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Revision as of 21:33, 15 December 2014 editFelixRosch (talk | contribs)1,353 edits Undid revision 637644890 by 76.31.249.221 (talk) Undo sequence of several IP edits to plot not discussed on Talk.← Previous edit Revision as of 21:36, 15 December 2014 edit undoFelixRosch (talk | contribs)1,353 edits Undid revision 637591946 by Wukai (talk) Undo sequence of several IP edits to plot not discussed on Talk.Next edit →
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Shot on location in ] and ], the movie depicts the lives of young, well-educated upper-class ] (or, as one character calls them, the "urban ''haute bourgeoisie''") home on winter break from their first year of college during ] season. Shot on location in ] and ], the movie depicts the lives of young, well-educated upper-class ] (or, as one character calls them, the "urban ''haute bourgeoisie''") home on winter break from their first year of college during ] season.


Middle-class ] student Tom Townsend, an admirer of ]'s socialism, attends a dress ball one evening on a whim and meets a small group of young Upper East Side socialites known as the Sally Fowler Rat Pack, after the girl whose apartment they use for after-hours parties. Tom learns that he and the Rat Pack share some mutual friends, including his ex-girlfriend Serena Slocumb, with whom he remains infatuated. After the ball, a mix-up leads to the Rat Pack coming to believe that they accidentally stole a taxi from Tom, and they decide to invite him to a party as a means of apologizing. Middle-class ] student Tom Townsend, an admirer of ]'s socialism, attends a dress ball one evening on a whim and meets a small group of young Upper East Side socialites called the Sally Fowler Rat Pack, after the girl whose apartment they use for after-hours parties. Tom learns that he and the Rat Pack share some mutual friends, including his ex-girlfriend Serena Slocumb, with whom he is hopelessly infatuated. After the ball, a mix up leads to the Rat Pack coming to believe that they accidentally stole a tax from Tom, and decide to invite him to accompany them to a party as a means of apologizing.


Though Tom finds the Rat Pack pretentious, he decides to attend the party, and befriends several other attendees, including Nick Smith, a cynical ] who takes Tom under his wing; Audrey, a shy girl who enjoys ] literature and develops a crush on Tom; and Charlie, a soft-spoken quasi-intellectual with an unrequited love for Audrey. Though Tom views the Rat Pack as pretentious, he decides to attend the party, and ends up befriending several members, including Nick Smith, a cynical ] who takes Tom under his wing; Audrey, a shy girl who enjoys ] literature and develops a crush on Tom; and Charlie, a soft-spoken quasi-intellectual with an unrequited love for Audrey.


Under Nick's tutelage, Tom ingratiates himself to the Rat Pack and soon becomes a full-fledged member. Much of the film is composed of set pieces in which Tom and the Rat Pack discuss the nebulous social scene they occupy, including how they are coming of age just as the ] culture in which they were raised is ending, leaving them with uncertain social futures. During these discussions, Tom reveals that he, too, was raised wealthy, but that his father abandoned the family to marry another woman, taking most of his money in the divorce and leaving Tom and his mother middle-class. As a result, Tom harbors a love-hate relationship with wealth and the upper class. Under Nick's tutelage, Tom ingratiates himself to the Rat Pack, and soon becomes a full-fledged member. Much of the film is composed of set pieces in which Tom and the Rat Pack discuss the nebulous social scene which they occupy, including how they are coming of age just as the ] culture with which they were raised is ending, leaving them with uncertain social futures. During discussions with the group, Tom reveals that he, too, was raised wealthy, but that his father abandoned the family to marry another woman, successfully taking most of his money in the divorce and leaving Tom and his mother middle-class. As a result, Tom harbors a love-hate relationship with wealth and the upper class.


