Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

Director:

Fred Schepisi

Writers (WGA):

John Guare (play)
John Guare (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 December 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

For Paul, every person is a new door to a new world.

Plot:

Flan and Ouisa Kittredge, rich NYC art dealers, are called on one night by a young man, Paul, who professes to be a friend of their kids' from Harvard...

Plot Keywords:

Art Dealer | Art | Rich | New York | Business

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Stockard Channing	...	Louisa ('Ouisa') Kittredge
Will Smith	...	Paul
Donald Sutherland	...	John Flanders ('Flan') Kittredge
Ian McKellen	...	Geoffrey Miller
Mary Beth Hurt	...	Kitty
Bruce Davison	...	Larkin
Richard Masur	...	Dr. Fine
Anthony Michael Hall	...	Trent Conway
Heather Graham	...	Elizabeth
Eric Thal	...	Rick
Anthony Rapp	...	Ben
Oz Perkins	...	Woodrow ('Woody') Kittredge (as Osgood Perkins)
Catherine Kellner	...	Talbot ('Tess') Kittredge
J.J. Abrams	...	Doug (as Jeffrey Abrams)
Joe Pentangelo	...	Police officer
Lou Milione	...	Hustler
Brooke Hayward	...	Connie (as Brooke Hayward Duchin)
Peter Duchin	...	Sandy
Sam Stoneburner	...	Carter
Maeve McGuire	...	Polly
Kelly Bishop	...	Adele
John Cunningham	...	John
Vasek Simek	...	Frank (the doorman)
Chuck Close	...	Andy
Kazuko	...	Jeannie
Adèle Chatfield-Taylor	...	Paula
Maggie Burke	...	Loft party guest
Edmund Genest	...	Loft party guest
Michael Stanley Kirby	...	Loft party guest
David Callegati	...	Art dealer
Daniel von Bargen	...	Detective (as Daniel Von Bargen)
John Rowe	...	Usher
Elizabeth Rossa	...	Bride
Diane Hartford	...	Julia
Frank O'Brien	...	Eddie
Ann McDonough	...	Teacher
José Rabelo	...	Elevator man #2
Todd Alcott	...	Concertgoer
Joanna Noble	...	Concertgoer
Miriam Fond	...	Nurse
Annie Meisels	...	Doug's girl
Mitch Kolpan	...	Policeman
Michele Greco	...	Workman
Tony Zazula	...	Rainbow Room captain
Arthur McGill	...	Hansom cab driver
Susan Tabor	...	Posh couple
Paul Schmidt	...	Posh couple
Carolyn Groves	...	Cocktail party guest
Jeannine Moore	...	Cocktail party guest
Tim Saunders	...	Cocktail party guest
David Tice	...	Cocktail party guest
Redman Maxfield	...	Fred
Margaret Eginton	...	Mary
Margaret Thomson	...	Grandmother at baptism
Vince O'Brien	...	Grandfather at baptism
Anne Swift	...	Guest at baptism
Richmond Hoxie	...	Guest at baptism
Kitty Carlisle	...	Mrs. Bannister (as Kitty Carlisle Hart)
Madhur Jaffrey	...	Guest of honor
Arthur Brooks	...	Mrs. Bannister's guest
Jacqueline Bertrand	...	Mrs. Bannister's guest
Lisa Crosby	...	Mrs. Bannister's guest
Nancy Duerr	...	Mrs. Bannister's guest
Brian McConnachie	...	Mrs. Bannister's guest
Angela Thornton	...	Mrs. Bannister's guest
Robert Trumbull	...	Mrs. Bannister's guest
Richard Whiting	...	Mrs. Bannister's guest
Cleo King	...	Lt. Price
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrea Conte	...	NY Theatre Woman #1 (uncredited)
Mary Ann Hannon	...	University professor (uncredited)
Johnnyangel	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)

Directed by
Fred Schepisi

Writing credits (WGA)
John Guare		(play)
John Guare		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ric Kidney	....	executive producer
Arnon Milchan	....	producer
Fred Schepisi	....	producer
Mary Pat Walsh	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Ian Baker

Film Editing by
Peter Honess

Casting by
Ellen Chenoweth

Production Design by
Patrizia von Brandenstein

Art Direction by
Dennis Bradford

Set Decoration by
Gretchen Rau

Costume Design by
Judianna Makovsky

Makeup Department
Angel De Angelis	....	hair stylist
Naomi Donne	....	makeup artist
Bruno Pattini	....	hair stylist
Linda Kay Rendina	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Chris Brigham	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William M. Connor	....	second second assistant director (as Bill Connor)
Donald J. Lee Jr.	....	second assistant director
Amy Sayres	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Michael L. Benson	....	set dresser
Nancy Boytos-Amanuel	....	set dresser
Ed Check	....	assistant art director
Peter Gelfman	....	leadman
Robert Griffon Jr.	....	property master
Jessica Lanier	....	assistant set decorator
Maria Nay	....	art department coordinator
Jon Ringbom	....	master scenic artist
Raymond M. Samitz	....	construction coordinator
Byron K. Lovelace	....	set dresser (uncredited)
Timothy Main	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Peter Burgess	....	supervising sound editor
Steve Burgess	....	foley artist
Bill Daly	....	sound mixer
Peter Fenton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Keith Gardner	....	boom operator
Gerard Long	....	foley artist
Glenn Newnham	....	sound editor
Martin Oswin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paul Pirola	....	assistant sound mixer
Terry Rodman	....	adr supervisor
Livia Ruzic	....	dialogue editor
Steve Scanlon	....	sound utility

