Themes: Romantic Betrayal, Down on Their Luck, Breakups and Divorces
Main Cast: Fisher Stevens, Annabella Sciorra
Release Year: 2000
Country: US
Run Time: 87 minutes
Plot
Before he broke out with the J.D. Salinger-esque Tadpole in 2002, producer-turned-director Gary Winick filmed this little-seen relationship drama. Fisher Stevens stars as the title character, a writer with one novel under his belt who can't seem to deliver the follow-up. Instead, he spends his time compulsively cheating on his photographer girlfriend, Cass (Annabella Sciorra); giving the runaround to his agent, Richard (Ron Rifkin); and trying to keep his landlord, Murray (Luis Guzman), at bay. Things take a turn for the worse when the husband of one of Sam's conquests (Maria Bello) confronts him, leaving Sam covered in hard-to-explain injuries. Soon, with the help of his barkeep brother, Lorenzo (Saverio Guerra), Sam is holding down a day job for the first time in years and reexamining every aspect of his life. After the success of Tadpole, the Independent Film Channel picked up Sam the Man for broadcast on cable television. The film's cast, filled with notable and lesser-known New York actors, includes George Plimpton, Griffin Dunne, and Rob Morrow. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Review
Although it failed to find cinematic distribution, this low-key, well-observed indie drama deserves the wider audience it received on cable television. Full of believable, bohemian Manhattanites spouting witty dialogue and engaged in wryly humorous situations, the film is short on melodrama and long on shrewd observations about human nature. The script often veers into outright cynicism, but its easy humor and essential intelligence leaven even its most bilious moments. Often underutilized elsewhere, Fisher Stevens makes a compelling anti-hero and Annabella Sciorra a wonderfully dignified wronged woman. Meanwhile, the absurdly rich supporting cast fills almost every scene with familiar faces and fine performances. The production values occasionally belie the film's modest budget, but inventive camera work -- as when a series of still photos that figure prominently in the plot are cleverly used to advance that plot -- demonstrates the care and craftsmanship with which director Gary Winick and his crew approached the project. A real treasure that lingered too long on the festivals-only circuit, Sam the Man offers further proof that Winick is a director to watch. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
