Six Degrees Of Separation
"Hilarious! Tremendous! Magic!" -Rolling Stone
"The ultimate movie about the New York cult of class" (Glamour), this "rich and challenging cinematic treat" (Playboy) is both a laugh-out-loud comedy and a biting social commentary about the separation between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots.' Will Smith gives a "mightily impressive debut," Donald Sutherland "is perfection" and Oscar-nominated Stockard Channing "moves from brilliance to somewhere above and beyond brilliance" (CBS-TV) in a story that's all the more amazing...because it's true!
Posing as the son of Sidney Poitier, "Paul" (Smith) deftly penetrates the world of art-dealing urbanites Ouisa and Flan Kittredge (Channing and Sutherland). But as Paul's web of dropped names and near fame begins to unravel, he provides his hosts with much more than just the ultimate cocktail unravel, he provides his hosts with much more than just the ultimate cocktail party anecdote -- he sets in motion a series of events that will alter the course of their lives forever.
Member Reviews
Should have stayed a play - RobBC
Facades loom heavily in this somewhat one-sided sermon against petty bourgeois values. In trying to emulate the wealthy lifestyle he so desires Paul acts as a mirror in which some characters begin to see the various charades they play in their own lives....the crooked deals, the forced bonhomie, and the amusing strings of anecdotes that serve as a substitute for actually living. Paul may be an impostor but he ends up being the only “genuine” person in the entire movie. This is when things get bogged down. The ensuing rhetoric has a certain air of self-righteousness about it as revelations are made and angry indictments are leveled. It would seem that anyone with a top-floor view of Central Park is just a big phony. To be fair, the script is certainly clever and Schepisi makes the most of his Manhattan settings. Furthermore there are some commendable performances, most notably Stockard Channing. I guess some plays just don’t translate well into movies.A collection of great actors... - Cricri7
Six degrees of separation may not have been made recently, but its topic is still relevent today. It tells the story of a young man who passes himself off as Sidney Poitier's son to New York society people. It happened in real life, people opened up their homes to him without checking his story out. It tells a lot about people that they so much want to be close to stardom that they believe at first sight what they are told by a stranger.
Will Smith was just beginning when he fimed this and he did quite a good job. I would have loved seeing him take more meatier roles like this one over the years over the big money makers. Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland and others round up this wonderful cast of actors. If you have not seen it, it is worth zipping it even if dates quite a bit.A mix of nightmare and dream, great stardom and charisma by actors - Porkchop
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, produced by Fred Schepisi, brilliantly
squeezed every bit of acting talent, and stardom out of actors
Stockard Channing, Will Smith and Donald Sutherland, who are
captured at their peak, bringing in enormous charisma, energy and
presence througout the 90 mins of this picture.
I especially enjoyed the wide-screen release, and the music that
accompanies very well the underlying story.
For most viewers, this movie will be a mixture of a nightmare and
a dream, being that, in the first instance, they witness the
protagonists interacting with and becoming a target of a
schizophenic freeloader of some sorts, played with great dignity
by Smith, and in the second instance, for watching this comical,
absurd, and preposterous story of an art dealer closing
multi-million deals in rare paintings.
It might actually, give a migraine to a number of people,
considering a few offensive moments, which were clearly
unnecessary in the picture, but maintained.
The filming is outstanding, showing the best aspects of New York,
and from beginning to end, luxurious dwellings, decorations,
clothing styles, and we are led to believe, the lifetyle of the
top 5% wealthiest in the USA, played by Sutherland, and Channing.
The DVD release has very crisp images, throughout.
Finally, perhaps the movie would have received greater acclaim,
had a few offensive elements been removed, and the grifting side
to the imposter been underlined, and penalized, in this movie, to
a greater degree.
Obviously, this being a Hollywood production, the comical side,
and entertainment value won out over realism, and morality over
the behavior done by Smith's character, which this movie seems
to condone.
Member Reviews
Read All...
Should have stayed a play - RobBC
Facades loom heavily in this somewhat one-sided sermon against petty bourgeois values. In trying to emulate the wealthy lifestyle he so desires Paul acts as a mirror in which some characters begin to see the various charades they play in their own lives....the ...A collection of great actors... - Cricri7
Six degrees of separation may not have been made recently, but its topic is still relevent today. It tells the story of a young man who passes himself off as Sidney Poitier's son to New York society people. It happened in real life, people opened up their ...A mix of nightmare and dream, great stardom and charisma by actors - Porkchop
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, produced by Fred Schepisi, brilliantly
squeezed every bit of acting talent, and stardom out of actors
Stockard Channing, Will Smith and Donald Sutherland, who are
captured at their peak, bringing in enormous charisma, energy ...