Camera and Electrical Department
Myles Aronowitz	....	still photographer
A. Anthony Cappello	....	second assistant camera
Ken Connors	....	best boy electric
Russell Engels	....	chief lighting technician
Bill Gerardo	....	second assistant camera
Vinnie Gerardo	....	assistant camera
Craig Haagensen	....	camera operator
Jeff Hand	....	first assistant camera
Edward W. Lowry	....	dolly grip (as Ed Lowry)
Anastas N. Michos	....	Steadicam operator
John Panuccio	....	best boy grip (as Jack Panuccio)
Tom Prate	....	key grip
Kyle Rudolph	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Jill Greenberg Sands	....	casting associate
Meredith Tucker	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jane E. Myers	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Jane Myers)
Ingrid Price	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Keith Parrish	....	color timer
Mitchel Stanley	....	assistant editor
Ron Vignone	....	assistant editor
Kate Williams	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Sharal Churchill	....	music consultant
Robin Gray	....	scoring engineer
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation

Transportation Department
Edward Iacobelli	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Tamara Bally	....	production accountant
Ann Biddle	....	dance instructor
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Kay Chapin	....	script supervisor
Sharon Chatten	....	acting coach
Judy Dickerson	....	dialogue coach
Dianne Dreyer	....	script supervisor
Amy Herman	....	location manager
Pamela Hochschartner	....	production coordinator
Jim Jaffe	....	product placement
Diana E. Latham	....	production secretary
Terrence Martin	....	craft service production assistant
Jesse Merz	....	market researcher
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Carlos Moore	....	assistant location manager
Lyn Pinezich	....	location assistant
Judy Pursley	....	first assistant accountant
Angela Quiles	....	assistant production coordinator
Reid Rosefelt	....	unit publicist
Alex Stitt	....	title designer
Bryan Thomas	....	location assistant
Gary Trentham	....	location assistant
Mark Urman	....	unit publicist
Ron Vignone	....	set production assistant
Elizabeth Zagrany	....	payroll accountant
Scott Allen Logan	....	post-production assistant to director (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Maiden Movies
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• New Regency Pictures

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Allan Eaton Studios  music recorded at
• Dennis Davidson & Associates Public Releations (DDA)  publicity
• Soundfirm  sound mixing
• Wilfley Todd Casting  extras casting

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | Germany:6 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bronxville, New York, USA

Company:

Maiden Movies

Trivia:

The original Broadway production of "Six Degrees of Separation" opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on November 8, 1990, ran for 485 performances and was nominated for the 1991 Tony Award for Best Play. Stockard Channing reprises her role in the movie while her fellow Broadway stage actors Kelly Bishop, John Cunningham and Sam Stoneburner have cameo roles. Stockard Channing was nominated for the 1991 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. John Guare wrote both the stage play and the screenplay for the movie adaptation.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Paul is on the phone to Ouisa he calls Flan (Donald Sutherland) "Donald".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Flan: My God!
Ouisa: Is anything gone?
Flan: How can I look, I'm shaking!
Ouisa: I want to know if anything's gone!
Flan: Calm down.
Ouisa: We could have been killed! Oh, my God! The Kandinsky!
Flan: The Kandinsky!
Ouisa: It's gone, oh my God! Call the police!
Flan: Oh, no, there it is. Oh! The silver Victorian inkwell!
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stan Helsing (2009)

Soundtrack:

THE VERY THOUGHT OF YOU

Absorbing script and performances

This is the film that made even the most harshest critics admit that Will Smith had real potential as far as being a serious actor is concerned. This is the story of a young gay hustler named Paul (Smith) who knocks on the door of Ouisa and Flan Kittredge (Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland) and tells them a story of being mugged and also being the son of Sidney Poitier. He says he knows their children from college and remembered they lived there so thats why he came. After a lot of talking and impressing them he cooks them a nice dinner and they invite him to spend the night. They also loan him money but in the morning they find him with another man and they kick everyone out. The Kittredge's talk to their friends and find out that they all encountered Paul as well but were afraid to say something because they were embarrassed. The films title refers to the fact that we all know everyone by six people or degrees. The main focus of the film deals with how this young man made these characters take a good hard look at themselves and the relationship they have with each other and their children. The writing is very sharp and for most of us what is being said onscreen can easily go over our heads. Its a very intelligent script that forces the characters to see things that they seem to take for granted. Directed by Fred Schepisi who has shown a real knack for filming plays before and he also has shown to be very good at making films that are more character oriented. I remember one of his first films from the 70's called "The Devils Playground" and was impressed at that time by his direction. What really stood out for me though were the performances. Will Smith seems to tackle this complex script with an all to easy manner. As I watched his performance it was clear that he really understood the script and his character. You don't see that everyday from such a young actor, especially one that has limited training. But for me the best performance comes from Stockard Channing who was in the play as well. She's always been a very strong actress and a very underrated one at that. While watching her character in this film Channing does a wonderful job of allowing the viewer to watch her characters attitude change from the first scene to the very last. It really is Channings film and she received a well deserved Oscar nomination for it. Its one of the best in her career and its the driving force for the film. Casual film watchers may be put off by the sharp dialogue at first but I hope they stay with it, its a very good film about self realization and all the actors here are terrific.