Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Crossing Delancey Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 4, 2025

Joan Micklin Silver's "Crossing Delancey" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include new program with screenwriter Susan Sandler and stars Amy Irving and Peter Riegert; archival program with Joan Micklin Silver; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

How could I’ve been so stupid? It is a question Izzy (Amy Irving) asks after she finally sees the real Anton Maes (Jeroen Krabbe), a famous writer, whom she has been pursuing for quite some time. The real Anton, who is supposed to be The One, appears while another man, Sam Posner (Peter Riegert), already madly in love with her, is waiting at her mother’s apartment because they have agreed to have dinner together. The red light in Izzy’s head begins flashing when she surrenders in Anton’s arms, on his bed, and, as he becomes more aggressive, learns from him that he has chosen her to replace his former secretary and full-time lover. Love is definitely not in the air. Izzy is just the latest participant in another one of Anton’s plays.

I rolled my eyes and asked several different questions, too. How could the obvious not be obvious to Izzy? What was she seeing and hearing from Anton to fool her into thinking he was worth pursuing? And if she were so much into Anton, why did she keep giving Sam various reasons to make him believe she had feelings for him?

But, much to my surprise, Izzy turned out to be quite the player, too. She mistreated Sam worse than Anton did her. Multiple times, too. So, I found myself asking even more questions.

Sam, a supposedly rational and pragmatic man, kept coming back to Izzy, hoping that, after she had turned him down multiple times for various silly reasons, she would finally give him a chance and they would become a couple. Why did Sam have trouble reading Izzy properly? The two are officially introduced to each other by a senior Jewish matchmaker, a friend of Izzy’s mother, who is as good at matchmaking as she is at playing basketball. The introduction is a disaster and Izzy tells Sam, straight into his face, that she is not interested in a romantic relationship with him. She does not see or feel a spark. Period. Plus, Izzy works in a bookstore and meets cultured people, like Anton, while Sam makes and sells fermented pickles and washes his hands with vanilla. To hammer her point that Sam is not right for her, Izzy even lures him to a romantic dinner and then attempts to pass him on to one of her best friends. Hello. There is a big difference between persistence and stupidity. Why was Sam not doing the math correctly?

Joan Micklin Silver, who directed Crossing Delancey, spends well over an hour arguing that it is because true love comes to those who are willing to suffer for it. Perhaps Silver is right. But how much of this suffering is supposed to be good old-fashioned humiliation? And do the two sexes get equal portions of it?

Crossing Delancey, which was conceived to be a romantic comedy, is a pretty funny film, but not as Silver intended. It is funny because it is ridiculous, and, to be honest, seriously manipulative. Consider a slightly different scenario. It is not Izzy who pursues Anton, and it is not Izzy who repeatedly humiliates Sam and attempts to pass him to someone else. It is Sam doing the bait-and-switch scam and redirecting Izzy to one of his bachelor friends. How long does Izzy pursue a supposedly confused and willing to explore his options Sam? Also, what are the chances that after being humiliated multiple times, Izzy accepts Sam to be her man?

Silver wraps up Crossing Delancey with a charming sequence that is supposed to make everyone believe in the power of love. I have always believed in it, and this sequence further solidified my conviction that some people confuse love with something else. Finding someone to fill a void in your life and being in love are very, very different things.

Crossing Delancey Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Crossing Delancey arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the booklet included with this release:

"Supervised and approved by director of photography Theo van de Sande, this new 4K restoration was created from the 35mm original camera negative. The original stereo surround soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Please be sure to enable Dolby Pro Logic on your receiver to properly play the 2.0 surround soundtrack.

Mastering supervisors: Lee Kline, Jack Kuiper, Giles Sherwood.
Colorist: Peter Bernaers/Storm Post Production/Amsterdam.
Image restoration: Resillion, New York.
Audio restoration: The Criterion Collection."

The release introduces a new 4K makeover of Crossing Delancey that is also available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack.

I found the new 4K makeover quite frustrating because it produces vibrant, very healthy visuals that do not look right. Why? The 4K makeover is graded awkwardly. There is an obvious shift toward a cooler color temperature that is supported by prominent teal/teal nuances, quite similar and in a few places even identical to the ones that are present on the problematic makeover of The Girl Can't Help It. The consistency of this shift is different here -- it does not completely overwhelm all visuals -- but the end result is the same. This is most unfortunate because delineation, clarity, and depth are almost always outstanding, and density levels of the visuals are most impressive. I did numerous comparisons between the 4K and 1080p presentation of the 4K makeover, and because these density levels are so impressive, the two often look very, very similar. Also, there are no traces of any digital corrections, so the entire film has a solid attractive appearance. So, if you are interested in acquiring this release, I suggest that you find a way to test it first before committing to a purchase. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Crossing Delancey Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed Crossing Delancey in native 4K. However, I spent quite a bit of time comparing the native 4K and 1080p presentations of the new 4K makeover that was prepared for it. The comments below are from our review of the 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack.

The lossless track is very healthy. The audio is thick, sharp, and free of stability issues. Even though the film does not have any material capable of producing great dynamic contrasts, I thought that there were plenty of sequences where smaller dynamic nuances were quite effective. All exchanges are clear and very easy to follow.

Crossing Delancey Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Crossing Delancey" Revisited - in this new program, screenwriter Susan Sandler reveals how Crossing Delancey came to exist, which was apparently at a time when she was very lonely, and the feelings and emotions it was supposed to convey. Amy Irving and Peter Riegert also recall their contributions to Crossing Delancey. The program was produced for Criterion in 2024. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Joan Micklin Silver - presented here are excerpts of Joan Micklin Silver's Harold Lloyd Master Seminar, conducted at the American Film Institute in November 1988. Silver discusses her career, working methods, and involvement with Crossing Delancey. Audio only. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Crossing Delancey. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Rachel Syme's essay "City Girl" and technical credits.

Crossing Delancey Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Finding someone to fill a void in your life and discovering your soulmate are different things. It is why at the end of Crossing Delancey I felt sorry for Izzy and Sam. Contrary to what is said there, they do not discover true love and the blissful happiness that comes with it. The two connect because both are equally needy and compromising after several scarring disappointments. Crossing Delancey has been fully restored in 4K under the supervision of its director of photography, Theo van de Sande, but it does not look convincing on Blu-ray.