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Synecdoche, New York (2008)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
5 February 2009 (Netherlands) morePlot:
A theater director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he attempts to create a life-size replica of New York inside a warehouse as part of his new play. full summary | add synopsisAwards:
1 nomination moreNewsDesk:
(3 articles)
O, Synecdoche, my Synecdoche! (From Roger Ebert's Blog. 12 November 2008, 1:41 PM, PST)
Wholesome Beats Gore At Box Office
(From Studio Briefing. 27 October 2008, 10:34 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
We are all the STAR of our own play moreUS Showtimes:
(register to personalize)Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Philip Seymour Hoffman | ... | Caden Cotard |
 | Catherine Keener | ... | Adele Lack |
 | Sadie Goldstein | ... | Olive (4 years old) |
 | Tom Noonan | ... | Sammy Barnathan |
 | Peter Friedman | ... | Emergency Room Doctor |
| Charles Techman | ... | Like Clockwork Patient |
 | Josh Pais | ... | Dr. Eisenberg (Opthamologist) |
 | Daniel London | ... | Tom |
 | Robert Seay | ... | David |
 | Michelle Williams | ... | Claire Keen |
| Stephen Adly Guirgis | ... | Davis |
 | Samantha Morton | ... | Hazel |
 | Hope Davis | ... | Madeleine Gravis |
| Frank Girardeau | ... | Plumber |
 | Jennifer Jason Leigh | ... | Maria |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity.Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
Canada:124 min (Toronto International Film Festival)Country:
USAColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 moreCertification:
USA:RMOVIEmeter: 
18% since last week
why?
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Synecdoche is pronounced: si-nek-duh-kee (with a stress on "nek"). moreQuotes:
Caden Cotard: I don't menstruate, so I don't know how I could smell like I'm menstruating. moreSoundtrack:
Song for Caden moreFAQ
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Greetings again from the darkness. Sure I have struggled to write film comments for a day or two after seeing other movies. And yes, I have seen many films that were left wide open to interpretation, or even purposefully confusing. This is the first time I have waited nearly a week and still felt overwhelmed by what I saw.
Charlie Kaufman is an astounding screenwriter. His stories include "Eternal Sunshine", "Being John Malkovich" and my favorite, "Adaptation". The man is brilliant at exploring and exposing the unexplainable human mind. Here, for the first time, he takes on the added duty of director.
Synecdoche defined means a part for the whole. This applies to so many pieces of this Kaufman puzzle ... the most obvious being the actual scale model of a section of NYC. But much more importantly, we are provided bits of a person's life and come away with an understanding of the whole. To paraphrase, Kaufman tells us we are each the stars of our play/life. None of us see ourselves as supporting characters. We actually cast the role of the extras through our friends, neighbors, co-workers and lovers. Yet, we remain the star of the show.
Make no mistake. This film is complex, intricate and comes at you from all angles with multiple levels and story lines. As a viewer, you must commit and work very hard to keep up. It won't be for everyone, but it is incredibly rewarding for those who invest. This is quite simply a story about life and people ... it is a story about you ... or me. We try to live our dream but no matter our intentions, the impact of others is what makes a life what it is.
I will see this one at least a couple of more times and I can't wait to pick up more of what Mr. Kaufman has offered. One negative is that I would have preferred a separate director. I am a firm believer that Mr. Kaufman's work is more accessible if it is interpreted by another artist. The writer prevented the director from making a few revisions and edits. Just a minor quibble. I can't say much about the acting other than it is purely first class throughout. PS Hoffman, Sarah Morton and Catherine Keener are downright amazing and the supporting cast of Tom Noonan, Diane Wiest, Emily Watson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michelle Williams and Hope Davis are top notch.
Just remember ... "you are not special".