IMDb RATING
6.5/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
When a student visits her professor to discuss how she failed his course, the discussion takes an awkward turn.When a student visits her professor to discuss how she failed his course, the discussion takes an awkward turn.When a student visits her professor to discuss how she failed his course, the discussion takes an awkward turn.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
Diego Pineda
- Quarterback
- (uncredited)
Scott Zigler
- Clerk in Copy Shop
- (uncredited)
Featured reviews
The tag line of this movie is that "whichever side you take, you're wrong," is itself wrong. There clearly is a wrong and right side. If we were to sit Catherine McKinnon and Andrea Dworkin down and show them only the first half of the movie, even they would be pressed to find any sexual harassment (let alone rape). We would find a self-absorbed professor, and knifing student (whose clipped speech, and apparent dumbfoundedness is belied later when she fabricates, embellishes, and spins the truth for her PC ends). If being self-absorbed is enough to get one fired and falsely accused of rape, then Mamet's lesson must be that the feminist orthodoxy has gone too far.
One general misunderstanding (in my opinion) of Mamet is that he tries to write realistic dialog. In Oleanna, Mamet seems to want to speak directly through each character in a very academic verse which is well suited to the film/play. The issues of sexual misconduct and the way perspectives differ between men and women make this an interesting journey. And if you are a Bill Macy fan, you will like the movie.
Student Carol (Debra Eisenstadt) visits Professor John (William H. Macy) to discuss how she failed his course but the discussion takes an awkward turn.
Roger Ebert, who loved the play, was "astonished" to report that Oleanna was not a very good film, characterizing it as awkward and lacking in "fire and passion". He does think the play 9and to some extent the film) makes clear how men and women can see things two different ways. He freely admits he sides with the male point of view while others have argued that the student was in the right.
Overall, I did not really care for the movie. I like Mamet and I love his dense writing, but it seemed to fall flat here. Macy is alright, but the student is annoying. She comes across as either stupid or in some way stunted. The repetition is annoying, too, as how many times must she ask about his house?
Roger Ebert, who loved the play, was "astonished" to report that Oleanna was not a very good film, characterizing it as awkward and lacking in "fire and passion". He does think the play 9and to some extent the film) makes clear how men and women can see things two different ways. He freely admits he sides with the male point of view while others have argued that the student was in the right.
Overall, I did not really care for the movie. I like Mamet and I love his dense writing, but it seemed to fall flat here. Macy is alright, but the student is annoying. She comes across as either stupid or in some way stunted. The repetition is annoying, too, as how many times must she ask about his house?
David Mamet can write a play! This one made me writhe with anger at the P.C. crowd in our universities (not that all PC is bad--I am a linguist)who are watering down the national education. What's wrong with saying what you mean? I am a woman and I cannot actually believe that there are two sides on this issue...a pat on the back cannot possibly be seen (alone) as sexual harassment, nor can writing a very bad essay merit an "A" in my idealistic mind. A poor writer is a poor writer, no matter what the background. Many of out best American writers have come from the working class. Should education be modified yet again to accommodate those who do not care to work for their merits? Just a thought. Would love to hear more from others...
The dialogue is difficult to get past -- you want to grab the characters one at a time by the throat so the other one can at least finish a sentence or thought without interruption. But if you stick with it, the characters do deliver on what had to be a difficult script. And I found the irony of the story line to be the reward. It is a mind game -- not for the casual viewer.
Did you know
- TriviaDavid Mamet's script was heavily criticized as sexist. He defended himself against this allegation in (Guardian supplement) (UK) 8 April 2004, pg. 8-9, "'Why can't I show a woman telling lies?'"
- GoofsWhen Carol leaves John's office after their second meeting, shouting "Help!", the shadow of the camera covers the door.
- Alternate versionsThere is a version of the movie circulating in Australia, in a series of videos along with other David Mamet films including "A Life in the Theater". This particular copy of the film is timecoded. In that version, after Carol tells John not to call his wife "baby," (thus sending him into a torrent of rage), and he slaps her arm and grabs her, screaming a sexual expletive and raising a chair above her head, the door to the hallway swings open and a number of people stand in the hallway, observing the fight and thus hopelessly damning John. In the version now appearing on The Sundance Channel (10/05), the expletive is unchanged but he never lifts the chair and the door never opens; aside from a final exterior shot of the school, the film ends with Carol (Eisenstadt) having collapsed on the floor of John's office, and John sitting in his chair, his head buried in his hands.
- SoundtracksLong Ago And Far Away
Words by David Mamet
Music by Rebecca Pidgeon
Soloist: Steve Goldstein (as Steven Goldstein)
© Copyright 1994 Dwight Street Music
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- David Mamet's Oleanna
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $124,693
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $25,316
- Nov 6, 1994
- Gross worldwide
- $124,693
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