State and Main

State and Main is a 2000 American comedy film written and directed by David Mamet and starring William H. Macy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alec Baldwin, Julia Stiles, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rebecca Pidgeon, David Paymer, Patti LuPone, Clark Gregg, and Charles Durning.

State and Main
Promotional poster
Directed by	David Mamet
Written by	David Mamet
Produced by	Sarah Green
Starring	William H. Macy Sarah Jessica Parker Alec Baldwin Julia Stiles Philip Seymour Hoffman Rebecca Pidgeon David Paymer Charles Durning Patti LuPone Clark Gregg
Cinematography	Oliver Stapleton
Edited by	Barbara Tulliver
Music by	Theodore Shapiro
Production companies	Filmtown Entertainment Green/Renzi El Dorado Pictures
Distributed by	Fine Line Features
Release dates	August 26, 2000 (2000-08-26) (Canada) December 22, 2000 (2000-12-22) (United States)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$9.2 million[1]

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 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 (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. A local bookseller, Annie Black (Rebecca Pidgeon), tries to provide White with inspiration.

The film's leading lady (Sarah Jessica Parker) 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 (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 (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

• William H. Macy as Walt Price
• Sarah Jessica Parker as Claire Wellesley
• Alec Baldwin as Bob Barrenger
• Julia Stiles as Carla
• Philip Seymour Hoffman as Joseph Turner White
• Rebecca Pidgeon as Ann
• David Paymer as Marty Rossen
• Clark Gregg as Doug Mackenzie
• Patti LuPone as Sherry Bailey
• Charles Durning as Mayor George Bailey
• Lionel Mark Smith as Bill Smith
• Ricky Jay as Jack
• Michael Higgins as Doc Wilson
• Jonathan Katz as Howie Gold
• Laura Silverman as Secretary
• Michael Bradshaw as Town Priest
• J. J. Johnston as Stationmaster
• John Krasinski as 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^[2] and Waltham.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 85% approval rating based on 117 reviews, with an average score of 7.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "State and Main offers plenty of wit and laughs in its lampoons of the movie industry."^[3] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 75 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[4]

Awards

• Casting Society of America
  • Won: Artios – Best Casting for Feature Film – Comedy (Avy Kaufman)
• Chicago Film Critics Association
  • 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
  • Won: Best Acting by an Ensemble
• Online Film Critics Society
  • Won: Best Ensemble Cast Performance (tied with Almost Famous)
  • Nominated: Best Screenplay (David Mamet)
• Satellite Awards
  • 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)