Six Degrees of
Separation
Before he tamed the Wild, Wild West and she became the world's most
shagadelic superspy, Will Smith and Heather Graham starred in this true story
of a young man living on the hospitality of rich New Yorkers while claiming
to be the son of Sydney Pottier. This tale of vanity and the phoniness of
the upper crust of society is a wonderful rental for those who need their
Will Smith fix, but can't get into the Wild, Wild West.
The movie opens with a business dinner between Geoffrey (Ian McKlellan),
Flanders (Donald Sutherland) and Ouisa (Stockard Channing). Flanders is an
ethically challenged art dealer who desperately needs to complete a deal
and must have a $2 million investment from Geoffrey to succeed. The evening
takes an unexpected turn when young Paul (Smith) shows up at the door claiming
to be a friend of his children and suffering a knife wound from a mugging.
Paul claims he is the son of famous actor Sydney Pottier and needs a place
to stay until he meets his father the next morning. Paul charms the group
with his intelligent conversation, masterful cooking and stories of his father.
The evening is perfect, until Ouisa catches Paul with another man in their
apartment.
The next day, Flanders and Ouisa must hurry to a wedding and are excited
about the chance to tell the magnificent story to their snooty friends. However,
Ouisa and Flanders soon run into Larkin (Bruce Davison) and Kitty (Mary Beth
Hurt) who the same remarkable story. The group goes on a mission to find
out if this mysterious stranger really is the son of Sydney Pottier. Along
the way, they must confront their own strained familial relations and the
emptiness of their own lives.
This is a true story that occurred on New York's East Side in the eighties.
It was soon turned into a play starring Stockard Channing, who justifiably
had the opportunity to star in the movie version. She is joined by a stellar
ensemble.
Will Smith shows that he is a wonderful actor. While his most famous parts
are in action/adventure movies, he has great range, which is on display in
this movie. Smith is able to glide gracefully between scenes where is character
is charming and amiable to other scenes where he shows his steely dark side.
Another actor who surprises is eighties teen movie idol Anthony Michael Hall.
Hall plays a crucial role to the plot, so I won't give too much away. However,
I will tell you that you won't recognize the same Hall you are accustomed
to in movies like The Breakfast Club. He transforms himself into this darker
role. Along with his recent performance in TNT's Pirates of Silicon
Valley, Hall has a strong resume to shop around Hollywood as he looks
to revive his career.
Sutherland and Channing put in the type of solid performances you would expect
from these venerable veterans. Their characters exemplify the phoniness of
the East Siders who are so wrapped up in dinner parties that they don't notice
their families and life passing by. In a strange way, they are excited that
this event has taken place because it is great fodder for cocktail conversation
and it has brought some life into their dull, empty existence.
Of course, I must mention Heather Graham, who you might not even recognize
as young, midwesterner Elizabeth. She puts in a great performance as the
naïve, but quickly maturing victim of a scam. Along with her performance
as Roller Girl in Boogie Nights, she also shows an acting ability
that should be nurtured even as she becomes the latest "it" girl. Hopefully,
she will wisely choose her next few projects as she becomes Hollywood's hottest
starlet.
Director Fred Schlepisi does make some costly mistakes. Early in the movie,
he includes strange dream sequences and quick shots that don't make any sense.
Thankfully, he quickly drops them, and the movie becomes stronger until the
ending sequence, which seems a little too drawn out. He does wisely put together
the movie as a serious of flashbacks as each character tells their story
of involvement with Paul. It is a strong job that he can be proud of.
Like the famous Kevin Bacon game (where I am a mere 3 degrees from Kevin
Bacon), the movie tries to make the point that we are all just six degrees
of separation from anyone else, so we should try to treat each other in a
more civil and caring way. While the overall theme is lost in the movie,
it is a great evening of entertainment and a chance to see some of the greatest
actors in Hollywood.
Six Degrees of Separation: B+
Director: Fred Schepisi
Based on the play by: John Guare
Screenplay: John Guare
Cast
Will Smith
Paul
Stockard Channing
.. Oiusa
Donald Sutherland
Flanders
Ian McKlellen
.. Geoffrey
Mary Beth Hurt
Kitty
Bruce Davison
Larkin
Anthony Michael Hall
.Trent Conway
Heather Graham
Elizabeth
Copyright 1999 - Waffle Movies
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