Six Degrees of Separation (1993)

Pretty Good

Absolutely Fantastic

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

I remember seeing David Hampton as a guest on Donahue (one of the best talk shows ever) and it gave life to an already living script which became Six Degrees of Separation.This movie deserves more recognition. Sure it's talky, but the script is literate and if you're a fan of the Fast and the Furious genre, then please move on, please.Sorry if this sounds prudish, but seriously the gratuitous swearing almost overshadowed the movie. I know, I know, someone will say to me that swearing is a reflection of real life, so get over it!!! Maybe, but seriously, I never heard anyone complaining after leaving the multiplex that a movie didn't have enough swearing. Never.

Ouisa (Stockard Channing) and Flan Kittredge (Donald Sutherland) are upper class Fifth Avenue NYC private art dealers. Their prized possession is a two-sided Kandinsky. They recount the story of their dinner with wealthy South African investor Geoffrey Miller (Ian McKellen) to a growing crowd. Paul (Will Smith) interrupts the dinner showing up at their door claiming to have been robbed in Central Park. He supposedly is studying at Harvard with their kids Talbot and Woody and is the son of Sidney Poitier. All the while, he is shown practicing his con. Then they catch him in bed with Rick (Eric Thal) and they kick him out. However Miller wants to connect with Sidney Poitier. Then their friends Kitty (Mary Beth Hurt) and Larkin (Bruce Davison) come to them with the same story. They find Dr. Fine (Richard Masur) with a familiar encounter. The kids find out that it's their high school classmate Trent Conway (Anthony Michael Hall).It's an eye-opening performance from Will Smith and it's actually one of his best. He's being the slick performer and it's playing up his natural charisma. It is probably one of his most daring character and one which he has not gone beyond. I do wish he takes some chances in non-conventional roles to expand his repertoire. Channing and Sutherland are also terrific. It's sharp social commentary. On a minor note, J.J. Abrams overacts a bit as Dr. Fine's crazed son. His ridiculousness is somewhat funny. The kids generally yell and overact too much.

Of all the movies I've seen this one has to be the most contrived and pretentious. Like the fast paced and totally unbelievable dialogue for the 60s sitcom "'MASH" this movie is like that on steroids. In a nutshell, PEOPLE DON'T TALK LIKE THAT! The best way to describe is it's a combination of that annoying snappy, quick witted, (again) unrealistic dialogue of Neil Simon AND (try to visualize) Woody Allen lampooning people who are impressed by their own self importance. The characters are either obnoxious or self absorbed. I find all the characters to be incredibly self important. It's a horrible movie and felt the need to shower when it was over, yecccccch. While watching the film I continued to ask myself .."what is this"? Now the good news ,,, it's so bad that its a must see, looking at other reviews on this site I seem to be in the minority. Of. Ourselves it's others who are full of themselves too, Sorry guys I'm right and you're wrong . I grade this movie F? And the F stands for something else

I watched this movie because of the title - 'Six Degrees of Separation' does sound interesting.Well, to put it shortly, it's just a bag of pseudo-intellectual trash. A waste of time, money and effort on everyone's part.The characters are fatuous, the storyline ridiculous. The plot starts nowhere, goes nowhere and ends nowhere. I kept waiting for something, anything, to happen. Nothing did. Frankly, I demand 1.5 hours of precious time back, even if for sitting on a park bench staring into space!My rating for it is 1 on 10 - just because you can't do a zero rating.