State and Main

Starring:Michael Higgins, Michael Bradshaw, Morris Lamore, Allen Soule, Clark Gregg, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ricky Jay, Julia Stiles, Matt Malloy, Charles Durning, Tony V., Tony Mamet, Jack Wallace, Michael James O'Boyle, Charlotte Potok, Christopher Kaldor, Frederic Levy, J.J. Johnston, Patti LuPone, Dick Friedman
Director: David Mamet
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Pity the poor film director (William H. Macy). He's arrived with cast and crew in the perfectly Rockwellian town of Waterford, Vermont, only to discover that the local mill--a crucial location for his movie, since it's titled "The Old Mill"--burned down in 1960. The idealistic screenwriter (Philip Seymour Hoffman) would rather pursue a pure-hearted local (Rebecca Pidgeon) than do a last-minute rewrite; the town's aspiring politico (Clark Gregg) wants to milk the production for every dime it's worth; the oft-exposed bimbo starlet (Sarah Jessica Parker) is now balking at her contractual nude scene; and a local teenager (Julia Stiles) is only too willing to exploit the indiscretions of the film's skirt-chasing star (Alec Baldwin). And of course, the power-wielding producer (David Paymer) is panicking about everything.

Amazon.com

Pity the poor film director (William H. Macy). He's arrived with cast and crew in the perfectly Rockwellian town of Waterford, Vermont, only to discover that the local mill--a crucial location for his movie, since it's titled "The Old Mill"--burned down in 1960. The idealistic screenwriter (Philip Seymour Hoffman) would rather pursue a pure-hearted local (Rebecca Pidgeon) than do a last-minute rewrite; the town's aspiring politico (Clark Gregg) wants to milk the production for every dime it's worth; the oft-exposed bimbo starlet (Sarah Jessica Parker) is now balking at her contractual nude scene; and a local teenager (Julia Stiles) is only too willing to exploit the indiscretions of the film's skirt-chasing star (Alec Baldwin). And of course, the power-wielding producer (David Paymer) is panicking about everything.

Welcome to David Mamet's State and Main, the acclaimed writer-director's funniest and most accessible film to date, propelled by the rocket fuel of Mamet's show-biz experience and driven by an ensemble cast that simply couldn't be better. Naturally, the writer's dilemma is the meatiest one--will he be noble or sell out?--and Mamet arrives at a solution that's as hilarious as it is morally justified. Along the way, the rigors of filmmaking are explored with farcical abandon, such as how to provide a high-tech product placement... in a 19th-century story. Mamet's razor-sharp dialogue is gourmet popcorn here--each kernel yields a tasty surprise--and the whole scenario (intentionally modeled in the style of Preston Sturges) plays out with the breezy assurance of vintage screwball comedy. It's pure gold from start to finish, and even the closing credits offer another reason to laugh. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Small town USA meets big city slickers.......2005-10-03

This comedy takes the unoriginal concept of bringing big-town city-slickers to small-town real folk, but in fairness, they try to add a few new twists. Overall, it didn't work for me. A movie crew takes over a small Vermont town, and even though this movie has a couple of big, expensive stars, they arrive on the scene without a script. No problem, they've brought along a script writer, who has had some experience writing plays. The male star, Alec Baldwin, is a notorious pedophile whose vice is tolerated by everyone. "Everyone needs a hobby," is his excuse. The female star, Sarah Jessica Parker, is a typical prima donna. The script writer is a confused, conflicted, ambivalent mess, with no gift for verbal expression, and it is a wonder that he has achieved any success with his writing. The Vermonters do not come off as stereotypical, but they don't come off as normal, either. The big-city slickers are excessively vulgar, as if to underscore that they are big-city slickers. As a light comedy, this film has its moments, but since one theme of the film is about second chances, I would not watch this film a second time, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone even for a first time

"GO HUSKIES!".......2005-09-24

It sure sounds familiar. A Hollywood film crew causes havoc in a small American town while filming a movie. It seems they were kicked out of a previous small town due to the lead actor's (Alec Baldwin), penchant for young teenage girls. And it's deja vu all over again.

What I liked about "State and Main" is it's treatment of the small town locals as being as sophisticated, savvy, and in the case ot the young teenage girl, promiscuous as the blindsided big city moviemakers, while never abandoning it's Rockwellian small town charm, or it's big city smarts. It's a perfect marriage of the two cultures clashing, never wallwoing in the expected morales and pathos of its conflict.

The ensemble cast takes David Mamet's witty and clever script and flesh out the characters to sharp edged precision and humor. William H. Macy is perfectly and forgivingly corrupt as the film's director, (he'd kill a horse to make a dead horse scene look real), and Rebecca Pidgeon radiates a secure small town confidence as the local book store owner forced to abandon her plans for a community play, while setting her sights on the film's morally conflicted writer.

