The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002)

Director:

Alan Rudolph

Writers (WGA):

Jane Smiley (novel)
Craig Lucas (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 July 2004 (Argentina)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An introspective dentist's suspicions about his wife's infidelity stresses his mental well being and family life to the breaking point.

Plot Keywords:

Dentist | Opera | Alter Ego | Infidelity | Saxophone

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Campbell Scott	...	David Hurst
Denis Leary	...	Slater
Robin Tunney	...	Laura
Peter Samuel	...	Larry
Hope Davis	...	Dana Hurst
Jon Patrick Walker	...	Mark
Gianna Beleno	...	Lizzie Hurst
Lydia Jordan	...	Stephanie Hurst
Cassidy Hinkle	...	Leah Hurst
Adele D'Man	...	Carol
Kathleen Kinhan	...	Virgin
Sara Lerch	...	Virgin
Lori Mirabal	...	Virgin
Mark Ethan	...	Conductor
Flora Martínez	...	Female Patient (as Flora Martinez)
J. Tucker Smith	...	Handsome Patient
Kevin Carroll	...	Dr. Danny
Kate Clinton	...	Elaine
Herbie Ade	...	Male Patient (as Herbert Ade)
Aisha De Haas	...	Policewoman
Susie Essman	...	Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Randy Clark	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Rudolph

Writing credits (WGA)
Jane Smiley		(novella "The Age of Grief")
Craig Lucas		(screenplay)

Produced by
Jonathan Filley	....	executive producer
Martin Garvey	....	executive producer
David Newman	....	executive producer
Campbell Scott	....	producer
George VanBuskirk	....	producer

Original Music by
Gary DeMichele

Cinematography by
Florian Ballhaus

Film Editing by
Andy Keir

Casting by
Pam Dixon		(as Pam Dixon Mickelson)

Production Design by
Ted Glass

Art Direction by
Anna Louizos

Set Decoration by
Alyssa Winter

Costume Design by
Amy Westcott

Makeup Department
Sherry Heart	....	key hair stylist
Susan Reilly LeHane	....	key makeup artist
Tania Ribalow	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Jonathan Filley	....	unit production manager
John A. Machione	....	unit production manager (as John Machione)
Kelly Miller	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jan Sebastian Ballhaus	....	first assistant director
Francisco Ortiz	....	dga trainee
Danielle Rigby	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Gregg Anaroni	....	set dresser
Wayne Brackett	....	set dresser
Joseph DeLuca	....	on-set dresser
Sarah Dennis	....	art department assistant
Peter Gelfman	....	property master
Caroline Irons	....	camera scenic artist
Eric Lewin	....	set dresser
Robin McAllister	....	additional props
Robin McAllister	....	property assistant
Addy McClelland	....	art coordinator
Jeff Naparstek	....	set dresser
Will Scheck	....	second props
Mark Paul Selemon	....	on-set dresser (as Mark Selemon)
Greg Sullivan	....	charge scenic artist
Chris Vogt	....	lead man
Dave Weinman	....	lead man

Sound Department
Nancy Cabrera	....	foley artist
Ryan Collison	....	foley engineer
Gerald Donlan	....	adr editor
Mariusz Glabinski	....	sound effects editor
Marlena Grzaslewicz	....	supervising dialogue editor
Bruce Kitzmeyer	....	sound editor
Thomas Kodros	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Kevin Meehan	....	boom operator
Branka Mrkic	....	dialogue editor
Anne Pope	....	assistant sound editor
Schavaria Reeves	....	additional boom operator
Schavaria Reeves	....	cable person
William Sarokin	....	production sound mixer
Ira Spiegel	....	supervising sound editor
Suzie Hollander	....	dailies synching (uncredited)
David Yonson	....	adr recordist (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Janos Pilenyi	....	visual effects producer
Ariel Enriquez Saulog	....	visual effects artist

Stunts
Norman Douglass	....	stunt double
Roy Farfel	....	stunt coordinator
Don Hewitt	....	stunt coordinator
Jodi Michelle Pynn	....	stunt double
Keith Siglinger	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Robert M. Andres	....	key grip
Alison Barton	....	grip
Mel Cannon	....	dolly grip
Caesar S. Carnevale	....	second assistant camera (as Caesar Carnevale)
Andy Day	....	gaffer
Samuel G. Friedman	....	electrician
Charlie Grubbs	....	lamp operator (as Charles Grubbs)
Michael Hunold	....	lamp operator
Hollis Meminger	....	camera loader
Heather Norton	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Rocco Palmieri	....	best boy electric
John Panuccio	....	grip (as Jack Panuccio)
Michael Lee Reed	....	generator operator
Joyce Rudolph	....	still photographer
Chris Skutch	....	best boy grip
Susan Starr	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Beth Bowling	....	casting: New York
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting
Kim Miscia	....	casting: New York
Grant Wilfley	....	extras casting
Rebecca Rian	....	casting assistant (uncredited)
Kristian Sorge	....	extras casting associate (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Diana J. Collins	....	set costumer
Jessica Jahn	....	costume assistant
Pamela Kezal	....	wardrobe supervisor
Lisa Marzolf	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Charlene Hamer	....	first assistant editor (as Char Hamer)
Fred Heid	....	color timer
Misako Shimizu	....	assistant film editor
Aaron Yanes	....	editing production assistant

