As if that weren't enough, Marietta rejects the pleas of John, the man who abandoned her and Melody for another woman, when he shows up to beg forgiveness and ask her back into his life. Her cool reaction sends John to a nearby bar, where he confesses lifelong homosexual feelings to a gay customer. The two men are shown as a happy couple in the film's final scene.

Happiness is the goal of life, according to Whatever Works, but the film's live-and-let-live attitude has no place for characters who are Christians, political conservatives or anyone who dares to combine the two. But in the film's worldview, there's hope yet for such characters, as soon as they embrace a libertine lifestyle that's contrary to Scripture. The humorous tone of the film celebrates the characters' decisions and sneers at anyone who would dare to question their lifestyle choices.

It's an appalling message and an obvious lie. Allen wrote the original draft of Whatever Works in the 1970s, around the time of Annie Hall, which won the 1977 Oscar for Best Picture. That film, for many Allen aficionados, represents the apex of the filmmaker's comedic efforts, long before Allen's relationship with Mia Farrow unraveled and his tumultuous public life became tabloid fodder. Annie Hall was soon followed by Manhattan, which stars Allen as a man smitten with a much younger woman. Whatever Works, from that same era, further confirms Allen's fondness for May-December romances.

But enough with the psycho-analysis. It's enough to say that those who disapprove of Allen's off-camera life will disapprove of the on-camera musings and behavior of Boris. Even those who laugh during the film's first half will discover that Whatever Works leaves a bad aftertaste. Unlike Allen's Match Point or Cassandra's Dream—serious dramas that explored life-and-death consequences of moral failing—Whatever Works takes a "que sera, sera" attitude to life and love, with a happy ending that feels entirely false but which is designed to leave viewers with a smile on their faces as they leave the theater.

Feel free to scowl instead. A comedy that delivers actual laughs—and which allows the audience to laugh at its main character—has, by its conclusion, turned into a postmodern screed against anyone who would dare to question another person's moral decisions. Allen may think that works for him, but for others, it won't work at all.

Questions? Comments? Contact the writer at crosswalkchristian@verizon.net.