Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Fred Schepisi

Writers (WGA):

John Guare (play)
John Guare (screenplay)

Release Date:

8 December 1993 (USA)

Genre:

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

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:

Will Smith refused to actually kiss Anthony Michael Hall just before their kissing scene so a camera trick was used showing only the back of their heads. In an interview, Smith stated that Denzel Washington advised him not to kiss a man on-screen for it would harm his career. Smith stated that he regretted not going through with it saying "It was very immature on my part."

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Paul says that Sidney Poitier was born on the 24th of February, 1927. He was actually born on February 20th.

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 "The Nanny: The Kibbutz (#3.12)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

BLUE TANGO

A very good story, with brilliant performances, well worth watching.

At once you can see this was a stage play, with the concentration on dialogue, and although it stands out somewhat here, and there is a slight edge of everything being just a notch above the usual, the visuals and acting bring you into this great story quite easily. Will Smith acts his pants off, well quite literally in some scenes, but he is superb in this role, and acting along such names as Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland, both of whom are spectacular in their roles. A story based around the idea that everyone is connected to everyone else by a maximum of six other people, it's just finding those six that make the link, and this is turned into an extremely interesting story, told in a series of anecdotal discussions between the main characters and their friends and business partners at various different social occasions. You find yourself drawn and fascinated to the tale as it unfolds, almost feeling as though you are one of those people, eager to hear the next step in the tale. However, I felt somewhat disappointed in the ending, almost as though it didn't fit and came out of nowhere. Yet the ideas of the stranger giving the couple more than they gave the stranger was a good one, I just think what they finally got wasn't what the story needed…but then, sometimes that's life. A very good story, with brilliant performances, well worth watching.