Main Cast: Steve Martin, Claire Danes, Jason Schwartzman, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, Samuel Bottoms
Release Year: 2005
Country: US
Run Time: 116 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Steve Martin wrote the screenplay and served as co-producer for this screen adaptation of his short novel, which takes a witty but bittersweet look at a young woman and the two men involved with her. Mirabelle Buttersfield (Claire Danes) is an aspiring artist in her mid-twenties who, after graduating from college, moved to Los Angeles, where she works at the glove counter of an upscale department store. Mirabelle's job is simple and not demanding, but it doesn't pay especially well, and she finds herself struggling to get out from under a growing mountain of debt from student loans and credit cards. One night, while doing her laundry, Mirabelle meets Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), a scruffy but likable would-be musician who makes ends meet selling guitar amps. While Jeremy is obviously infatuated with Mirabelle, she isn't sure how she feels about him, especially after she meets Ray Porter (Steve Martin), a man in his fifties whom she meets at the store. Ray is independently wealthy, intelligent, and charming, and after asking her out on a date he sweeps her off her feet. However, while Mirabelle quickly falls for Ray and he's generous to a fault with her, he refuses to commit exclusively to her and suggests they should both see other people, a prospect that no longer holds much appeal for her. Shopgirl received its world premiere at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Claire Danes gives an interesting performance in Shopgirl. Her character is looking for happiness and fulfillment, but she suffers from depression and takes medication that flattens out her moods. Her Mirabelle Buttersfield has a pretty good clue as to what she wants out of life, she is simply having trouble finding it. Ray Porter, the older man who romances her, sees her as a delicate, elegant, fragile creature. Those adjectives are all accurate descriptions of her, but they certainly do not describe her completely. Steve Martin imbues Ray with an inherent coldness that never thaws, even as he gets himself more involved with her than he ever intended to. One of the best aspects of the film is the cinematography by regular David Cronenberg DP Peter Suschitzky. The stylish look of the film also has a fragile beauty that encourages the audience to see Mirabelle exactly as Ray does, something that makes her performance all the more interesting. The audience begins to see more in her than Ray does. The love triangle involving the two of them and Jason Schwartzman's twentysomething Jeremy plays out with a simple straightforwardness that suffers mostly because one of these three characters does not grow up -- anyone should figure out early on who will end up with whom. The film moves at a deliberate pace that allows the viewer to understand and appreciate Mirabelle's many wonderful qualities, but neither of the men seem particularly worthy of her even if one does become an obviously better choice. As a romance, Shopgirl comes up short, but as a portrait of a young woman at an early crossroads in her life, the film offers a mix of emotional truth and nonjudgmental observation that makes it a worthy character study. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Frances Conroy - Catherine Buttersfield; Rebecca Pidgeon - Christie Richards; Gina Doctor - Del Rey; Clyde Kusatsu - Mr. Agasa; Samantha Shelton - Loki; Romy Rosemont - Loan Officer; Joshua Snyder - Trey Bryan; Rachel Nichols - Trey's Girlfriend; Shane Edelman - Chet; Emily Kuroda - Japanese Woman; Jayzel Samonte - Houseboy; Mark Kozelek - Luther; John Fedevich - Hot Tears Band Member; Zak Sally - Hot Tears Band Member; Ray Buktenica - Shrink; Alexondra Lee - Karen; Shannon Hile - SAKS Customer; Joe Bays - Businessman; Randy Oglesby - Tom; Richard Fancy - Eli; Anne Marie Howard - Mandy; Kevin Kilner - Charley; Mathew Smith - Volebeat Band Member; Troy Gregory - The Volebeat; Scott Michalski - The Volebeat; Russell Ledford - The Volebeat; Jeff Oakes - The Volebeat; Kris Deskins - Armani Seamstress; Laura Grady - Cosmetics Girl
Credit
Sue Chan - Art Director, Meredith Zamsky - Associate Producer, Nick Hamson - Associate Producer, Simon Conder - Associate Producer, Deborah Aquila - Casting, Tricia Wood - Casting, Jennifer Smith - Casting, Barrington Pheloung - Conductor, Marcus Viscidi - Co-producer, Nancy Steiner - Costume Designer, Anand Tucker - Director, David Gamble - Editor, Andrew Sugerman - Executive Producer, Toni-Ann Walker - Hair Styles, Colleen Gibbons - Location Manager, Barrington Pheloung - Composer (Music Score), Scott Ressler - Camera Operator, William Arnold - Production Designer, Peter Suschitzky - Cinematographer, Ashok Amritraj - Producer, Steve Martin - Producer, Jon Jashni - Producer, Edward Tise - Production Sound, Alexander Balanescu - Singer, Frank Ricotti - Singer, Sally Heath - Singer, Gary Kettel - Singer, Michael Bernard Anderson - Set Designer, Edward Tise - Sound/Sound Designer, Steve Martin - Screenwriter, Rob Sweeney - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Erik Henry - Visual Effects Supervisor, David Nowell - Aerial Photography, The London Metropolitan Orchestra - Musical Performer, Jan Kikumoto - Post Production Supervisor, Shari LaFranchi - Production Supervisor, Douglas Fox - Properties Master, Leslie Shatz - Re-Recording Mixer, Matthew Ladarola - Re-Recording Mixer, Valeria Migliassi Collins - Script Supervisor, Heather Grierson - Second Assistant Director, Leslie Garvin - Second Assistant Director, Ron Trost - Special Effects Coordinator, Kirk R. Gardner - Steadicam Operator, Bob Gorelick - Steadicam Operator, Leslie Shatz - Supervising Sound Editor, John Vecchio - Chief Lighting Technician, Sebastian Milito - Construction Coordinator, Heidi Higginbotham - Costumes Supervisor, Barbara Ann Stein - Production Accountant, Café FX - Visual Effects, David Smith - Set Decorator, Steve Martin - Book Author, Lydia Milars - Department Head Makeup, Tim Bird - Assistant Director
