IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
The crew is running out of money to finish their film.The crew is running out of money to finish their film.The crew is running out of money to finish their film.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 1 nomination
Camila Mora-Scheihing
- Julia
- (as Camila Mora)
John Paul Getty III
- Dennis
- (as J. Paul Getty III)
Gisela Getty
- Secretary
- (as Martina Getty)
Janet Graham
- Karen
- (as Janet Rasak)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSamuel Fuller's character is a cameraman named Joe. Fuller named him in honor of his friend and longtime cinematographer, Joseph F. Biroc.
- GoofsAll entries contain spoilers
- Crazy creditsWhen the opening credits finally appear(about 10 minutes into the film), they appear letter by letter as if typed by a typewriter. When the credits completely fill the screen, the camera pans to the left, wiping the credits off the screen.
- Alternate versionsThe sci-fi introduction of the German edit is tainted in brown. This edit is also 12 seconds shorter. At 37'03", the Cornelita song has only one verse.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Reverse Angle: Ein Brief aus New York (1982)
Featured review
An Overlooked Gem That Sparkles
If you get a chance to see this 1982 film "The State of Things," take it. I had never heard of it and would not have come across it if I hadn't attended a multi-week festival of the films of director Wim Wenders at the IFC theater in New York, at which the director appeared several times for interviews and Q & A sessions.
"The State of Things" should be seen by anyone who loves, or even likes movies. I purposely say "movies" rather than "film" because you don't have to be a certified cinéaste to appreciate it. Plain old, popcorn-munching movie lovers will enjoy it as well. (Mr. Wenders, BTW, seems to be both. No contradiction there.)
Details of the plot can be found in other reviews, but in summary, an international cast and crew shooting a movie off of the coast of Portugal is left high and dry by the producer when they learn that there is not enough money available to continue the project. The director hasn't been able to reach the producer by phone so he flies to L.A. to talk to him and try to find out what's going on. This is where the plot thickens and you will have to see the movie to learn how it unfolds.
Besides extolling the merits of the movie itself, the ensemble cast and the director, my main motivation for writing this review is to praise the outstanding performance of Allen Goorwitz (a/k/a Allen Garfield) as the errant producer. Mr. Goorwitz is listed first in the acting credits (on IMDb) but he doesn't appear until about 45 minutes before the film ends and he is in every scene until the credits roll. It is well worth the wait. His portrayal of the character is a priceless tour-de-force.
This extraordinary character actor began his career learning his craft at The Actors Studio in New York where he studied with Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan. With those credits it is not surprising that he turned out to be one of those actors who "doesn't look like he's acting," a description usually associated with big name Method Actors such as Marlon Brando and James Dean.
If you are a movie lover who has ever yearned for a film that has "something different" while still being very accessible and not too artsy, put "The State of Things" at or near the top of your list. You will have to search for it but your efforts will be amply rewarded.
"The State of Things" should be seen by anyone who loves, or even likes movies. I purposely say "movies" rather than "film" because you don't have to be a certified cinéaste to appreciate it. Plain old, popcorn-munching movie lovers will enjoy it as well. (Mr. Wenders, BTW, seems to be both. No contradiction there.)
Details of the plot can be found in other reviews, but in summary, an international cast and crew shooting a movie off of the coast of Portugal is left high and dry by the producer when they learn that there is not enough money available to continue the project. The director hasn't been able to reach the producer by phone so he flies to L.A. to talk to him and try to find out what's going on. This is where the plot thickens and you will have to see the movie to learn how it unfolds.
Besides extolling the merits of the movie itself, the ensemble cast and the director, my main motivation for writing this review is to praise the outstanding performance of Allen Goorwitz (a/k/a Allen Garfield) as the errant producer. Mr. Goorwitz is listed first in the acting credits (on IMDb) but he doesn't appear until about 45 minutes before the film ends and he is in every scene until the credits roll. It is well worth the wait. His portrayal of the character is a priceless tour-de-force.
This extraordinary character actor began his career learning his craft at The Actors Studio in New York where he studied with Lee Strasberg and Elia Kazan. With those credits it is not surprising that he turned out to be one of those actors who "doesn't look like he's acting," a description usually associated with big name Method Actors such as Marlon Brando and James Dean.
If you are a movie lover who has ever yearned for a film that has "something different" while still being very accessible and not too artsy, put "The State of Things" at or near the top of your list. You will have to search for it but your efforts will be amply rewarded.
Helpful•00
- reasonablyniceperson
- Sep 18, 2015
- Permalink
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Der Stand der Dinge
- Filming locations
- Lisbon, Portugal(Location)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $3,700
- Runtime2 hours 1 minute
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1
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