''State and Main'' is a 2000 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

written and directed by

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

and starring

William H. Macy William Hall Macy Jr. (born March 13, 1950) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer. He is a two-time Emmy Award and four-time Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award winner, and has been nominated for an Acade ...

Sarah Jessica Parker Sarah Jessica Parker (born March 25, 1965) is an American actress and television producer. In a career spanning over five decades, she has performed across several productions of both Sarah Jessica Parker filmography, screen and stage. List o ...

Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...

, 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 actor, character roles—eccentrics, underdogs, and misfits—he acted in many films and theatrical productio ...

, Rebecca Pidgeon, David Paymer, Patti LuPone, Clark Gregg, and Charles Durning.

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 U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

location, the crew moves to the small town of Waterford, Vermont 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 (

), 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 ( David Paymer) comes to town to help Price with the ensuing mess.

Cast

– Walt Price *

– Claire Wellesley *

– Bob Barrenger * Julia Stiles – Carla *

– Joseph Turner White * Rebecca Pidgeon – Ann * David Paymer – Marty Rossen * Clark Gregg – Doug Mackenzie * Patti LuPone – Sherry Bailey * Charles Durning – 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'' (2005–2013), where he was also a producer and occasional director. He directed, co-w ...

– Caddy / Judge's assistant(uncredited)

Production

The plot involves the on-location production in Waterford, Vermont, 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 aggregator, 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 ...

, it has a 85% approval rating based on 117 reviews, with an average score of . The website's critics consensus reads: "''State and Main'' offers plenty of wit and laughs in its lampoons of the movie industry."

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 criticism, film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film cri ...

**Nominated: Best Screenplay (David Mamet) * Florida Film Critics Circle **Won: Best Ensemble Cast **Won: Best Screenplay (David Mamet) * Fort 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 the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...

**Won: Best Acting by an Ensemble *

Online Film Critics Society The Online Film Critics Society (OFCS) is an international professional association of online film journalists, historians and scholars who publish their work on the World Wide Web. The organization was founded in January 1997 by Harvey S. Karten ...

**Won: Best Ensemble Cast Performance (tied with '' Almost Famous'') **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

* * * {{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 2000s American films 2000s English-language films American comedy films American satirical films Films about actors Films about film directors and producers Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Films about screenwriters Films directed by David Mamet Films scored by Theodore Shapiro Films set in Vermont Films shot in Massachusetts Films shot in Dedham, Massachusetts Films with screenplays by David Mamet Vermont culture Waterford, Vermont Films about filmmaking