Simple Men (1992)

Bitter about being double-crossed by the women he loved, (and with the police after him to boot), Bill vows to seduce the next woman he sees, then throw her away. His brother Dennis, ... See full summary »

Director:

Hal Hartley

Writer:

Hal Hartley

Stars:

Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, Martin Donovan

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert John Burke	...	Bill McCabe (as Robert Burke)
Bill Sage	...	Dennis McCabe
Karen Sillas	...	Kate
Elina Löwensohn	...	Elina
Martin Donovan	...	Martin
Mark Chandler Bailey	...	Mike (as Mark Bailey)
Chris Cooke	...	Vic
Jeffrey Howard	...	Ned Rifle
Holly Marie Combs	...	Kim
Joe Stevens	...	Jack
Damian Young	...	Sheriff
Marietta Marich	...	Mom (Meg)
John MacKay	...	Dad
Bethany Wright	...	Mary
Richard Reyes	...	Security Guard

Storyline

Bitter about being double-crossed by the women he loved, (and with the police after him to boot), Bill vows to seduce the next woman he sees, then throw her away. His brother Dennis, meanwhile, is equally determined to track down their long lost father, a revolutionary who has been in hiding for 20 years. For different reasons, both leave New York and head for Long Island, out of money, and short on ideas. D:"Long Island is a a terminal moraine." B:"What's that?" D:"It's the material left behind when a glacier recedes." D:"Gee, then what the hell are we waiting for?"

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Plot Keywords:

the madison dance | tree planting | held at gunpoint | nun smoking | telephone booth | 

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Taglines:

There's no such thing as adventure and romance, only trouble and desire.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

"There's no such thing as adventure. There's no such thing as romance. There's only trouble and desire." It's probably the best-known phrase of this movie, but actually it's a quote from Fritz Lang's movie Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922).

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Quotes

Sheriff: Why do women exist?

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Connections

References Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (1922)

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Soundtracks

Some Kinda Fatigue
Performed by Yo La Tengo
Written by Ira Kaplan
Published by Roshashauna Music, BMI
Yo La Tengo appears courtesy of Alias Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Sublime and heartfelt

This is a beautifully made film that has dialogue that literally sparkles and puts 90% of Hollywood scripts to shame though that is admittedly not too difficult. I adore Hartley's use of language and the way he lets the actors perform in front of his camera. The post-drinking scene where they dance to Sonic Youth's Kool Thing is inspired cinema, also the scene where Donovan lists his decent bands 'the old Who'. The best scene is at the end though. I find it incredibly moving each time that this man who has constantly denied his feelings and fought his past is drawn to rest his head gently on the breast of the woman he has grown to love. Though surrounded by police the camera focuses only on his face as we hear the words 'Don't move' off-camera. Why would he move when he has finally found where he belongs? Immaculate framing, marvellous pace and a genuinely affecting story all combine to make this my second favourite Hartley film after 'Amateur' which is untouchable as far as I am concerned.

Details

Country:

Italy UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 November 1992 (UK)

Also Known As:

Simple Men

Filming Locations:

Seabrook, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$141,554

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$143,010

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse, Channel Four Films, Fine Line Features

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1