History Film / Zelig

A 1983 Creator/WoodyAllen film, ''Zelig'' is a {{mockumentary}} set during the [[TheRoaringTwenties 1920s]] and [[TheGreatDepression '30s]] and centering around one Leonard Zelig (Allen), a "human chameleon" who shape-shifts to fit in with those around him, and his encounters with the celebrities of the day. Zelig ultimately comes into contact with Dr. Eudora Nesbitt Fletcher (Creator/MiaFarrow), who tries to cure him of his uncontrollable shapeshifting. Throughout, commentary on Zelig's life is provided by well-known public intellectuals.

See also BeenThereShapedHistory, for which TheZelig is the alternate trope namer (and [[UrExample ur-example]]).

* MistakenForSpecialGuest: See TheZelig. Zelig's special capability to blend amongst other group and sound knowledgeable ''just enough'' means that he was in many historically important events because people just assumed that he belonged there.

* TheZelig: TropeNamer, an alternate title for BeenThereShapedHistory.

* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Pretty much, Zelig's character/FreudianExcuse is this trope taken UpToEleven. Because of his desperate need to fit in, Zelig started out by pretending to have read Literature/MobyDick when he hadn't, and this spiraled into mirroring the professions and even appearances of those around him. Eudora notes than when Zelig was posing as a psychiatrist, he spouted nothing but nonsensical double talk that could fool a layman.

* ShiksaGoddess: Dr. Fletcher is fairly plain (well, HollywoodHomely), but this trope applies in that Zelig is Jewish (and lower class at that), while she is from a wealthy WASP background. [[invoked]]

* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Invoked with ''The Changing Man'', as Woody Allen's character is played by handsome Garrett M. Brown, Mia Farrow's by Marianne Tatum.

* LiteraryAgentHypothesis: InUniverse, the film just assumes that Zelig is one of the many "Series/RipleysBelieveItOrNot!"-type weirdos that lived and died in that time, and it's a documentary made with the information that survived until now.

* LiteraryAgentHypothesis: See Celebrity Paradox. The film just assumes that Zelig is one of the many "Series/RipleysBelieveItOrNot!"-type weirdos that lived and died in that time, and it's a documentary made with the information that survived until now.

* ShiksaGoddess: Dr. Fletcher is fairly plain (well, HollywoodHomely), but this trope applies in that Zelig is Jewish (and lower class at that), while she is from a wealthy WASP background.

* EarWorm: All the songs, but especially "Chameleon Days" (which becomes an InUniverse top dance sensation... for a little while, at least).

* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: The public in TheTwenties and TheThirties... and now, according to the film.

* BlackLikeMe: Zelig can alter his race. At one point it is mentioned that UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler himself labeled Zelig a menace because of this.

* BlackLikeMe: Zelig can alter his race. At one point it is mentioned that Adolf Hitler himself labeled Zelig a menace because of this.

* AmnesiacDissonance: Zelig is ultimately confronted with various victims of his shapeshifting- women he impregnated, a guy he performed surgery on, etc., none of which he remembers doing.

A 1983 Creator/WoodyAllen film, ''Zelig'' is a {{mockumentary}} set during the [[TheRoaringTwenties 1920s]] and [[TheGreatDepression '30s]] and centering around one Leonard Zelig (Allen), a "human chameleon" who shape-shifts to fit in with those around him, and his encounters with the celebrities of the day. Zelig ultimately comes into contact with Dr. Eudora Nesbitt Fletcher (played by Creator/MiaFarrow) who tries to cure him of his uncontrollable shapeshifting. Throughout, commentary on Zelig's life is provided by well-known public intellectuals.

A 1983 Creator/WoodyAllen film, ''Zelig'' is a {{mockumentary}} set during the [[TheRoaringTwenties 1920s]] and [[TheGreatDepression '30s]] centering around Leonard Zelig (Allen), a "human chameleon" who shape-shifts to fit in with those around him, and his encounters with the celebrities of the day. Zelig ultimately comes into contact with Dr. Eudora Nesbitt Fletcher (played by Creator/MiaFarrow) who tries to cure him of his uncontrollable shapeshifting. Throughout, commentary on Zelig's life is provided by well-known public intellectuals.

A 1983 Creator/WoodyAllen film, ''Zelig'' is a {{mockumentary}} set during TheRoaringTwenties and into TheGreatDepression period, concerning Leonard Zelig (Allen), a "human chameleon"- a man who shapeshifts to fit in with those around him- and his encounters with the celebrities of the day. Zelig ultimately comes into contact with Dr. Eudora Nesbitt Fletcher (played by Creator/MiaFarrow) who tries to cure him of his uncontrollable shapeshifting. Throughout, commentary on Zelig's life is provided by well-known public intellectuals.

* BlackLikeMe: Zelig can alter his race.

%%* EarnYourHappyEnding

%%* FeigningIntelligence

* KavorkaMan: Zelig seduced numerous women.

* LiteraryAgentHypothesis: See Celebrity Paradox.

* MistakenForSpecialGuest: See TheZelig.

* RunningGag: ''Literature/MobyDick''
* SeeminglyProfoundFool: Zelig is somewhere between this figure, and a KnowNothingKnowItAll.

* EarWorm: All the songs, but especially "Chameleon Days".

A 1983 Creator/WoodyAllen film, ''Zelig'' is a {{mockumentary}} set during TheRoaringTwenties and into TheGreatDepression period, concerning Leonard Zelig (Allen), a "human chameleon"- a man who shapeshifts to fit in with those around him- and his encounters with the celebrities of the day. Zelig ultimately comes into contact with Dr. Eudora Nesbitt Fletcher (played by Mia Farrow) who tries to cure him of his uncontrollable shapeshifting. Throughout, commentary on Zelig's life is provided by well-known public intellectuals.

* AnAesop: [[BeYourself Don't change yourself to please others.]]