One of the members of the Rat Pack begins dating Rick von Slonecker, a young, European aristocrat notorious for his ]. Nick alienates himself from the group after accusing Rick of getting a girl drunk and ] her several years before, insinuating that she was Nick's ex-girlfriend and that she committed suicide afterward. Other members of the Rat Pack point out holes in Nick's story. Nick later reveals that the story was not literally true but a "composite" of things Rick had done. Shortly thereafter, Nick leaves Manhattan, giving his ] to Tom as a token of friendship and a symbol of the upper class's acceptance of him. One of the members of the Rat Pack begins dating Rick von Slonecker, a young, European aristocrat notorious for his ]. Nick alienates himself from the group after accusing Rick of getting a girl drunk and ] her several years before, insinuating that she was Nick's ex-girlfriend and that she committed suicide afterwards. Other members of the Rat Pack point out holes in Nick's story. Nick claims that, while the story was true, he embellished certain details in order to turn the group against Rick. Shortly thereafter, Nick leaves Manhattan, giving his ] to Tom as a token of friendship and a symbol of the upper class' acceptance of him.


After several failed romantic overtures towards Tom, Audrey decides to leave Manhattan to spend the rest of vacation in the Hamptons with Rick and his girlfriend. Realizing that he's developed feelings for her, Tom recruits Charlie to help him rescue Audrey from Rick. The two travel to the Hamptons together, bonding en route. They arrive to find Audrey enjoying a quiet weekend at a beach house; Tom and Charlie nonetheless instigate a fight with Rick, which ends with Tom, Audrey, and Charlie being kicked out of the house. The three discuss their feelings for one another, and decide to go back to Manhattan together. The film ends with the three characters contemplating their uncertain futures as they walk back to Manhattan: Audrey plans to leave for France in order to attend college, with Tom contemplating coming to see her and Charlie still in love with her. After several failed romantic overtures towards Tom, Audrey decides to leave Manhattan to spend the rest of vacation in the Hamptons with Rick and his girlfriend. Realizing that he's developed feelings for her, Tom recruits Charlie to help him rescue Audrey from what they believe will be another gang rape. The two travel to the Hamptons together, bonding en route. They arrive to find Audrey enjoying a quiet weekend at a beach house; Tom and Charlie nonetheless instigate a fight with Rick, which ends with Tom, Audrey, and Charlie being kicked out of the house. The three discuss their feelings for one another, and decide to go back to Manhattan together. The film ends with the three characters contemplating their uncertain futures as they walk back to Manhattan: Audrey plans to leave for France in order to attend college, with Tom contemplating coming to see her and Charlie still in love with Audrey.


==Cast== ==Cast==

Revision as of 21:36, 15 December 2014

1990 American film
Metropolitan
Promotional poster for Metropolitan
Directed byWhit Stillman
Written byWhit Stillman
Produced byWhit Stillman
StarringCarolyn Farina
Edward Clements
Taylor Nichols
Chris Eigeman
Allison Parisi
Dylan Hundley
CinematographyJohn Thomas
Edited byChristopher Tellefsen
Music byJock Davis
Tom Judson
Mark Suozzo
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release date
  • August 3, 1990 (1990-08-03)
Running time98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$225,000
Box office$2,938,208 (USA)

Metropolitan is the debut film by director and screenwriter Whit Stillman. It received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. The film is often considered the first of a trilogy of Stillman films, followed by Barcelona (1994, but written before Metropolitan) and The Last Days of Disco (1998).

Plot

Shot on location in Manhattan and Long Island, the movie depicts the lives of young, well-educated upper-class New Yorkers (or, as one character calls them, the "urban haute bourgeoisie") home on winter break from their first year of college during debutante ball season.

Middle-class Princeton student Tom Townsend, an admirer of Charles Fourier's socialism, attends a dress ball one evening on a whim and meets a small group of young Upper East Side socialites called the Sally Fowler Rat Pack, after the girl whose apartment they use for after-hours parties. Tom learns that he and the Rat Pack share some mutual friends, including his ex-girlfriend Serena Slocumb, with whom he is hopelessly infatuated. After the ball, a mix up leads to the Rat Pack coming to believe that they accidentally stole a tax from Tom, and decide to invite him to accompany them to a party as a means of apologizing.

Though Tom views the Rat Pack as pretentious, he decides to attend the party, and ends up befriending several members, including Nick Smith, a cynical dandy who takes Tom under his wing; Audrey, a shy girl who enjoys Regency literature and develops a crush on Tom; and Charlie, a soft-spoken quasi-intellectual with an unrequited love for Audrey.

