State and Main [Blu-ray]

Director: David Mamet David Mamet

Overview

Echoing the themes of Living in Oblivion and Irma Vep, David Mamet's seventh feature centers on the havoc wrought on the inhabitants of a small town by a troubled film production. After its leading man's propensity for teenage girls gets them banished from their New Hampshire location, a film crew relocates to the small town of Waterford, VT, to finish shooting "The Old Mill." As its title suggests, the film depends on the presence of a genuine mill, something the town is reported to possess. Unfortunately, with only days before principal photography begins, it becomes apparent that the mill in fact burned down decades ago. Unfazed, the film's director, Walt Price (William H. Macy), places his faith in the ability of first-time screenwriter Joseph Turner White (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to alter the script; what he doesn't count on is White's apparently bottomless reserve of angst-fueled writer's block. The film's leading lady (Sarah Jessica Parker) refuses to do her contracted nude scene unless she's give an ungodly sum of cash, while a foreign cinematographer offends the locals by messing with an historic firehouse, and the leading man, Bob Barrenger (Alec Baldwin), dallies with Carla (Julia Stiles), a crafty local teen. Everything comes to a head after Barrenger and Carla are injured in a car accident, which leads White to another emotional quandary and into the arms of Ann Black (Rebecca Pidgeon).

Product Details

Release Date:	07/27/2021
UPC:	0826663218596
Original Release:	2000
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Language:	English
Time:	1:45:00
Sales rank:	19,414

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Alec Baldwin	Bob
Charles Durning	Mayor Bailey
William H. Macy	Walt
Philip Seymour Hoffman	Joseph
Patti LuPone	Sherry
Sarah Jessica Parker	Claire
David Paymer	Marty
Rebecca Pidgeon	Ann,TV Reporter
Julia Stiles	Carla
Clark Gregg	Doug
Ricky Jay	Jack
Linda Kimbrough	Costume Designer
Jim Frangione	Tommy Max, First Assistant Director
Michael Higgins	Doc Wilson
Vinnie Gustafero	Uberto Pazzi
Lonnie Smith	Bill Smith,Bill Smith
Morris Lamore	Morris
Alan Soule	Spud,Spud
Chris Kaldor	Cal Thompkin,Officer Cal Thompkin
Laura Silverman	Secretary
Jerry Graff	Fake Judge
Jack Wallace	Bellhop
J.J. Johnston	Stationmaster
Danny Hovanesian	Bailiff
Brian Howe	Bartender
Timothy Jernigan-Smith	Billy on Bike
Michael James O'Boyle	Chuckie
Matt Malloy	Scott Larkin, Hotel Clerk
Michael Bradshaw	Priest
Tony Mamet	Electrician
Tony V.	Water Delivery Man
Lana Bilzerian	Girl Production Assistant
Kolbie McCabe	Girl on Scooter
Ken Cheeseman	Trooper No. 2
Jonathan Katz	Howie Gold
Emma Norman	Little Kid
Charlotte Potok	Maude
Josh Marchette	Production Assistant
Dee Nelson	Painter
Dick Friedman	Postman
Paul Butler	Real Judge
Roy Levin	Salesman,Salesman with Rubber Duck
Frederick Levy	Store Owner
Alexandra Kerry	Technician
Jordan Lage	Doc Morten
Leo Burns	Trooper No. 1
Vincent Guastaferro	Uberto Pazzi-Sforzo
Theodore Shapiro	Composer

Technical Credits

David Mamet

David Mamet	Director,Screenwriter
Alec Baldwin	Executive Producer
Jon Cornick	Executive Producer,Executive Producer,Producer
Sarah Green	Producer
Avy Kaufman	Casting
Peter Kunz	Special Effects
Manny Siverio	Stunts
Martin J. Barab	Producer
Willi Bär	Producer
Rachael Horovitz	Producer
Mark Ordesky	Producer
Alan Mruvka	Producer
Joey Nittolo	Producer
Russell Berg	Special Effects
Bill Anagnos	Stunts
David Boulton	Sound Effects
Rick Canelli	Sound Effects
Richard P. Cirincione	Sound Effects
Laura Civiello	Sound Effects
Ryan Collison	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

In this dark comedy, distinguished playwright-cum-filmmaker David Mamet trains his satiric guns on Hollywood hypocrites and lets 'em have it with both barrels. State and Main chronicles the misadventures of major-studio moviemakers who descend upon a picturesque New England village and turn it upside down prior to shooting their opus. Mamet's exemplary ensemble includes William H. Macy, playing a brusque director coping with egomaniacal stars and incompetent underlings; Philip Seymour Hoffman, as a sensitive screenwriter whose "baby" undergoes drastic revision; and Rebecca Pidgeon (Mamet's real-life wife), as an artistically inclined shopkeeper who befriends him. Joining them are Alec Baldwin, who portrays an aging Lothario with a penchant for underage girls; Julia Stiles, as an obliging local nymphet; and David Paymer in the requisite role of a foul-mouthed producer and willing extortionist. These colorful characters spout Mamet's sharp dialogue and give voice to his disdain for the pervasively amoral, exploitive tactics routinely employed by callous Hollywood filmmakers. He also slyly notes the corrupting effect they have on a movie-struck populace willing to sacrifice almost anything, including its integrity, for even the most casual contact with this glamorous industry. Deliciously tart and often hysterically funny, State and Main represents Mamet at his acidic best. He discusses his methods in a commentary for the DVD, which also offers DVD-ROM content, including a script-to-screen comparison.