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Novocaine (film)
Encyclopedia
Novocaine is a 2001 film
written and directed by David Atkins and starring Steve Martin
, Helena Bonham Carter
, Laura Dern
, Lynne Thigpen
and Elias Koteas
. The film was shot in the Chicago, Illinois area, during a limited 32-day schedule. The film received extra publicity during production and as its release approached because of an off-the-screen romance between Martin and Carter. The film received mixed reviews, and low box-office receipts.
) comes to him, seeking a root canal and a little pain relief...
On Susan's initial office visit, Frank schedules her for a root canal the very next day, and offers her some Ibuprofen
to address her pain in the meanwhile. Claiming that she is allergic to the offered medication, Susan requests a prescription for the addictive pain-killer Demerol. Frank provides the prescription, but only for five tablets. However, Susan changes the dosage from five tablets to fifty when she collects the medication from her pharmacist.
Susan arrives for her appointment twelve hours late, having mistaken the time. She seduces Frank, talking him into getting drunk and having sex with her. During the night, Susan steals all of Frank's narcotics. The next day, there is a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration
) agent at Frank's office demanding to see the dentist's narcotics supply, because an 18 year old has driven a car off a cliff under the influence of cocaine
hydrochloride from a bottle registered to the dentist. Knowing that Susan has stolen his entire drug supply, Frank puts the agent off, saying he' dispensed it all to patients. The agent leaves with the promise that if Frank fails to produce the empty containers in two days, the DEA will place him under arrest.
That night Frank goes to Susan's hotel room to demand the empty containers, threatening that he'll call the police
if she doesn't provide them. Once again, she overrides his initial intentions and seduces him - with the result that they have sex and he spends the night with her.
The next day at his office, Frank is confronted by Susan's brother, Duane Ivey (Scott Caan
) having a violent scene, saying: "Stay the hell away from my sister" and "I don't appreciate your threats". Duane ends the conversation with, "I don't ever want to see you again, because if I do, goddamn it, I'm gonna hurt you."
That night, Frank returns to Susan's hotel room and, assuming that Susan is the form he sees the bed, starts talking to her. The person under the blanket turns out to be not Susan but brother Duane, who leaps up and attacks Frank, attempting to strangle him. Frank takes scissors from a nearby desk and stabs Duane in the hand
, impaling him and embedding the scissors. Frank flees, stopping off at a bar to calm down. On arriving at home, just minutes ahead of Jean, he finds Duane dead on the floor.
Police arrive on the scene to question Frank. Comically adding to Frank's distress and anxiety is actor Lance Phelps (Kevin Bacon
), a hack actor doing research for a role, and permitted by the police to question Frank at aggressive levels that cause Frank heightened discomfort. After the police arrive and depart, Frank tells Jean about the whole ordeal.
A while later, Frank is arrested for the murder of Duane Ivey based on finding Frank's teeth marks on the body - that Jean put there after she herself killed Duane. After Frank breaks free, all of Chicago
is on the look out for him. He goes to his office in the night, only to find his brother Harlan lying dead; Jean has killed Harlan, upon finding him lying on Frank's dentist chair.
Realizing he'll never be free without starting over, Frank pulls out all of his dead brother's teeth, as well as all of his own. Frank uses his dental skills to place his own teeth into his dead brother's skull, and then sets fire to the dental office with Harlan's corpse, replete with replaced teeth, left inside. Frank and Susan, now lovers, escape to France, where they live happily ever after in a little cottage on the countryside.
Meanwhile, identification of Frank's teeth in the charred corpse's remains in Frank's torched office is taken as proof that Frank is the man who was shot and killed there. And, as the fireproof security camera retrieved from the office ashes contains tape showing Jean shooting and killing a man (presumed to be Frank rather than Harlan, based on the dental forensics) reclining in Frank's dental chair, Jean is convicted of Frank's murder and goes to prison.
found the "screwball film noir" funny "all the way through," and declared its "loopholes" forgivable for a comedy. The Los Angeles Times
review had high praise for Martin's portrayal, and most of director Atkins' work, but found the appearance by Kevin Bacon "ludicrous", and the film's tension reduced by the "virtually slapstick run from the cops". Salon Magazine's review found the film "so aggressively stylish that it comes off more like a stunt", its plot "plodding", and though Laura Dern's performance made the film "clack along efficiently when she's onscreen," with the film's "feebly shocking conclusion, we're left feeling heavily sedated, and not in the good way." The Rotten Tomatoes
review aggregator showed, among 29 "top" reviewers, 9 "fresh" and 20 "rotten" reviews.
