First dramatic film of Woody Allen. Allen was known for comedy, and wanted to break the mold by having no humor at all in this movie. At one point, the family is gathered around the table laughing at a joke which Arthur has just told, but we never hear the joke.
Woody Allen cites the works of Swedish drama director Ingmar Bergman (Allen is a big Bergman fan), American theater writer Eugene O'Neill and Russian writer Anton Chekhov as an influence on the film.
The role of Eve was written with Ingrid Bergman in mind. Allen offered her the role, but she regretfully declined, as she was already committed to shoot Höstsonaten (1978) in Norway with Ingmar Bergman. The part went to Geraldine Page instead. She and Bergman were nominated for those films for Academy Awards and Golden Globes, but lost to Jane Fonda for Coming Home (1978).
This is the first of four film collaborations between Woody Allen and Sam Waterston, the others being Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), September (1987), and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989).