200 Cigarettes (1999)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Risa Bramon Garcia

Writer (WGA):

Shana Larsen (written by)

Release Date:

26 February 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's 11:59 on New Year's Eve. Do you know where your date is?

Plot:

A collection of twentysomethings try to cope with relationships, loneliness, desire and their individual neuroses.

Plot Keywords:

Party | Bartender | Cab Driver | Licking | 8 Track

Cast

Ben Affleck	...	Bartender
Casey Affleck	...	Tom
Jennifer Albano	...	Cheryl
Jenni Blong	...	Cheryl's Friend (as Jenny Blong)
Morgan Brown	...	French Rocker
Caleb Carr	...	Cynical Bar Patron
Dave Chappelle	...	Disco Cabbie
Elvis Costello	...	Himself
Guillermo Díaz	...	Dave (as Guillermo Diaz)
Angela Featherstone	...	Caitlyn
Patrick Frederic	...	Tiki Sobbing Man
Janeane Garofalo	...	Ellie
Gaby Hoffmann	...	Stephie
Kate Hudson	...	Cindy
David Johansen	...	Tiki Bartender

Also Known As:

The Islander (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and sexual content.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | USA:R (Certificate #36367) | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Germany:12 | Iceland:L | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Spain:18 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Dogstar Films

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: While the two girls from Lake Ronkonkoma say they need to catch the last train, and the trains run 24/7, they are using that as an exit line.

Quotes:

Ellie: I've dated enough narcissistically neurotic men to know that you are all just a pack of roving babies in search of a giant teat from which to suck the lifeblood out of me until I am a hollow shell.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (1999-03-06)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Our Lips Are Sealed

Cleverly Disguised chick-flick

This movie had a lot of bad things said about it upon its release, but my girlfriend dragged me to it anyway. I didn't really like it, but after extended conversation, we realized exactly what we were dealing with.

And that is, a movie before its time. Most all cinema, both in and out of Hollywood, is brought to us by upper-class white males, complete with their beliefs, morals, what have you. One would argue, then, that even if a film came from someone who was not an upper-class white male would still have to work within that system, probably even being influenced by it, in order to get a film made.

Note, then, that this film was written by a woman, and directed by a woman. The characters in it are not testoserone-driven or in any way the pumped-up dumbed-down characters we have seen in recent decades. They are sensitive, but open to communication, a little irrational at times, but still human. They are characters from the female mind, a female psychology, and have very feminine ways in interacting with each other.

Then note that is was probably marketed by the same male-dominated Hollywood.

This is, of course, mostly backed up with the amount of psychology classes I have taken, but the simple version is that when this movie was new, I discussed it with many of my friends. All of the men either had no desire to see it, or hated it. Every single one of the women thought it was excellent.

Granted, this is a common rationale used by people who think themselves movie critics, but just you try seeing with a member of the opposite sex, and see how your opinions differ.

This is the first movie of a New Hollywood, tho it will certainly not be remmebered as such. Check it out and see what I mean.