Music Department
John M. Davis	....	music editor
Lee Mars	....	music scoring mixer
Jonathan McHugh	....	music supervisor
Henry Salgado	....	musician

Transportation Department
Kevin Flynn	....	transportation co-captain
Edward O'Donnell	....	transportation coordinator (as Ed O'Donnell)

Other crew
Tara Andrus	....	office production assistant
Brian Cantaldi	....	first assistant accountant
Alison S. Cohen	....	production counsel
Christina Dukagjini	....	office production assistant
Tracy Ershow	....	set production assistant
Kimberly Feinman	....	location assistant
Cliff Fuller	....	assistant production office coordinator
Amy R. Gorin	....	location assistant
Meghan McElheny	....	set production assistant (as Meghan McElhenry 'Irish')
Anthony Pettine	....	script supervisor
David Price	....	production coordinator
Kimberly Reiss	....	assistant: Mr. Rudolph
Jason Rody	....	key production assistant
Peter Samuel	....	dialogue coach: children
Steven Weisberg	....	assistant location manager
Mimi Wyeth	....	production accountant
Tom Yeager	....	location manager

Production Companies

• Holedigger Films
• Ready Made Film

Distributors

• Alfa Films (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• DPI (2005) (Russia) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Manhattan Pictures International (2003) (North America)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Cineric (digital visual effects)

Other Companies

• 701 Sound  sound
• Epstein, Levinsohn, Bodine, Hurwitz & Weinstein  legal services
• J.G. Films  negative cutting
• Lightnin' Production Rentals  transportation equipment
• Post Production Playground  video dailies
• Sound One Corporation  sound re-recorded at

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality and language

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R | Argentina:16 | Chile:14 | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | UK:15 | Australia:M | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:11 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Westchester County, New York, USA

Company:

Holedigger Films

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: There is a boom mic visible in the upper right of the screen in the scene where the father comes to check on the mother while she's sick in the bedroom. As the camera zooms in, the mike disappears from the frame.

Quotes:

Slater:These children are monsters, they should be struck... can I hit them?
David Hurst:No.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Maltin on Movies: The Cast of the Amazing Spider-Man (#1.79)" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Lung Shadows

Root canal, anyone?

Alan Rudolph has come out, again, a winner with this taut dramatic comedy. The screen play by Craig Lucas, and based on a Jane Smiley's book, is a story about what happens to a married couple that is overwhelmed with the daily wear and tear of their suburban boredom.

David Hurst discovers at the very beginning of the film that his wife might be having an extra marital affair. The only problem is, he never gets to know who this person is that his wife, Dana, is seeing on the sly. All appearances point out to the fact that his dentist wife, has found someone that satisfies her more than the good husband.

Now, is it real, or is Dave seeing things? It's very easy to think that yes, Dana is cheating on her husband, yet, we never get any conclusive evidence this is so.

The wife, evidently, in this marriage is overwhelmed by her own life. She has her own practice as a dentist; she is a full fledged mother with three little girls that are showing signs of collective neurosis at a very early age in life, and she is an member of the chorus of the local opera company, which consumes all the free time she has.

Therefore, Dana's relationship with Dave suffers as they don't communicate. We never see them confronting what's wrong with their marriage, or what's driving them apart. Dave never has the courage to question Dana about her odd behavior. He is a coward who would rather keep a status quo and would never question the wife he clearly adores. There is a hidden drama between these two that never comes out in the open at all. It is a miracle they have stayed together for as long as they have since by all apparent reasons, this marriage should have been over a long, long time ago.

Campbell Scott is an actor whose face registers all the emotions this David Hurst is feeling without much effort. His take on this dentist is so incredible that one feels he is the real dentist at all times. One wouldn't mind going to him for a root canal, or any dental problem, as you know he is a decent person, even when he treats the patient from hell, Dennis Leary, at the beginning of the film.

Hope Davis is perfection herself in her approach to Dana. She is the mother of the three troubled little girls, as well as the wife of Dave. She hasn't enough time to pursue all she wants in life. Maybe she married David for the wrong reasons; perhaps she should have left this situation a long time ago. Who knows what's on her mind? Ms Davis is a fine actress who always delivers. In the hands of Alan Rudolph she is at the top of her form.

The three little Hurst girls are fine as the daughters of Dave and Dana and Dennis Leary is excellent as Dave's conscience in a very subtle role that he makes it his own.