Zelig

Warning: Wikipedia contains spoilers

Zelig (Woody Allen) is a man first noticed at a party by F. Scott Fitzgerald, who has the ability to turn into other people when surrounded by them. For example, if he is among doctors, he transforms into a doctor, if around overweight people, he quickly becomes heavy himself.

Dr. Eudora Fletcher (Mia Farrow) is a psychiatrist who wants to help this man with this strange disorder. With the use of hypnotic techniques, she discovers that Zelig aims for approval, so he changes to fit in. Dr. Fletcher's determination allows her to cure Zelig, but the cure is worst than the disease, as Zelig develops a personality then he becomes extremely intolerant with other people's opinion.

Suddenly Dr. Fletcher becomes aware that she is falling in love with Zelig. Both patient and doctor, with the media coverage of the case, are part of the popular culture of their time. However, fame is the main cause of their division; the same society that made Zelig a hero destroys him.

Zelig's illness strikes back, he tries to fit in once more. With the accusations of women that claim to be married with him, he escapes where nobody can't find him. Nevertheless, Dr. Fletcher doesn't give up on Zelig, and finds him in Germany before the war inside the Nazi party. Together they escape in an airplane while being chase by the Nazis. After the adventure they experienced in Germany, they return as heroes once again.

Zelig used a very innovative and distinctive method to create the mockumentary feeling of this movie, one that would later be used in the film Forrest Gump. For the film, Allen took real newsreel footage from the 1920's and 30's and inserted himself and other actors into the footage via bluescreen technology. Allen and his cinematographer even crinkled and scratched the negative to make the finished product look more like vintage footage.