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State and Main, 2000

State and Main

English, Italian

France, USA

Rating:6.8
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Profile of State and Main

The mood of State and Main is biting, witty, and humorous. The plot centers around filmmaking, showbiz, and a situation where nothing goes right. It features irreverent humor. State and Main is a comedy movie. Stylistically, it is a film in a film, features an all-star cast, and is talky. In approach, it is realistic. State and Main takes place, at least partly, in a small town. It happens in the 1990s. The movie is known for being an award winner and critically acclaimed. State and Main is especially suggested for a date night.

Summary of State and Main

In the screwball comedy State and Main, writer-director David Mamet reveals that the only thing more corrupt than Hollywood moviemaking is a small American town that is willing to stoop to any level to be a part of it. Marshalling an all-star ensemble, Mamet chronicles a movie production's arrival in sleepy Waterford, Vermont. Walt Price (William H. Macy), the smooth-talking, Machiavellian chief of the effort, has four days before shooting begins--he has to scout locations (the old mill he expected to use as a set burned down forty years ago), keep his egotistical stars out of trouble, and charm the locals. The writer, Joe White (Philip Seymour Hoffman), wrestles with endless script changes and finds himself getting involved with a charming Waterford bookshop owner (Rebecca Pidgeon). The townspeople only condemn the slick tinseltown interlopers when they're not currying their favor, hoping for a shot at the big time. Mamet lets each successive crisis among these folks build to hilarious chaos; healthy doses of one-liners and clever plotting are balanced with a character-driven comic tale. Mamet's dialogue, known for its rapid-fire, repetitious wit, is perfectly matched to both Macy's fast-talking damage control and Pidgeon's homespun wisdom--the result is light-hearted comedy that feels legitimately profound.

Details

Language: English, Italian
Country: France, USA
Release date: 12 October 2000
Runtime: 105 min

Cast and Crew

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Joseph Turner White in State and Main
Philip Seymour Hoffman

as Joseph Turner White

Alec Baldwin as Bob Barrenger in State and Main
Alec Baldwin

as Bob Barrenger

Photos

Julia Stiles as Carla Taylor in State and Main (2000)
Julia Stiles as Carla Taylor in State and Main (2000)
State and Main (2000)
State and Main (2000)
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Joe White in State and Main (2000)
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Joe White in State and Main (2000)
Rebecca Pidgeon and Philip Seymour Hoffman in State and Main (2000)
Rebecca Pidgeon and Philip Seymour Hoffman in State and Main (2000)
Rebecca Pidgeon as Ann Black in State and Main (2000)
Rebecca Pidgeon as Ann Black in State and Main (2000)
Sarah Jessica Parker and Alec Baldwin in State and Main (2000)
Sarah Jessica Parker and Alec Baldwin in State and Main (2000)

Critics Reviews

Rolling Stone
You may want to revisit this profanely hilarious Hollywood satire. . .just to catch the zingers the audience often drowns out with laughter. Hollywood corrupts absolutely, and Mamet turns the toxic process into the year's best and smartest comedy.
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  • by: Peter Travers
Variety
A bona fide populist laugh riot.
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  • by: Eddie Cockrell
Likely to see
Not for me

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