 |
THIRTEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING tells the interconnected stories of several New Yorkers who are searching for meaning in their lives. Troy (Matthew McConaughy), a promising attorney, puts his seemingly bright future at risk when he drives away from an accident. He injures Beatrice (Clea DuVall), a young cleaning woman, and her recovery from the accident severely tests her natural optimism and affects her friend Dorrie (Tia Texada). Tiring of the predictable routine of his life, university teacher Walter (John Turturro) buys Troy's car and starts a relationship with another teacher, Helen (Barbara Sukowa). Walter's wife, Patricia (Amy Irving), is left to deal with his infidelity, but she finds a rare moment of solace on the subway when a stranger waves at her. The stranger, Gene (Alan Arkin), a claims adjuster weighed down by his responsibilities, resents the incurable optimism of his coworker Wade (William Wise).
The connections between these people are sometimes small and trivial, and other times momentous. But they are woven together with great skill by the film's scriptwriters, sisters Jill and Karen Sprecher. Jill Sprecher also directed the large cast, amongst whom the standouts are Amy Irving and Alan Arkin. Arkin in particular, with his beautifully modulated performance, essentially provides the spine of the movie.
|
