State and Main - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of State and Main or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to State and Main

[oscar]

The joke closing credits title card at the end of the movie reads: "A complete list of this film's associate producers is available upon written request."

[sophie]

The character of the Fake Judge is credited to "Jerry Graff," which is the name of an unseen character in David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross." A credit for Jerry Graff also appears in three other Mamet-directed movies: "The Spanish Prisoner," "Homicide," and "Things Change," which may make him the George Spelvin of Mamet films.

[sara]

One of two David Mamet written theatrical feature films that starred actor Charles Durning that were both first released in the year 2000. The films are 'Lakeboat' (2000) and 'State and Main' (2000).

[kenneth]

If anyone in the movie could be described as innocent that person is Philip Seymour Hoffman's character Joe White who is the writer of 'The Old Mill' screenplay. A promising playwright making his first foray into film, the sensitive writer has no idea of the creative travails and compromises that await him. Joe has barely arrived in Vermont before Bob Barrenger (Alec Baldwin) has shredded the first scene to ribbons; next, Joe learns he has to write out the symbolic old mill of the title. As he struggles with these problems, Joe begins to question himself. The irony of the subtext of 'The Old Mill'- "the search for purity" - does not escape the writer. "He wants to be honest and true, but he doesn't think he is," Hoffman observed. "He's trying to believe in the things he writes about. Then he's confronted with this very literal moral dilemma." As the only witness to Bob Barrenger's car accident, Joe must decide whether to risk his career by telling the truth about what he saw that night.

[carla]

All of the actors acknowledge pouncing at the opportunity to perform writer-director David Mamet's work. "The thing about Mamet's material is that there are so many ways to play it", said actor Alec Baldwin, who had previously starred in two Mamet written movies, the film version of the Mamet play 'Glengarry Glen Ross' (1992) and the Mamet scripted 'The Edge' (1997), but both not directed by Mamet. Baldwin added: "I'd always been angling to do something that he directed. So when the opportunity arose I was very grateful."

[willard]

The reason for the crazy credit "a complete list of associate producers is available on request" is that throughout the film anyone who could help make the film-within-the-film was given an associate producer credit.

[sara]

In the scene after Doug Mackenzie (Clark Gregg) is bribed to drop the statutory rape case, we see Ann, John Turner White, and a State Trooper standing by a door. The Judges Clerk passes through the door and then follows the Judge as he exits the room. The Judges Clerk is played by a young John Krasinski.(in an uncredited role), who went on to fame as Jim in the American version of The Office.

[amber]

Actor Charles Durning, who plays Waterford mayor George Bailey, observed: "The town comes to a screeching halt because of this movie. It disrupts the lives of everyone in the place, from the lowest to the highest." With the arrival of a film production cast and crew to make the movie 'The Old Mill', show business becomes the Vermont town Waterford's business. The diner starts pumping out exotic sandwiches, the locals start reading 'Variety', and everyone is preparing to audition for parts as extras and background artists. The town's one hotel scrambles to make expensive structural renovations to accommodate the incoming celebrities while the mayor's residence undergoes an emergency make-over to render it suitably impressive and historically authentic.

[carl]

The movie's Hollywood gang is headed up by director Walt Price (William H. Macy). As he contends with the myriad of complications that beset his production, Price displays an adaptability that might make a chameleon jealous. Macy explained: "Walt has one objective, and that is to get the shot in the can and it doesn't matter what it takes. There are times when everything is going wrong and people want to curse at him but it doesn't matter. Walt just smiles at them to get the shot and will kill them later". Of course, Price can leave the killing to his producing partner, Marty Rosen (David Paymer). Rosen is a lawyer highly skilled in the art of strong-arming. Paymer believed: "Marty and Walt are a team. They've worked together a while. They're almost like a married couple. The way they deal with actors is almost like good cop/bad cop."

[sylvia]

The script page visible in the scene where Ann slaps Joes finger, is an actual script from this film itself, revealing dialogue from the scene where the mayor invites Marty to the dinner party.

[jamie]

David Mamet's 'State and Main' is part screwball comedy and part showbiz satire. It is the story of a big- budget film production that wreaks moral havoc in a quaint New England town in America. Sending up Holly wood and Main Street USA with equal glee, the film was brought to life by a richly talented ensemble cast that encompasses marquee names, art-house favorites, and respected film and theatre veterans. Cleverly plotted, shrewdly observed, and is filled with the hilarious, rapid-fire dialogue that is Mamet's trademark, the film's production notes declare that 'State and Main' "is a comedy executed with consummate flair".

[nicholas]

One of about a dozen film collaborations of David Mamet and actor Jack Wallace. The titles are: 'Redbelt' (2008), 'Edmond' (2005), 'Homicide' (1991), 'Lakeboat' (2000), 'Things Change' (1988), 'State and Main' (2000), 'House of Games' (1987), 'Phil Spector' (2013) (TV), 'The Spanish Prisoner' (1997), 'Lost Masterpieces of Pornography' (2010), 'Invent Nothing, Deny Nothing: Five Guys from Mamet's Homicide' (2009), and the 'Dedication' episode of 'The Unit' (2006-2009) television series.

[kristina]

Both the name of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman and the name of his character Joseph Turner White are both three tier-names.

[kenzi]

Actress Julia Stiles later played a similar type character (rape victim) in 'Blackway' (2015).

[toni]

One of at least seven feature film collaborations of David Mamet with his actor half-brother Tony Mamet. The films are: 'Homicide' (1991), 'Redbelt' (2008), 'Spartan' (2004), 'Lakeboat' (2000), 'Phil Spector' (2013) (TV), 'State and Main' (2000), and 'The Spanish Prisoner' (1997).

[linda]

Echoing the small community portrayed in the film, the 'State and Main' movie production and its many high-profile stars caused quite a stir in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts in the USA where the filming took place. Local newspapers ran numerous updates during the thirty-two day production shoot.

[bessie]

Actress Rebecca Pidgeon and writer-director David Mamet are married.