Simple Men (1992)

Bitter about being double-crossed by the women he loved, (and with the police after him to boot), Bill vows to seduce the next woman he sees, then throw her away. His brother Dennis, ... See full summary »

Director:

Hal Hartley

Writer:

Hal Hartley

Stars:

Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Karen Sillas

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert John Burke	...	Bill McCabe (as Robert Burke)
Bill Sage	...	Dennis McCabe
Karen Sillas	...	Kate
Elina Löwensohn	...	Elina
Martin Donovan	...	Martin
Mark Chandler Bailey	...	Mike (as Mark Bailey)
Chris Cooke	...	Vic
Jeffrey Howard	...	Ned Rifle
Holly Marie Combs	...	Kim
Joe Stevens	...	Jack
Damian Young	...	Sheriff
Marietta Marich	...	Mom (Meg)
John MacKay	...	Dad
Bethany Wright	...	Mary
Richard Reyes	...	Security Guard

Storyline

Bitter about being double-crossed by the women he loved, (and with the police after him to boot), Bill vows to seduce the next woman he sees, then throw her away. His brother Dennis, meanwhile, is equally determined to track down their long lost father, a revolutionary who has been in hiding for 20 years. For different reasons, both leave New York and head for Long Island, out of money, and short on ideas. D:"Long Island is a a terminal moraine." B:"What's that?" D:"It's the material left behind when a glacier recedes." D:"Gee, then what the hell are we waiting for?"

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Plot Keywords:

police | money | hiding | psychotic | sheriff | 

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Taglines:

There's no such thing as adventure and romance, only trouble and desire.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

Italy UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 1992 (UK)

Also Known As:

Begär, besvär och enkla män

Filming Locations:

Houston, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$141,554 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse, Channel Four Films, Fine Line Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"There's no such thing as adventure. There's no such thing as romance. There's only trouble and desire." It's probably the best-known phrase of this movie, but actually it's a quote from 'Lang, Fritz''s movie _Dr. Mabuse, der Spieler (1922)_.

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Quotes

Elina: [after Dennis kisses her] You shouldn't do that.
Dennis McCabe: Why not?
Elina: Because I'm your father's girlfriend?
Dennis McCabe: My father's a womanizer. He's a married man and he stood you up.
Elina: You have no respect for your father.
Dennis McCabe: I don't know him. But I respect his taste in women.
Elina: So then go make love to your mother.

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Connections

References First Name: Carmen (1983)

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Soundtracks

"Always Something"
Performed by Yo La Tengo
Written by Georgia Hubley & Ira Kaplan
Published by Roshashauna Music, BMI
Yo La Tengo appears courtesy of Alias Records, Inc.

User Reviews

The film that got me hooked on Hartley's movies

"Simple Men" is one of my favorites -- great acting, dialogue, and a bizarre plot, plus a great deal of ironic humor. One of the most attractive things about Hartley's films, however, is especially striking in this one -- the haunting and memorable background music. After this, see "The Unbelievable Truth." I'm looking forward to "Monster," which I hear also stars Robert Burke.