David Mamet has always been a controversial writer and director who is interested in exploring the intersection between politics, business, and human nature with the clever thrillers that he has brought to both the stage and screen. Between the devastating business drama Glengarry Glen Ross, the challenging crime drama Homicide, and the gripping survivalist epic The Edge, it would be easy to assume that a majority of his work falls into the dramatic category. However, even Mamet's most brutal projects tend to have a snarky sense of humor, and his straightforward comedies tend to be pretty hilarious. State and Main is simply one of Mamet's best films and proved that he could craft a fictional world that held a startling mirror to reality. Although it serves as an excellent satire of the nature of film production, State and Main features a brilliant performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman as a struggling screenwriter who questions where his career has led him.

What Is 'State and Main' About? Close

State and Main centers on the cast and crew of an upcoming film that is met with production issues after a series of controversies forces them to relocate their filming from New Hampshire to Vermont. It quickly becomes clear that the director, Walt Price (William H. Macy), has no ability to wrangle in the eccentric personalities that he's tasked with leading; the leading actress, Claire Wellesley (Sarah Jessica Parker), refuses to film certain scenes, the pretentious Hollywood star Bob Barrenger (Alec Baldwin) has become too famous for his own good, and the controlling producer Marty Rossen (David Paymer) aims to limit his artistic freedom. Hoffman appears as the screenwriter Joseph Turner White, who is tasked with constantly adapting his script to correspond with the changes that are required by the strange turnaround process. Although White had once believed that his script could be the key to finding mainstream success in Hollywood, he gradually began to realize that the life of an artist is far more challenging than he had initially imagined.

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Although he tends to be remembered as an actor capable of giving intensely powerful dramatic performances in films like Capote and The Master, Hoffman was often a whole lot funnier than he was given credit for, and State and Main is a reminder of the great comedic timing that he had. One of the recurring gags in the film is that while everyone wants to impress their ideas about the script on White, few are actually willing to listen to what he has to say. Hoffman shows how White becomes increasingly exasperated because of the constant edits that are made to his story; despite the fact that the script was originally given the title of The Old Mill, he finds that the mill that they had intended to shoot at in Vermont was actually burned to the ground several years ago. Hoffman had developed a great repertoire with Macy thanks to their work together on Magnolia and Boogie Nights, and their chemistry is just as strong in State and Main.

Philip Seymour Hoffman Shows the Complexities of Being a Writer

Hoffman is able to examine the anxieties that writers face when they recognize that their voices are being silenced. While White is savvy enough about the business to know that he is never going to be a massive sensation like Barranger, he finds himself frequently frustrated that none of the other crew members share his genuine passion for storytelling. Although Mamet is targeting the corporate greed that is specific to Hollywood, the idea of having to work under an unpassionate employer is one that applies to nearly every profession.

State and Main is a very cynical film, as a general theme within many of Mamet's projects is that people will not act nobly if it is not in their own interests. Although White is hardly a straightforward hero, Hoffman is able to show the artistic integrity of a committed storyteller who takes on the challenge of building narratives from scratch. It may not be one of his best-known films, but State and Main shows the vulnerability and compassion that made Hoffman such an outstanding talent.

State and Main is streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.

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State and Main R Release Date January 12, 2001 Director David Mamet Cast Philip Seymour Hoffman , William H. Macy , Rebecca Pidgeon , Michael Higgins , Michael Bradshaw , Morris Lamore , Allen Soule , Clark Gregg Runtime 105 Minutes Main Genre Comedy

Watch on Prime Video