Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001)

In New York City, the lives of a lawyer, an actuary, a house-cleaner, a professor, and the people around them intersect as they ponder order and happiness in the face. of life's cold unpredictability.

Director:

Jill Sprecher

Writers:

Karen Sprecher, Jill Sprecher

Stars:

Matthew McConaughey, David Connolly, John Turturro

10 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew McConaughey	...	Troy
David Connolly	...	Owen
Joseph Siravo	...	Bureau Chief
A.D. Miles	...	Co-Worker
Sig Libowitz	...	Assistant Attorney
James Yaegashi	...	Legal Assistant
Dion Graham	...	Defense Attorney
Fernando López	...	Defendant (as Fernando Lopez)
Brian Smiar	...	Judge
Paul Austin	...	Bartender
Allie Woods Jr.	...	Cab Driver (as Allie Woods)
John Turturro	...	Walker
Amy Irving	...	Patricia
Barbara Sukowa	...	Helen
Rob McElhenney	...	Chris Hammond, Aspiring Medical Student

Storyline

A physics professor approaching middle age decides to change his life with unexpected results. A rising young prosecuting attorney's plans are thrown into disarray as the result of a single careless act while distracted. A woman reluctantly faces her husband's infidelity. An envious insurance claims manager with family problems seeks revenge on a cheerful coworker, but has second thoughts. And an optimistic young cleaning woman awaits a miracle, only to have her faith shaken by a traumatic event. These ordinary people all find themselves asking the fundamental question philosophers have pondered throughout history: What is happiness, and how does one achieve it?

---

Plot Keywords:

professor | happiness | physics | insurance | house cleaner | 

---

Taglines:

Ask yourself if you're really happy.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures Classics

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Italian

Release Date:

29 March 2002 (Italy)

Also Known As:

13 Conversations

Filming Locations:

Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$89,499 (USA) (24 May 2002)

Gross:

$3,287,435 (USA) (27 November 2002)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Stonelock Pictures, Single Cell Pictures, double A Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The films story is inspired by two different head injuries that director Jill Sprecher endured.

---

Goofs

After Beatrice (the house cleaner) gets out of the hospital and goes to live with her mother, she has candles lit on the bureau. Her mother says that they're a "fire hazard" and blows them out; we see her bend down, blow out the four candles on the right of the mirror (accompanied with four blowing sounds) and stand up. When she stands up, we see that all six candles, including the two to the left of the mirror, are smoking; however, she never extinguished the two on the left.

---

Quotes

Walker: Why do you wanna be a doctor anyhow?
Chris Hammond: So I can help people.
Walker: How? By keeping them alive today so you can prolong their misery until tomorrow?

---

Crazy Credits

Shawn Elliott is correctly spelled in the first set of credits, but is spelled as 'Shawn Elliot" in the end credits.

---

Connections

Featured in The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003)

---

Soundtracks

"Put on a Happy Face"
Performed by Matt Monro
Music by Charles Strouse
Lyrics by Lee Adams
© 1960 Strada Music (ASCAP)
Administered by Helene Blue Musique LTD
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

perhaps one of the best movies I have ever seen

13 Conversations is amazing. I don't say this lightly, but I would count it, perhaps, as one of the best movies I have ever seen. Concise, thoughtful, smart, perfectly woven. I have watched it a few times, and each time, it inspired me and made me think. The dialogue was economic; the shooting exact. The music was brilliant. Casting was terrific, and acting, excellent. The DP and gaffing work were masterful, as the film's colors were so clean and fresh, it made you think it wasn't New York City, but rather, any city -- allowing the story to breathe and blossom. That is a real achievement for a film set in NYC. In short, everything in the film was just as it should be -- fitting its own story perfectly, representing its thoughts, its characters, its themes with seemingly effortless grace and poetry. I am amazed that the Sprecher sisters aren't major household names with six picture studio deals -- they are talented filmmakers with a unique, creative voice. (It is frustrating today that the lowest common denominator of blockbuster fare seem often to be given more money and coverage than filmmakers like the Sprechers who make true gems.) 13 Conversations is intelligent, moving, and beautiful. Definitely a film to make sure to see.