The film grossed $2 million in the United States, and nearly $500,000 in foreign markets, with a production budget of $8 million.
2001 in film
The year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
written and directed by David Atkins and starring Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
, Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
, Laura Dern
Laura Dern
Laura Elizabeth Dern is an American actress, film director and producer. Dern has acted in such films as Smooth Talk , Blue Velvet , Fat Man and Little Boy , Wild at Heart , Jurassic Park and October Sky...
, Lynne Thigpen
Lynne Thigpen
Cherlynne Theresa “Lynne” Thigpen was an American stage and television actress, most famous as "The Chief" in the various Carmen Sandiego television series.-Early life:...
and Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas
Elias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
. The film was shot in the Chicago, Illinois area, during a limited 32-day schedule. The film received extra publicity during production and as its release approached because of an off-the-screen romance between Martin and Carter. The film received mixed reviews, and low box-office receipts.
Plot
Generally, the film is a dark and quirky "tragicomedy" concerning an "everyman" protagonist a fairly pleasant but rather innocuous, ordinary and uneventful life. But all of this gets derailed, and Frank's life descends into an increasingly complex mess, from the minute a beautiful and seductive new patient named Susan Ivey (Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
) comes to him, seeking a root canal and a little pain relief...
On Susan's initial office visit, Frank schedules her for a root canal the very next day, and offers her some Ibuprofen
Ibuprofen
Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used for relief of symptoms of arthritis, fever, as an analgesic , especially where there is an inflammatory component, and dysmenorrhea....
to address her pain in the meanwhile. Claiming that she is allergic to the offered medication, Susan requests a prescription for the addictive pain-killer Demerol. Frank provides the prescription, but only for five tablets. However, Susan changes the dosage from five tablets to fifty when she collects the medication from her pharmacist.
Susan arrives for her appointment twelve hours late, having mistaken the time. She seduces Frank, talking him into getting drunk and having sex with her. During the night, Susan steals all of Frank's narcotics. The next day, there is a DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States...
) agent at Frank's office demanding to see the dentist's narcotics supply, because an 18 year old has driven a car off a cliff under the influence of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
hydrochloride from a bottle registered to the dentist. Knowing that Susan has stolen his entire drug supply, Frank puts the agent off, saying he' dispensed it all to patients. The agent leaves with the promise that if Frank fails to produce the empty containers in two days, the DEA will place him under arrest.
That night Frank goes to Susan's hotel room to demand the empty containers, threatening that he'll call the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
if she doesn't provide them. Once again, she overrides his initial intentions and seduces him - with the result that they have sex and he spends the night with her.
The next day at his office, Frank is confronted by Susan's brother, Duane Ivey (Scott Caan
Scott Caan
Scott Andrew Caan is an American actor. He stars in the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award. He is the son of actor James Caan.-Early life:...
) having a violent scene, saying: "Stay the hell away from my sister" and "I don't appreciate your threats". Duane ends the conversation with, "I don't ever want to see you again, because if I do, goddamn it, I'm gonna hurt you."
That night, Frank returns to Susan's hotel room and, assuming that Susan is the form he sees the bed, starts talking to her. The person under the blanket turns out to be not Susan but brother Duane, who leaps up and attacks Frank, attempting to strangle him. Frank takes scissors from a nearby desk and stabs Duane in the hand
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
, impaling him and embedding the scissors. Frank flees, stopping off at a bar to calm down. On arriving at home, just minutes ahead of Jean, he finds Duane dead on the floor.
Police arrive on the scene to question Frank. Comically adding to Frank's distress and anxiety is actor Lance Phelps (Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
), a hack actor doing research for a role, and permitted by the police to question Frank at aggressive levels that cause Frank heightened discomfort. After the police arrive and depart, Frank tells Jean about the whole ordeal.
