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My Favorite Year

Play trailer Poster for My Favorite Year PG 1982 1h 32m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 30 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Fledgling comic Benjy Stone can't believe his luck when his childhood hero, the swashbuckling matinée idol Alan Swann, gets booked to appear on the variety show he writes for. But when Swann arrives, he fails to live up to his silver screen image. Instead, he's a drunken womanizer who suffers from stage fright. Benjy is assigned to look after him before the show, and it's all he can do to keep his former idol from going completely off the rails.
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My Favorite Year

My Favorite Year

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Critics Consensus

My Favorite Year is a joyful ode to the early days of television, carried with a deft touch and Peter O'Toole's uproariously funny performance.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Sep 19, 2023
As the guest from Hollywood -- the peacock Alan Swann, who is part John Barrymore and part Errol Flynn (maybe the best parts of each) --O'Toole is simply astounding. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm Guardian Mar 24, 2023
It is clearly O'Toole's film, and he is superb at playing the O'Toole of every gossip-writer's most cherished wish. Go to Full Review Michael Sragow Rolling Stone Jun 21, 2022
My Favorite Year is a film that rises -- and sometimes soars -- on the beauty of its central idea and on the loving, intelligent way it’s been fleshed out. Go to Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Sep 17, 2020
4.0/4.0
My Favorite Year, with the possible exception of Lawrence of Arabia, is my favorite Peter O'Toole performance. Go to Full Review Molly Haskell Vogue Feb 27, 2020
My Favorite Year turns aggravated mayhem, assault, and hammery into comic gold. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Feb 25, 2020
3/4
Filmmaker Benjamin delivers a lackadaisically-paced yet generally entertaining comedy that benefits substantially from the leads' superb work... Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Dee Mar 4, 2024 Slow start but the rest did not disappoint ! Loved it! See more Ron S @RonFromIll Aug 27, 2026 This is one of my 5 favorite movies, and is one that I regularly watch again and again. It’s laugh out loud funny and also a “feel good” movie. See more Vincent S @Vin_E_At_The_Movies May 22, 2026 I love, love, love this heartfelt, hilarious and extremely well-acted and cast, loving tribute to classic television. Peter O'Toole is outstanding, funny and vulnerable. The rest of the veteran cast is also sublime, and Mark Linn-Baker makes an assured, stunning debut with heart. This is so much fun! See more Russ G @RT78760655 Mar 3, 2025 Peter O'Toole, a notorious drunk and rake, channels one a generation earlier: Errol Flynn, after whom the "In Like Flynn" phrase was modeled. See more Lydia T @Lyddie Feb 23, 2025 Perfect casting and very funny. See more Chris B @RT01329458 Feb 22, 2025 Hilariously written and performed. Wonderfully romantic depiction of the Golden Age of television. See more Read all reviews
My Favorite Year

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Cast & Crew

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Richard Benjamin

Director

Peter O'Toole

Alan Swann

Mark Linn-Baker

Benjy Stone

Joseph Bologna

King Kaiser

Jessica Harper

K.C. Downing

Bill Macy

Sy Benson

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My Favorite Year

My Favorite Year (1982) My Favorite Year (1982) My Favorite Year (1982) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Fledgling comic Benjy Stone can't believe his luck when his childhood hero, the swashbuckling matinée idol Alan Swann, gets booked to appear on the variety show he writes for. But when Swann arrives, he fails to live up to his silver screen image. Instead, he's a drunken womanizer who suffers from stage fright. Benjy is assigned to look after him before the show, and it's all he can do to keep his former idol from going completely off the rails.
Director
Richard Benjamin
Producer
Michael Gruskoff
Screenwriter
Norman Steinberg, Dennis Palumbo
Distributor
MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Brooksfilms
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 1, 1982, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2008
Runtime
1h 32m
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