State and Main (2000)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

David Mamet

Writer (WGA):

David Mamet (written by)

Release Date:

12 January 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

When a film crew came to Waterford, Vermont - They Shot First And Asked Questions Later.

Plot:

A movie crew invades a small town whose residents are all too ready to give up their values for showbiz glitz.

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Film Making | Film In Film | Statutory Rape | Product Placement

Awards:

7 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Michael Higgins	...	Doc Wilson
Michael Bradshaw	...	Priest
Morris Lamore	...	Bunky
Allen Soule	...	Spud
Clark Gregg	...	Doug Mackenzie
Rebecca Pidgeon	...	Ann
Ricky Jay	...	Jack
Julia Stiles	...	Carla
Matt Malloy	...	Hotel Clerk
Charles Durning	...	Mayor George Bailey
Tony V.	...	Water Delivery Man
Tony Mamet	...	Electrician
Jack Wallace	...	Bellhop
Michael James O'Boyle	...	Chuckie
Charlotte Potok	...	Maude

Also Known As:

Séquences et conséquences (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief sexual images.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Beverly, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Filmtown Entertainment

Trivia:

The reason for the Crazy Credit "A complete list of associate producers is available on request" is that, throughout the film, anyone who could help make the film-within-the-film was given an associate producer credit.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Reflected in car window near end of the picture.

Quotes:

Production Assistant: Your wife's on the phone.
Walt Price: I have no wife!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dialing Up 'Cellular' (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Song of the Old Mill

Brilliantly acted and refreshingly original!

I haven't been thoroughly following David Mamet's career, but just watching this film, "American Buffalo" and "Glengarry Glen Ross" I already get a feel of his unique style of writing. It's very witty, very original and he has certain trademarks, like quick exchanges of dialogue between actors and repeating of the same sentence of dialogue in a group of lines. Well, his uniqueness is quite evident in watching this movie and it works quite well.

First I'll mention the vast array of talented actors. I don't think the casting could've been any better. Character actor William H. Macy is brilliant as the almost unscrupulous director, who will do ANYTHING--and I'm not exaggerating the least bit--to get his picture done. Fellow character actor/fellow PT Anderson regular Philip Seymour-Hoffman turns in another brilliant, yet subtle performance as the shy but appealing and wildly creative screenwriter who is the fuel of this cinematic project. As I said, he's made a significant--and extremely impressive--transition from playing the airhead jerk in "Scent of a Woman" and "Twister" to playing deep character roles like this. He ranks among the top in my list of Best Underrated Actors (along with Macy) and I hope one of these days he'll become a household name. David Peymer, I think, delivers the best performance of his career as the fast-talking, sniveling producer. I've always known he was a good actor, but he truly flaunts his knack for acting and taking risks in this role. It figures that playwright Mamet would assemble a group of fine character actors, instead of simply casting people who "look good on camera." That's one of the advantages of having a playwright as a director.

The script is wildly original and kept me laughing. There are many interesting, memorable quotes. And this is just a fine adult comedy (Thank God!!). With the explosion of teen gross-out comedies, I'm sure audiences will cherish a comedy like this. It works in all aspects. Not only is it well-performed, but it's well-written (lots of comedies only contain one of those factors). And it's all done in good taste. So those of you expecting cheap sex jokes and low-brow gags involving bodily functions--sorry to disappoint you! There are no cliches. This movie is an explosion of Mamet's gift for creativity. Take for example, the relationship between Hoffman and the beautiful Rebecca Pidgeon. They don't have a sex scene. Most of their screen time is spent talking and getting to know each other, sharing their thoughts on writing, researching the town's history, finding out how much they have in common. Do we still see that in the movies? Character development in romance? In the scene where Hoffman is in the hotel room with Sarah Jessica Parker lying on the bed naked, and Pidgeon knocks on his door to greet him with a bouquet of flowers, there's no predictability. You would assume she would take one look at Parker's naked body and punch him in face. I'm not going to give away what happens, but that moment stuck in my mind, because it is the first film I've seen to go a different route with the whole "girlfriend catches you in bed with another girl" premise.

"State and Main" is pleasant, light-hearted, funny, original comedy and it's one I'd definitely recommend. If you want to see great performances and laugh at good, tasteful humor--you can't go wrong!

My score: 7 (out of 10)