Metropolitan (1990)

A group of young upper-class Manhattanites are blithely passing through the gala debutante season, when an unusual outsider joins them and stirs them up.

Director:

Whit Stillman

Writer:

Whit Stillman

Stars:

Carolyn Farina, Edward Clements, Chris Eigeman

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carolyn Farina	...	Audrey Rouget
Edward Clements	...	Tom Townsend
Chris Eigeman	...	Nick Smith (as Christopher Eigeman)
Taylor Nichols	...	Charlie Black
Allison Parisi	...	Jane Clarke
Dylan Hundley	...	Sally Fowler
Isabel Gillies	...	Cynthia McLean
Bryan Leder	...	Fred Neff
Will Kempe	...	Rick Von Sloneker
Ellia Thompson	...	Serena Slocum (as Elizabeth Thompson)
Stephen Uys	...	Victor Lemley
Roger W. Kirby	...	Man at Bar
Alice Connorton	...	Mrs. Townsend
Linda Gillies	...	Mrs. Rouget
John Lynch	...	Allen Green (as John Lynch)

Storyline

In an apartment on Manhattan a couple of friends from the New York upper-class meet almost every night to talk about social mobility, play bridge and discuss Fourier's socialism; the cynic Nick, the philosophical Charlie, party girl Sally and austenite Audrey. They are joined by Tom. His background is much simpler and he is critical of their way of life. But he finds a soul mate in Audrey, who without his knowledge falls in love with him.

---

Plot Keywords:

upper class | new york city | debutante | socialite | aristocracy | 

---

Taglines:

Finally... A film about the downwardly mobile.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 August 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Metropolitan

Filming Locations:

Cornwall, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$225,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$2,938,208

Company Credits

Production Co:

Westerly Films, Allagash Films, Producciones Kaplan S.L.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the last film for most of the cast. Only three or four of the cast went on to have careers as actors.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Mrs. Rouget: You can't listen to what your younger brother has to say. I can't think of anyone less an authority of female anatomy.
Audrey Rouget: He can see... It's hideous.
Mrs. Rouget: No, it isn't. You're being very subjective. You know, there was a survey of girls your age some years ago and nearly all of them were convinced that either their behinds, or their noses, were grotesquely oversized. And there was no apparent correlation between this conviction and their actual size.
Audrey Rouget: Really? They did a survey of that?
Mrs. Rouget: Yes....

---

Connections

Referenced in The 63rd Annual Academy Awards (1991)

---

Soundtracks

Tell Me
Performed by Jock Davis
Courtesy of Jock Davis

User Reviews

Ironically sad and funny

This film is a brilliant talkfest, with the decline of the New York WASP social setting a major point. It's set on a couple weeks during the Christmas season, with Tom Townsend being invited to a party, much by chance, by Nick and his friends. He doesn't "belong", but everyone likes him, some more than others. He does seem rather odd, with his socialist ideas, and his anti-party attitude. What develops is an odd relationship between Tom and Nick, as well as between Tom and a girl named Audrey.

Christopher Eigmann, as Nick, is a stand out in this cast. He is cynical, pessimistic, yet probably the smartest one in the group. He spouts of dialogue with conviction and care.

What makes this film work is the slight sadness we feel at the disintegration of this class, without having ever been part of it.

Some people will find it boring. It doesn't have the prerequisite number of explosions for the action fans, and not much does happen. But the way this film is executed, where dialogue is the key, makes this film one of the ten best of 1990.