Written by David MametDirected by David MametRunning Time: 105 minutes (approx)Production Year: 2000Rating: 15 CertificateProduction Country: France/USAFilmed in ColourWhen a Hollywood movie crew arrive in the quaint New England town of Waterford, Vermont the population don't know what damage it will cause. Having been dropped from his original location, director Walt Price (William H. Macy) finds himself, and his film "The Old Mill" in financial trouble. With everything planned to start in a couple of days, Walt needs to find a cheap and 19th Century-looking new location. This location is Waterford which is seemingly perfect. It has an old mill and firestation and a willing community.. or that's what he thinks! Unfortunately, the brochure Walt picked up as his research has got it horribly wrong; The old mill was destroyed during a rash of suspicious fires. Now writer Joe White (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a promising young playwright, must make his first script change.. the title! Before he can get to work, however, Joe must find a replacement for his treasured manual typewriter, lost en route from New Hampshire. Fortunately the bookshop owner, and local theatre director, Ann Black (Rebecca Pidgeon) has several manual typewriters... along with many helpful editorial suggestions! Now an attraction is quickly developing between the sensitive, idealistic Joe and the bright, capable Ann, who is engaged to ambitious local politician Doug MacKenzie (Clark Gregg). When the hollywood stars, Bob Barrenger (Alec Baldwin) and Claire Wellesley (Sarah Jessica Parker) arrive the production finally kicks into gear... but this is when the real problems begin. Bob has a dangerous preference for under-aged girls, which local teenager Carla Taylor (Julia Stiles) effectively exploits; Claire suddenly backs out of doing her formerly agreed-upon nude scene; and Doug MacKenzie is determined to squeeze top dollar from the production. Just as things couldn't get much worse, enter the aggressive producer Marty Rossen (David Paymer). Marty plays the "bad cop" to Walt's "good cop," taking issue with Claire and her agent, keeping an eye on Bob, tangling with Doug, and getting pages out of Joe. Marty also pays a courtesy call to Mayor George Bailey (Charles Durning) and his formidable wife Sherry (Patti LuPone), who is forever trying to put one up on the Jones'. After Joe helps Claire defend her decision to not do her nude scene, she later pays Joe a visit at his hotel room to thank him. However jealousy rears its ugly head when Ann walks in and gets the wrong impressionas to what is happening. Thankfully she trusts him enough to believe him and tells him her engagement is off. Walking near the intersection of State and Main Streets, Joe witnesses Bob have a horrific car crash, with Carla in the car with him. Joe tells her to leave and returns to his hotel.
It's not long before Doug learns the truth about the accident. Already bitter at having lost Ann he sets out to nail Bob and shut down the film. As the sole witness to the accident, Joe is wanted for questioning. Ann challenges Joe to stand up for the truth, while Walt and Marty pressure him to put aside his convictions for the sake of the film and his career. With the fate of his colleagues and his own future hanging in the balance, Joe must decide whether to face the situation with a pure heart or hope for a second chance. Cast
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State and Main is a Film programme that first aired in 2000 and has been rated 15. State and Main is a 3 star programme.
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