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Actors: Alan Arkin, Matthew McConaughey, Amy Irving, John Turturro, Clea DuVall
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about 13 Conversations About One Thing |
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Gene (Arkin) is a grumpy mid-level manager in an insurance office; Troy (McConaughey) is a young and cocky prosecutor in the DA's office; Beatrice (DuVall) does housecleaning and is eternally optimistic; Walker (Turturro) is an anal physics professor at Columbia who puts a little spice in his life by cheating on his wife Patricia (Irving). These characters' lives interweave -- sometimes directly and sometimes unbeknownst to them -- as Troy is involved in a hit-and-run accident, and Gene sticks it to a subordinate whose sunny disposition and good luck annoy him. We see these imperfect but likable characters wrestle with their consciences and the huge consequences of small incidents. The film is wry, thoughtful, quiet, with a constemplative Satie-like soundtrack. The stories are related in nonlinear order, which can be a little disconcerting at first but is ultimately refreshing. Arkin is incredibly fine, and most of the rest of the acting is quite good as well. Sisters Jill and Karen Sprecher wrote the story, and Jill directed this 2001 film, partly inspired by Bertrand Russell's book _The Conquest of Happiness_.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of 13 Conversations About One Thing |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- present (2000-2010)
Inner struggle or disability
Yes
Struggle with
- eccentricity
- (General) search for meaning/identity
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- white collar office worker
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- business executive
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- bald
Hair type
- (man) bald
Body type
- (man) fat
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- blonde
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average build
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- general circumstances
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
City?
Yes
City:
- New York
- dangerous
- rude people
Misc setting
- sewers/subways
- school
- bar
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- no torture/death
Movie makes you feel...
- thoughtful
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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