Oleanna (1994)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

David Mamet

Writers (WGA):

David Mamet (play)
David Mamet (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 November 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He said it was a lesson. She said it was sexual harassment. Whichever side you take, you're wrong.

Plot:

A two character movie, involving a college professor, John, who is confronted by a female student, Carol...

Plot Keywords:

Sexual Harassment | Professor | Adaptation Directed By Original Author | Minimal Cast | False Accusation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

William H. Macy	...	John
Debra Eisenstadt	...	Carol
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Diego Pineda	...	Quarterback (uncredited)
Scott Zigler	...	Clerk in Copy Shop (uncredited)

Directed by
David Mamet

Writing credits (WGA)
David Mamet		(play)
David Mamet		(screenplay)

Produced by
Sarah Green	....	producer
Patricia Wolff	....	producer

Original Music by
Rebecca Pidgeon

Cinematography by
Andrzej Sekula

Film Editing by
Barbara Tulliver

Production Design by
David Wasco

Costume Design by
Jane Greenwood

Production Management
Dorothy Aufiero	....	assistant production manager
Michael Jackman	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cara Giallanza	....	first assistant director
Marge Piane	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Sarah Alcorn	....	assistant art director
Andrew Bloomenthal	....	art department intern
Ezra Burke	....	art department intern
Ray Fisher	....	lead man
David Melito	....	art department production assistant
Kurt Smith	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Peter F. Kurland	....	sound mixer
Freddy Potatohead	....	boom operator
Philip Stockton	....	supervising sound editor
Ryan Webb	....	boom operator
Ryan Weiss	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark J. Casey	....	electrician
Michael DiIeso	....	best boy
John R. Kaplan	....	best boy grip
Michael Palmer	....	gaffer
Gerard Sava	....	assistant camera
John Sosenko	....	camera operator: "a" camera

Casting Department
Carolyn Pickman	....	location casting

Editorial Department
Kathy LaCommare	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Joel Diamond	....	music producer
Joel Diamond	....	musician

Other crew
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Ken Butler	....	stand-in: "John"
Denise Cormier	....	stand-in: Carol
Alexander Westerman	....	assistant to producer
Michael Williams	....	location manager
George A. Parker	....	projectionist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Bay Kinescope
• Channel Four Films
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The
• The School Company

Distributors

• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Other Companies

• Boston Light & Sound  dailies equipment provided by (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Oleanna (Spain) [es]

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Metropolitan State Hospital - 475 Trapelo Road, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Bay Kinescope

Trivia:

The woman singing over the end credits is Mamet's wife, Rebecca Pidgeon, who originated the role of Carol on stage alongside William H. Macy.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Carol leaves John's office after their second meeting, shouting "Help!", the shadow of the camera covers the door.

Quotes:

[last lines]
John: Oh, my God.
Carol: Yes, that's right.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Angels' Revenge (#7.22)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

Long Ago And Far Away

Two characters, one room - I wasn't bored for a second!

Unique, hyper-real film where the dialogue is the main plot - and what a rivetting plot it is. I was very skeptical about Oleanna, and was really resistant to it - but was very surprised to find myself succumbing to it. If you love language, and know enough language, Oleanna will be a joy for you: because the dialogue is loaded with jokes about dialogue. You'll be able to pick the places where Bill Macy is saying non-words, pretentious words or jargons in his monologues - and notice where somebody is talking ambiguously, or not saying anything at all.

Its about words, talking and meaning. So there are lots of words for good reason.

Its very dialoguey dialogue: not the kind of things people say, but the kind of things writers write. Reminiscent of the verbal gymnastics of Samuel Beckett, and the twisting meanings of Catch-22. Or perhaps the comedic pretentiousness of Hal Hartley. Meaning is controlled by the powerful - that's the key. Whoever controls the conversation, the language, in this movie - controls the situation. So everything is either ambiguous or figurative. Mainly, the exact things the two say are not what's key. Its which one of them is talking.

The performances - well, Macy at least - are in an appropriately hyper-real tone to suit the hyper-real dialogue. The girl is not very good, but this is still a masterpiece of language. Its static, centring on two characters and one room, but for good reason - to put the words centre stage. I'm so shocked that i just watched a movie with two characters and one room, and was not only not bored once, but hanging on each word and found that the time flew by.

The moral of the story is that things are bound to go wrong if you talk to somebody for the length of an entire movie. You're bound to go nuts. The viewer is bound to go nuts just listening to William H Macy in the first half-hour of the movie - you'll be amazed that purely talking to someone, using words, can make you feel that you're trapped, that you can't win or even escape.

Quite brilliant, really.

8/10. Essential viewing. I never knew dialogue held this power. A unique discovery.