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Format: VHS
Jun 1995
Not Rated
Recording Mode: Stereo
Sound: HiFi, Stereo
90 min. |
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Details
Movie Description
Indicative of the fears of the decade that produced it but also dramatizing the eternal miscommunication between the sexes, OLEANNA is the first of his own plays to be directed for the screen by David Mamet. The film version retains the play's unity of place as well as its cast of two, but these limitations produce a claustrophobia that suits the subject matter perfectly. The plot is set in motion by a simple student-teacher conference between student Carol (Debra Eisenstadt) and John (William H. Macy), her professor. The two talk, interrupt, move around, see something of each other's private life, and then the conference ends; but soon the details of this meeting are under the closest scrutiny. In its aftermath, Mamet shows that sexual harassment is a complicated affair, hinging on different perspectives, motivations, and desires. His rapid-fire, compact dialogue is a natural for a story in which language is so much at issue. Ultimately, OLEANNA never gives an easy answer--no wonder it had theatergoers and moviegoers arguing in the aisles.
Synopsis
David Mamet adapted his own provocative play into a film version without sacrificing the dramatic punch in every ambiguous line of dialogue and every significant gesture. John (William H. Macy) is a college professor; Carol (Debra Eisenstadt) is his pupil who comes to him one afternoon for help. What follows may or may not be sexual harassment, but the confusion itself is what's most important--because two people's entire lives hang on an interpretation of the truth.
Film Notes
Actor William H. Macy also played the part of John in the stage production of OLEANNA.
Industry Reviews
"...The smarty-pants work of someone who likes to play mind games..." -- Rating: B+
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (06/09/1995)
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