State and Main 2000

The tranquility of Waterford, Vermont is shattered by the chaotic arrival of a film production, reeling from the fallout of a scandalous incident involving its leading man’s dubious tastes. The crew’s desperate attempt to salvage their troubled project leads them to this picturesque town, where they’re banking on the authenticity of an old mill as the centerpiece of their film, “The Old Mill.” However, as the start of principal photography looms closer, it becomes painfully clear that the mill in question has been reduced to ashes for decades.

Undeterred by this setback, the film’s director, Walt Price (William H. Macy), pins his hopes on the creative prowess of novice screenwriter Joseph Turner White (Philip Seymour Hoffman) to craft a script that can overcome this monumental hurdle. Unfortunately, White is beset by an unyielding case of writer’s block, fueled by what appears to be an endless wellspring of emotional turmoil.

Enter Annie Black (Rebecca Pidgeon), the town’s gentle bookseller, who tries to stir White’s creative juices with a dose of inspiration. Meanwhile, the film’s lead actress (Sarah Jessica Parker) refuses to surrender her modesty for the sake of her contract, demanding an additional $800,000 for her nude scene, while the foreign cinematographer offends local sensibilities by tampering with a historic firehouse.

As tensions simmer beneath the surface, Bob Barrenger (Alec Baldwin), the film’s leading man, finds himself entangled in a compromising situation with Carla (Julia Stiles), a cunning teenage resident. The situation reaches a boiling point when Barrenger and Carla are involved in a car accident, leaving White as the sole eyewitness to this drama. As he grapples with the emotional fallout of this event, White finds solace in Annie’s comforting presence.

Just as it seems like the production is on the brink of collapse, a powerful movie producer (David Paymer) arrives in town to offer his expertise and help Walt Price navigate the chaos that has consumed their film. As the stakes grow higher, the fate of “The Old Mill” hangs precariously in the balance, threatening to destroy not only the film but also the very fabric of this idyllic Vermont community.