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Feb 18, 2025 Web Exclusive By Kaveh Jalinous Photography by The Criterion Collection

It’s entirely possible that the phrase “New York is a character of its own” is applied to too many films and television shows. At some point, it becomes difficult to tell when New York is being properly used in a project—when the unique soul of its gridded streets, hyper-chaotic energy and melting pot nature are being deployed in the most effective way possible. But, here’s the thing: New York is such a good character of its own. It makes sense why the phrase would be overused; almost every film set in New York—regardless of genre or plot—feels like a New York story. And, because the city changes so much, every NY-set film functions as a self-sufficient story, an homage to the city and a time capsule of what the Big Apple once was.

Nowhere is that feeling more evident than in Joan Micklin Silver’s excellent, confident romantic comedy, Crossing Delancey (1988). I mean, you can’t even separate New York from the film’s title, which references Manhattan’s famed Delancey Street, a Lower East Side thoroughfare that leads to the Williamsburg Bridge and, for much of the 19th and 20th century, was the beating heart of the large Jewish immigrant community who lived there. While much of the film does take place near Delancey Street, Silver’s film is a homage to all of ’80s New York, and the culture that flourished in the city at the time.

Crossing Delancey follows Isabelle (Amy Irving), a independent bookstore worker who primarily spends her days working at the store, hanging out with the elite literary writers who frequent the store and caring for her Bubbe (Reizl Bozyk). Her personal life is a bit of a mess. While she crushes on massively famous Dutch-American writer Anton Maes (Jeroen Krabbé), who keeps leading her on through his suave and flirty nature, her Bubbe takes matters into her own hands, working with a marriage broker to set Isabelle up on a date. The result: an awkward introduction between Isabelle and a local pickle salesman, Sam (Peter Riegert), in Bubbe’s kitchen.

From here, the film’s story takes the direction you’d probably expect it to. Initially uninterested in Sam—especially given his job—Isabelle finds ways to scheme around having to see or go on a date with him. But, as the two end up spending more time with each other, and as Sam becomes more ingrained in her daily life and thoughts, Isabelle is forced to question if, biases aside, she could see a future with Sam.

Crossing Delancey is simply delightful. The film’s script, adapted from Susan Sandler’s play of the same name, is somehow razor-sharp and delicate at the same time. The film may pull its punches—especially in its first half, as Isabelle keeps letting Sam know that she’s uninterested in him. Yet, it’s hard to deny that the film feels like a warm hug, the type of film you’d put on when you’re craving the memory of the crisp skies, brisk temperatures, and crunching of leaves that fall brings. While the film conforms to genre conventions a tad more often than not, the story’s familiarity is its biggest success, allowing Silver’s film to satisfy our expectations and playfully subvert them at times.

The film is also a testament to the power of family and cultural tradition. The scenes that feature Isabelle and Bubbe, even when Isabelle is “mad” at her grandmother for scheming behind her back, are so full of heart that you can’t help but smile. Watching the two go about the Lower East Side—listening to them talk while they’re in the crowded park or heading to the market together—somehow instantly reminds you of spending time with your family and elders, for better and for worse.

The film is also steeped in Jewish-American culture, which manifests both in characters’ specific actions and conversations, as well as the environment that exists all around them. Among many things, this adds a beautiful complexity to the film’s portrayal of the Lower East Side. The story and setting almost exist as a time capsule, taking you back to a different era in a neighborhood that has changed so much, both socioeconomically and culturally, in the last 35 years. It wouldn’t be so far to claim that the Lower East Side (and the New York as a whole) of Crossing Delancey feels unrecognizable now. But, like any character, the city is defined by its ability to transform itself.

The Criterion Collection’s 4K UHD release of the film is certainly worth the purchase, if not for the film’s beautiful, crisp 4K digital restoration alone. Alongside the new restoration, you can expect to find some great featurettes (per usual), including: a new program on making the film featuring Irving, Riegert, and Sandler, and an audio interview with Silver (from 1988).

(www.criterion.com/films/34764-crossing-delancey)