Movie of the Day: August 8, 2002

IMDb Movie of the Day
First time director David Atkin's scored big with Novocaine, an unusual hybrid of thriller and extremely dark comedy starring Steve Martin as Dr. Frank Sangster, a dentist whose mundane life is thrown into chaos when he treats a new patient, Susan (Helena Bonham Carter). Less than 24 hours after meeting Susan, Frank's life is almost unrecognizable, as he splits his time struggling to account for narcotics missing from his office, fighting off accusations of murder, and trying to keep secrets from his perfection-obssessed dental hygenist fiance Jean (Laura Dern), all the while finding himself more and more intrigued with the drug-addled, elusive Susan. While the audience may guess the source of Frank's problems early on, the fun comes in seeing him react to the twists and turns that are thrown at him, reactions with humorous, chilling, and very human results. Those who are already wary of visiting the dentist be warned; some of the film will do little to quell your anxiety, but many moments of it just might give you something to giggle about while waiting in the chair at your next appointment. (more)

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