A while later, Frank is arrested for the murder of Duane Ivey based on finding Frank's teeth marks on the body - that Jean put there after she herself killed Duane. After Frank breaks free, all of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
is on the look out for him. He goes to his office in the night, only to find his brother Harlan lying dead; Jean has killed Harlan, upon finding him lying on Frank's dentist chair.
Realizing he'll never be free without starting over, Frank pulls out all of his dead brother's teeth, as well as all of his own. Frank uses his dental skills to place his own teeth into his dead brother's skull, and then sets fire to the dental office with Harlan's corpse, replete with replaced teeth, left inside. Frank and Susan, now lovers, escape to France, where they live happily ever after in a little cottage on the countryside.
Meanwhile, identification of Frank's teeth in the charred corpse's remains in Frank's torched office is taken as proof that Frank is the man who was shot and killed there. And, as the fireproof security camera retrieved from the office ashes contains tape showing Jean shooting and killing a man (presumed to be Frank rather than Harlan, based on the dental forensics) reclining in Frank's dental chair, Jean is convicted of Frank's murder and goes to prison.
Reception
The film received a decided mix of reviews. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
found the "screwball film noir" funny "all the way through," and declared its "loopholes" forgivable for a comedy. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
review had high praise for Martin's portrayal, and most of director Atkins' work, but found the appearance by Kevin Bacon "ludicrous", and the film's tension reduced by the "virtually slapstick run from the cops". Salon Magazine's review found the film "so aggressively stylish that it comes off more like a stunt", its plot "plodding", and though Laura Dern's performance made the film "clack along efficiently when she's onscreen," with the film's "feebly shocking conclusion, we're left feeling heavily sedated, and not in the good way." The Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
review aggregator showed, among 29 "top" reviewers, 9 "fresh" and 20 "rotten" reviews.
The film grossed $2 million in the United States, and nearly $500,000 in foreign markets, with a production budget of $8 million.
Cast
- Chelcie RossChelcie RossChelcie Claude Ross is an American character actor. He served in Vietnam as an officer in the United States Air Force, and earned an MFA from the Dallas Theater Center.-Filmography:*Skokie *On the Right Track...
... Mike - Steve MartinSteve MartinStephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
... Dr. Frank Sangster - Helena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham CarterHelena Bonham Carter is an English actress of film, stage, and television. She made her acting debut in a television adaptation of K. M. Peyton's A Pattern of Roses before winning her first film role as the titular character in Lady Jane...
... Susan Ivey - Laura DernLaura DernLaura Elizabeth Dern is an American actress, film director and producer. Dern has acted in such films as Smooth Talk , Blue Velvet , Fat Man and Little Boy , Wild at Heart , Jurassic Park and October Sky...
... Jean Noble - Lynne ThigpenLynne ThigpenCherlynne Theresa “Lynne” Thigpen was an American stage and television actress, most famous as "The Chief" in the various Carmen Sandiego television series.-Early life:...
... Pat - Polly Noonan ... Sally
- JoBe CernyJoBe CernyJoBe Cerny, sometimes credited as Jo Be Cerny, is a voice-over personality and character actor, best known as the voice of Pillsbury Doughboy and as Procter & Gamble's silent spokesman, The Cheer Man....
... Pharmacist Wayne Ponze - Elias KoteasElias KoteasElias Koteas is a Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films.-Early life:...
... Harlan Sangster - Yasen Peyankov ... Sunshine Lounge Bartender
- Scott CaanScott CaanScott Andrew Caan is an American actor. He stars in the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe award. He is the son of actor James Caan.-Early life:...
... Duane Ivey - Teri Cotruzzola ... Attractive Complaining Patient
- Lucina Paquet ... Mrs. Langston
- Preston Maybank ... Melvin Gelding, DEA Agent
- Sally Kao ... Chinese Wife
- Quincy Wong ... Chinese Husband
- Kevin BaconKevin BaconKevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
... Lance Phelps
External links
- Tooth and nail, a December 2001 story and interview with the director