The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002)

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

Director:

Alan Rudolph

Writers:

Jane Smiley (novel), Craig Lucas (screenplay)

Stars:

Campbell Scott, Hope Davis, Denis Leary

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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)

Storyline

The movie centers on a dentist who has a strange dream that blurs the boundaries between fantasy and reality.

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Plot Keywords:

dentist | dental | opera | alter ego | infidelity | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 August 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

La vida secreta de un dentista

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$121,769, 3 August 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,707,201, 28 December 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Holedigger Films, Ready Made Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

With an opera singer wife, he should have known to tell his daughters to shout "Brava!" and not "Bravo!" for their mother's performance.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Nabucco
Written by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Giangiacomo Guelfi, Gianni Raimondi, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Elena Suliotis, Gloria Lane,
Giovanni Foiani, Piero De Palma, Mirella Fiorentini
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala
Conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni
Courtesy of Opera D'Oro Records and Allegro Corporation

User Reviews

Go with no expectations.

First of all, the front page review for this movie makes me wonder if the person actually watched the film. Or perhaps s/he got up to get some popcorn during an especially critical scene, but we definitely do find out whether or not David (Campbell Scott) is correct is in belief that Dana (Hope Davis) is having an affair.

Secondly, this was a good, honest character driven movie. I was shocked at the low overall score, and I wonder whether most moviegoers these days lack the patience or attention span required to sit through a film whose sole purpose is to take the audience on a tour through the characters' relationships and private hopes, fears, and desires. There is virtually no action (in the typical Hollywood sense), no flash, and no monumental act of god or nature that is meant to shock. Instead, this is a film that all of us should be able to relate to on the most simple, human levels. It examines those day to day pieces of life that we take for granted, but which quietly take their toll. Perhaps the most profound line in the film is when Davis' character tells her husband that she expected their marriage to "get wider...but instead it just got smaller." The film reminded me a lot of another character-driven film about misunderstandings, dysfunctional relationships, and the inability to communicate: "You Can Count on Me." Both films are deeply intelligent, and both require their audiences to be as open and honest in what they allow themselves to get from the film as the movie is in giving it. In a nutshell, you will get out of this film what you are willing to put in. That being said, it's not for everyone. If you like fast action, melodrama, and lots of flash and glitter, this film is not for you. In you like a contemplative, honest piece of art, check it out.