Crossing Delancey (1988) review

Thirtysomething bookstore employee Isabelle (Amy Irving), an independent lady who don't need no fella, visits her grandmother Ida (Reizl Bozyk) who asked aggressive matchmaker Hannah (Sylvia Miles) to set Isabelle up on a date with pickle merchant Sam Posner (Peter Riegert), except she's mainly interested in womanizing Dutch novelist Anton Maes (Jeroen Krabbé).  Although it offers a nice look at still-sketchy NYC (pre-"cleanup"), it's a movie where the lead character is less interesting than everyone around her: she's lacks a personality and it's unclear what's so appealing about her, she's unapologetically sleeping with a married man, she tries pawning Sam off on her friend Marilyn (Suzzy Roche) and only wants him back when the two of them hit it off ... and then makes out with Anton while Sam's waiting patiently for her in Ida's apartment.  Susan Sandler, who adapted her own stage play to the screen, could have made any of her supporting cast the main focus instead of icy Isabelle and it would have turned out to be a more rewarding experience.  Also: what's so wrong with going out with a guy who smells like vinegar and dill?  At least you know where his hands have been....