Smoke (film)
Smoke | |
---|---|
Directed by | Wayne Wang |
Written by | Paul Auster |
Produced by | Greg Johnson Peter Newman Kenzo Horikoshi Hisami Kuroiwa |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Miramax Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 112 minutes |
Countries | United States Germany Japan |
Language | English |
Budget | $7 million |
Box office | $38 million |
Smoke is a 1995 American
.Plot
The film follows the lives of multiple characters, all of whom are connected via their patronage of a small Brooklyn tobacconist store managed by Augustus "Auggie" Wren. Auggie has been taking photographs of the store from across the street at 8:00am every morning and collects all his photos in albums. Paul Benjamin, a recently-widowed writer, spends an evening with Auggie and is initially dismissive of his photography project, saying that the photos are "all the same". Auggie replies that they only look the same superficially, but they are in fact all different, with each photo representing a unique moment in time. Auggie implores Paul to "slow down", which he agrees to do. Paul sees his wife in one of the pictures and breaks down.
The next day, Paul is lost in thought as he crosses the street and is saved from being run down by a truck by Rashid, a young black man named Rashid. Paul invites Rashid to stay at his apartment as a form of thanks. Rashid accepts, but irritates Paul by making noise and breaking dishes while Paul is writing. Paul asks Rashid to leave, which he does. Paul is visited by Rashid's aunt, who demands to know why Rashid has been staying with Paul. She reveals that Rashid's real name is Thomas, and that he is from an underprivileged background. She also says that Rashid has been estranged from his father since childhood, and that his father had been spotted recently at a gas station outside the city.
Rashid tracks down his father, Cyrus Cole, at his gas station, which he sketches. Cyrus, not recognizing him, befriends Rashid and hires him to carry out renovation work at the gas station. Rashid conceals his identity and tells Cyrus that his name is Paul Benjamin. His father has an
Rashid returns to Paul's apartment to give him a secondhand television as a gift. As Rashid tries to leave, Paul forces him to stay and to call his aunt to reassure her that he is safe. Paul finds $5,000 that Rashid has stashed in the apartment. When Paul confronts Rashid about the money, he reveals that he took the money from robbers, which is why he is in hiding. Paul implores Rashid to return the money. Rashid disappears without explaining where he has gone. Paul and Auggie track Rashid back to Cyrus' gas station. Rashid reveals his true identity. Cyrus finally understands that Rashid is in fact his son but initially rejects him. After an emotional breakdown, they reconcile. Rashid is hired to work at Auggie's shop.
Auggie imports a box of
Paul tells Auggie that he has been asked by
During and after the closing credits, Auggie's story is enacted in a poignant black-and-white sequence to the soundtrack of Tom Waits's Innocent When You Dream.
Cast
- William Hurt as Paul Benjamin
- Harvey Keitel as Augustus "Auggie" Wren
- Stockard Channing as Ruby McNutt
- Harold Perrineau as Thomas "Rashid" Cole (as Harold Perrineau Jr.)
- Jared Harris as Jimmy Rose
- Giancarlo Esposito as Tommy Finelli, OTB Man #1
- José Zúñiga as Jerry, OTB Man #2
- Ashley Judd as Felicity
- Forest Whitaker as Cyrus Cole
- Malik Yoba as The Creeper
- Victor Argo as Vinnie
- Daniel Auster as Book Thief
- Deirdre O'Connell as Sue, The Waitress
- Michelle Hurst as Aunt Em
- Erica Gimpel as Doreen Cole
- Mary B. Ward as April Lee
- Clarice Taylor as Grandma Ethel
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a rating of 88% based on 34 reviews. The consensus summarizes: "Smoke draws in a stellar ensemble, holds the audience's attention with a robust blend of connected stories, and sends viewers out on a pleasurable high."[2]
It opened on 4 screens (including two in New York and one in Los Angeles) and grossed $70,744 for the weekend, being the number one exclusive release in New York and L.A.[3] It went on to gross $8 million in the United States and Canada and $30 million internationally.[4]
Awards
Won
- Silver Bear (Wayne Wang) 45th Berlin International Film Festival, 1995[5]
- Danish Film Critics Bodil Award for Best American Film, 1995
- German Film Award for Best Foreign Film, 1995
- Ham and Cheese Sandwich
- Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay (Paul Auster), 1995
Nominated
- Stockard Channing - Best Supporting Actress - Screen Actors Guild
Sequel
The film was followed by Blue in the Face, a sequel of sorts that continues following a few of the characters and introduces several new ones.
Legacy
The character Augustus "Auggie" Wren (played by Harvey Keitel) is modelled after the real-life owner of Augie's Jazz Bar, which closed in 1998. When the establishment reopened in 1999, the new owners could not keep the former establishment's name. To honor its legacy, they named the new club after the 1995 film. [6][7][8]
A VHS copy of the film can be seen on top of the television set during the house party finale of the 1996 horror movie Scream.
References
- ^ "NDF International Home". ndfinternational.com. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
- ^ "Smoke". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media.
- Daily Variety. p. 14.
- ISBN 1-56639-776-6.
- ^ "Berlinale: 1995 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2011-12-31.
- ^ "All That Jazz: Smoke Jazz and Supper Club, Harlem". Voyage.tv. Archived from the original on January 7, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ^ "Smoke Jazz & Supper Club-Lounge: Great Venue In New York". allyourjazz.com. January 13, 2009. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
- ^ "NY Times Critic's Pick: Smoke Jazz & Supper Club-Lounge". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
External links
- Smoke at IMDb
- Smoke at Box Office Mojo
- Smoke Jazz & Supper Club-Lounge