''State and Main'' is a 2000

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending ( black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and '' Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first gained cri ...

and starring William H. Macy,

Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including six Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 ...

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor, comedian, and producer. In his early career, Baldwin played both leading and supporting roles in a variety of films such as Tim Burton's '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), Mike Nich ...

, Julia Stiles,

Philip Seymour Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman (July 23, 1967 – February 2, 2014) was an American actor. Known for his distinctive supporting and character roles—typically lowlifes, eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical produ ...

, Rebecca Pidgeon,

David Paymer David Emmanuel Paymer (born August 30, 1954) is an American actor, comedian, and television director. He has been in films such as ''Mr. Saturday Night'', ''Quiz Show'', '' Searching for Bobby Fischer'', ''City Slickers'', '' Crazy People'', '' ...

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer best known for her work in musical theater. She has won three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, two Grammy Awards, and was a 2006 inductee to the American Theater Hall of Fa ...

Clark Gregg Robert Clark Gregg Jr. (born April 2, 1962) is an American actor, director, and screenwriter. He is best known for playing Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films ''Iron Man'' (2008), ''Iron Man 2'' (2010), ''Thor'' (2011), '' ...

, and

Charles Durning Charles Edward Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies, television shows and plays.Schudel, Matt (December 26, 2012) "''In real life and on the screen, he played countless role ...

Plot

Havoc is wrought on the inhabitants of a small New England town by a troubled film production. After the leading man's penchant for underage girls gets them banished from their

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

location, the crew moves to the small town of

Waterford, Vermont Waterford is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,268 at the 2020 census. History The town was formed by the Vermont charter on November 8, 1780, and was originally called Littleton, but the name was chang ...

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 (

) to alter the script. What he doesn't count on is White's apparently bottomless reserve of angst-fueled writer's block. A local bookseller, Annie Black ( Rebecca Pidgeon), tries to provide White with inspiration. The film's leading lady (

) refuses to do her contracted nude scene unless she's paid an additional $800,000, while the foreign cinematographer offends the locals by messing with a historic firehouse. Meanwhile, the leading man, Bob Barrenger (

), 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 (the only witness) to another emotional quandary and into the arms of Annie. Meanwhile, a powerful movie producer (

) comes to town to help Price with the ensuing mess.

Cast

* William H. Macy – Walt Price *

– Claire Wellesley *

– Bob Barrenger * Julia Stiles – Carla *

– Joseph Turner White * Rebecca Pidgeon – Ann *

– Marty Rossen *

– Doug Mackenzie *

– Sherry Bailey *

– Mayor George Bailey * Lionel Mark Smith – Bill Smith * Ricky Jay – Jack * Michael Higgins – Doc Wilson * Jonathan Katz – Howie Gold * Laura Silverman – Secretary * Michael Bradshaw – Town Priest * J. J. Johnston – Stationmaster *

John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom '' The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its ni ...

– Caddy / Judge's assistant(uncredited)

Production

The plot involves the on-location production in

, of a film called ''The Old Mill''. The actual film was shot in Massachusetts in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Dedham and Waltham.

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

, it has a approval rating based on reviews, with an average score of .

Awards

* Casting Society of America **Won: Artios – Best Casting for Feature Film – Comedy (Avy Kaufman) *

Chicago Film Critics Association The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is an association of professional film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film critics Sharon LeM ...

**Nominated: Best Screenplay (David Mamet) *

Florida Film Critics Circle The Florida Film Critics Circle (FFCC) is a film critic organization founded in 1996. The FFCC comprises 30 film critics from Florida-based print and online publications. At the end of each year, the FFCC members vote on the Florida Film Critics ...

**Won: Best Ensemble Cast **Won: Best Screenplay (David Mamet) * Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival **Won: Jury Award – Best Film (David Mamet) **Won: Best Supporting Male (William H. Macy) *

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

**Won: Best Acting by an Ensemble * Online Film Critics Society **Won: Best Ensemble Cast Performance (tied with ''

Almost Famous ''Almost Famous'' is a 2000 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe, and starring Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, and Patrick Fugit. It tells the story of a teenage journalist writing for '' Rolling St ...

'') **Nominated: Best Screenplay (David Mamet) *

Satellite Awards The Satellite Awards are annual awards given by the International Press Academy that are commonly noted in entertainment industry journals and blogs. The awards were originally known as the Golden Satellite Awards. The award ceremonies take place ...

**Nominated: Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical **Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role – Comedy or Musical (Rebecca Pidgeon) **Nominated: Best Screenplay – Original (David Mamet)

Notes

External links

* *
Bazoomer.com, Website of the fictional company who paid to have their product placed in the movie ''The Old Mill''
* {{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''State and Main'' , list = {{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cast {{National Board of Review Award for Best Cast {{Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble 2000 films 2000 comedy films Films directed by David Mamet Waterford, Vermont 2000s English-language films Vermont culture Films shot in Dedham, Massachusetts Films set in Vermont Films about filmmaking American comedy films American satirical films Films scored by Theodore Shapiro Films about film directors and producers Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Films about screenwriters Films about actors 2000s American films