Best Thing on Film Ever.......2005-09-20

This is one of the very few movies that both my wife and I love and have watched several times and never get sick of it. It is hard to believe that David Mamet has something this good inside of him - it has to do with people not crime and violence.

If you like this one, you will probably like "Breaking Away", "Strictly Ballroom", "Dirty Dancing", "What Planet Are You From?" (Mike Nichols), and the Burt Reynolds classic "The End" (the movie for people who don't even like Burt Reymolds).

For Mamet fans only!.......2005-06-15

I couldn't get past the very stylized dialogue which seemed to coming from the same source although different actors were speaking. The characters are cliches through and through and does anyone really speak the way the people do? Mamet appears to have never left Manhattan and has no clue to writing non urban roles or a script with enough nuance to delineate his characters perspective. To be honest I didn't finish the entire film, but instead checked the TV Guide for reruns of Northern Exposure for the real thing.

State and Main, , The Old Water Mill or Without Title.......2005-03-22

This gem of a movie was probably not a blockbuster when released. The storyline is thin and almost non-existent, it could be summed up as "Everyone gets the chance to screw up a second time". Nevertheless, there are enough twists and turns to make what story there is interesting. This must be the sort of movie that every good actor and actress would love to have a role in as the screenplay has been written by an accomplished playwright. It is a farcical melodrama rather than a comedy but nonetheless highly enjoyable.

A film-making team, hard up on critical funds, has just been thrown out of a small town in New Hampshire. Their movie's plot necessitates the choice of a small town New England locale and a water mill (one reason why they are short of funds is that they had to build an old water mill replica in the New Hampshire town). As the movie begins The Director and his crew find themselves in a small town in Vermont (actually most of the scenes are shot in Connecticut or Massachusetts). The beauty of the location is well-captured by excellent photography. The makers of "State and Main" did not fall into the trap of shooting the film during the Fall. New England fall colours would be a major distraction although Alfred Hitchcock's black comedy "The Trouble With Harry" succeeded despite being shot in Vermont at the peak of the fall leaf colour season, but then Hitchcock was an exceptional genius.

The small town has being going on in its leisurely way until the film crew arrive. The obvious star of "State and Main" is Philip Seymour Hoffman a previously little known Hollywood actor whose first appeared on the screen as the spoilt rich Daddy supported George Willis Jr. In that memorable Al Pacino film, "Scent of a Woman". Hoffman's key role in "State and Main" is as the author and screen play writer for the movie within the movie. The better known Hollywood star Alec Baldwin plays the lesser role of the film-in making's male star. He is portrayed as a lustful male whose sexual preference is of under age nubile girls.

The Director is played by William H. Macy, who is completely unflappable no matter what. The producer arrives after the crew has settled in. The role is played by droopy-eyed David Paymer, who is completely obsessed with money and will bribe anyone to get things moving. The male star lead is almost fatally distracted by a young teenager (Julia Stiles). The female lead and siren, Sarah Jessica Parker, demands substantial extra money for appearing naked in a scene claiming that she has found religion. Hoffman is smitten in the heart by an attractive young woman (Rebecca Pidgeon) in the town who is engaged or semi-engaged to the local bad man and town councillor.

I will leave it to the reader's imagination to find out if the film crew gets the second chance to screw up again. The movie is directed by David Mamet, a leading American playwright. Mamet wrote the screen plays for "The Postman Always Rings Twice", "The Untouchables" , and had a minor role as a performer in the 1986 thriller "Black Widow". He has directed several movies aside from this one in the past 17 years.

It is evident that Mamet , who also wrote the screen play for this charming melodrama, was at a loss for a suitable title for the film, just like the director in the play, who wanted to call his movie "The Old Mill", only to find out, upon arrival in the Vermont town, that the much advertised "Old Mill" had burnt down in 1960. So Mamet settled on the uninspiring title "State and Main"" from the intersection where the town's brand new traffic lights still stand at the start of the movie. Interestingly enough the title for the DVD version of "State and Main" circulating in Greece is translated as "Without Title". I am fairly confident that this little known 102 minute movie will become a movie buff's classic one day.

Average customer rating:

Small town USA meets big city slickers
"GO HUSKIES!"
Best Thing on Film Ever
For Mamet fans only!
State and Main, , The Old Water Mill or Without Title

State and Main [Region 2]
Starring: Michael Higgins , Michael Bradshaw , Morris Lamore , Allen Soule , and Clark Gregg
Director: David Mamet
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video