Under Nick's tutelage, Tom ingratiates himself to the Rat Pack, and soon becomes a full-fledged member. Much of the film is composed of set pieces in which Tom and the Rat Pack discuss the nebulous social scene which they occupy, including how they are coming of age just as the yuppie culture with which they were raised is ending, leaving them with uncertain social futures. During discussions with the group, Tom reveals that he, too, was raised wealthy, but that his father abandoned the family to marry another woman, successfully taking most of his money in the divorce and leaving Tom and his mother middle-class. As a result, Tom harbors a love-hate relationship with wealth and the upper class.

One of the members of the Rat Pack begins dating Rick von Slonecker, a young, European aristocrat notorious for his womanizing. Nick alienates himself from the group after accusing Rick of getting a girl drunk and gang raping her several years before, insinuating that she was Nick's ex-girlfriend and that she committed suicide afterwards. Other members of the Rat Pack point out holes in Nick's story. Nick claims that, while the story was true, he embellished certain details in order to turn the group against Rick. Shortly thereafter, Nick leaves Manhattan, giving his top hat to Tom as a token of friendship and a symbol of the upper class' acceptance of him.

After several failed romantic overtures towards Tom, Audrey decides to leave Manhattan to spend the rest of vacation in the Hamptons with Rick and his girlfriend. Realizing that he's developed feelings for her, Tom recruits Charlie to help him rescue Audrey from what they believe will be another gang rape. The two travel to the Hamptons together, bonding en route. They arrive to find Audrey enjoying a quiet weekend at a beach house; Tom and Charlie nonetheless instigate a fight with Rick, which ends with Tom, Audrey, and Charlie being kicked out of the house. The three discuss their feelings for one another, and decide to go back to Manhattan together. The film ends with the three characters contemplating their uncertain futures as they walk back to Manhattan: Audrey plans to leave for France in order to attend college, with Tom contemplating coming to see her and Charlie still in love with Audrey.

Cast

  • Carolyn Farina as Audrey Rouget, a young debutante.
  • Edward Clements as Tom Townsend, a Princeton student who falls into Audrey's group of friends.
  • Chris Eigeman as Nick Smith, a cynic who takes Tom under his wing.
  • Taylor Nichols as Charlie Black, a stammering philosopher who is wary of Tom.
  • Allison Parisi as Jane Clark, Audrey's best friend.
  • Dylan Hundley as Sally Fowler, an aspiring singer who lets the group use her parents' Upper East Side apartment for their nightly get-togethers.
  • Isabel Gillies as Cynthia McLean, Sally's best friend.
  • Bryan Leder as Fred Neff, an alcoholic college graduate and mutual friend of the group.
  • Will Kempe as Rick Von Sloneker, a rival of Nick and Tom.
  • Ellia Thompson as Serena Slocum, Tom's ex-girlfriend, who is dating Von Sloneker.
  • Stephen Uys as Victor Lemley, a friend of Rick's.

Production

Whit Stillman wrote the screenplay for Metropolitan between 1984 and 1988 while he was running an illustration agency in New York, and financed it by selling his apartment for $50,000 as well as with a few contributions from family members and friends. Stillman claims the movie is based on events from his life in late 1970, while he was living with his divorced mother in Washington D.C. While on Christmas break during his first year at Harvard University, he met a group of like-minded college students from various universities around the country. Each night, he and his new group of friends attended a formal ballroom dance party at a hotel or convention hall, and then retired to an after-hours gathering at one of the students' parents' houses in nearby Georgetown. The group then spent the remainder of the night talking, debating and discussing a wide range of topics. As in the movie, this nightly ritual eventually ended just after New Year's Day when Stillman and the rest of the group returned to their respective schools.

Awards and honors

American Film Institute recognition:

References

  1. Stephen Holden (1990-08-03). "New Face; Crashing A Socialite's Cozy World". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  2. Stillman, Whit. Barcelona & Metropolitan; A Tale of Two Cities. Faber and Faber Ltd. 1994. ISBN 0-571-17365-9
  3. AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs Nominees

External links

Films directed by Whit Stillman
Categories: