Film Snail

6.4

Six Degrees of Separation

R·1993·112m

Mystery

Drama

Comedy

Mystery

Drama

Comedy

Summary

The story of a young, gay, black, con artist who, posing as the son of Sidney Poitier, cunningly maneuvers his way into the lives of a white, upper-class New York family.

Cast

Stockard Channing

Ouisa

Will Smith

Paul

Donald Sutherland

Flan

Ian McKellen

Geoffrey

Mary Beth Hurt

Kitty

Bruce Davison

Larkin

Richard Masur

Dr. Fine

Anthony Michael Hall

Trent

Heather Graham

Elizabeth

Eric Thal

Rick

Anthony Rapp

Ben

Osgood Perkins

Woody

Catherine Kellner

Tess

J.J. Abrams

Doug

Joe Pentangelo

Police Officer

Lou Milione

Hustler

Brooke Hayward

Connie

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

John Rowe Jr.

Usher

Elizabeth Rossa

Bride

Diane Hartford

Julia

Frank O'Brien

Eddie

Ann McDonough

Teacher

José Rabelo

Elevator Man #2

Todd Alcott

Concert Goer

Joanne Noble

Concert Goer

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

Grandfather at Baptism

Vince O'Brien

Grandfather at Baptism

Anne Swift

Guest at Baptism

Richmond Hoxie

Guest at Baptism

Kitty Carlisle

Mrs. Bannister

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

Lieutenant Price

Hélène Cardona

Cocktail Party Guest (uncredited)

Andrea Conte

Theatre Woman (uncredited)

Beatrice de Borg

Ballroom Dancer (uncredited)

Garlan Green

Wedding Guest (uncredited)

Mary Ann Hannon

University Professor (uncredited)

Stuart Crawford Hult

Bartender (uncredited)

Doris McCarthy

Cocktail Party Guest (uncredited)

Ronald Rand

Head Waiter (uncredited)

Jill Tompkins

Woman in Airport (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Fred Schepisi

Writer

John Guare

Reviews

FilipeManuelNeto

December 25, 2022

**A play, transported to the cinema, continues to be a play, even if it is an intelligent and well-made play.**

Based on a theatrical play, this film makes an interesting mix between comedy and sharp and blunt social criticism by allowing a very rich couple from New York to be very easily deceived by a tramp who, using the right knowledge, manages to enter and sleep at their house.

Despite not being perfect, and being a reasonably still film, dependent on dialogues that never seem to end, the film works quite well if we are open to giving it the opportunity it asks of us. It is not, however, an easy film: the reliance on dialogues, and the intelligent, almost intellectual, way in which they are conceived, will scare away audiences who are not so willing to tolerate it. For the most part, the film feels a lot like a play or something you'd see in the theater, and that can get a little tiresome.

Will Smith is the great actor who dominates the film, with a superb performance. It was a film that helped a lot in his artistic career, and that opened the doors for him to better and more recognized works. However, it is still one of the actor's best films so far. We cannot, however, ignore the inspired and successful performance of Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing, in the role of the two millionaire art dealers that Smith so easily deceives. In a more discreet position, Sir Ian McKellen is positively supportive of the main cast.

Technically, it's a film that doesn't seem to have been very expensive to make, as almost half of the action takes place inside the rich people's apartment, and that all the action seems to have been limited to a relatively small geography. There are no visual or special effects that stand out, the sound has minimal intervention, and the soundtrack consists of songs that we know relatively well and that are cleverly used. The cinematography is basically 90's standard, which makes this film a bit of a dated piece.