the 70's and even though it's not horrible, it's also not that great. It doesn't seem to flow as well as many Allen films, the laughs are 1 per 10 minutes or so and are never from the belly. The c... read moreast were great though, Dom DeLuise, Mayim Bialik, Michael J. Fox, Julie Kavner, Erick Avari and Allen himself are all on form, it's just that any comedy that feels long at only 90 mins has lost its way somewhere, maybe it's because we all know Aleen can be better (although, not so much recently).
  • fb20312798
    July 24, 2010
    fb20312798
    I'm sure its decent on stage, but as a film its almost worthless.

View All Don't Drink the Water Reviews

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum
October 16, 2004
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

OK Woody Allen play-based story.

Ken Hanke
November 20, 2003
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Solid TV version of Allen's play.

David Kaplan
March 1, 2008
David Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
August 27, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Philip Martin
January 2, 2005
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

Randy Shulman
July 17, 2004
Randy Shulman, Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

No review available.

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
March 27, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

No review available.

Daniel M. Kimmel
February 8, 2004
Daniel M. Kimmel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

Janet Branagan
January 1, 2000
Janet Branagan, Apollo Guide

Click to read the article Full Review

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Don't Drink the Water Trivia

  • "I don't deserve mercy. I do deserve a drink. You got anything stronger than water?" This is a quote from which movie  Answer »
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