Six Degrees of Separation

directed by Fred Schepisi

I admit that I was skeptical about the wisdom of making a movie version of a play which John Guare's writing and Jerry Zaks' direction had already rendered perfect. Yet Six Degrees of Separation is a highly successfully and engrossing film which cleverly capitalizes on the show's cinematic possibilities while remaining incredibly faithful to its witty and insightful text.

"Six Degrees" is the story of the wealthy and well-bred Kittredges, Ouisa (Stockard Channing) and Flan (Donald Sutherland), who are charmed by a young, Black con-artist (Will Smith) who bursts into their Upper East Side apartment claiming to be a friend of their college-age children and the son of Sidney Poitier. Paul (Smith) shatters the crystal palace of these New York sophisticates as he enters their lives unimpeded, proving how eager and willing they are to suspend disbelief in the hope of enlivening their rather cold and empty existences.

Guare addresses this story to his audience in a very intimate fashion. In the play, Ouisa and Flan narrate their story directly to the audience, a highly effective comedic technique which also serves politically to directly indict its upper-middle class ranks. Schepisi creatively adopts this to the screen by having the Kittredges recount their story to a group of friends at a function which they attend the morning after the incident.

By opting against a Woody Allen-esque presentation in order to give an already highly theatrical piece a more cinematic feel, Guare (who wrote the screenplay) and Schepisi forfeit some of the humor inherent in direct declarations to the audience. Thus, the dramatic aspects of the work leave the most lasting impression in the film. Whereas the comedic "dialogues" with the audience convey the tone of the play, it is the intensely powerful and haunting conversation between Ouisa and Paul which succeeds most gloriously in the film.

"Six Degrees" works extremely well on the screen because it has a highly fast-paced rhythm which is in many ways better suited to it than to the stage. The frantic emergence of the actors from the Lincoln Center audience not only circumvented slow entrances and exits but added sheer exuberance. However, by fully embracing the possibilities of the new medium, cutting swiftly between different shots and merging the narration and flashbacks in rapid succession, Schepisi gives the work an even more natural celerity.

Yet, the film's greatest successes are its wonderful scenic design and cinematography. The Kittredges' Fifth Avenue apartment is precisely the kind you would envision. The huge window overlooking Central Park, the walls draped in red velvet and the expensive but rather eclectic mix of knickknacks and furniture, are terribly authentic.

Schepisi's camera is in love with New York's posh elegance. The shots of the Park, the view from the Rainbow Room and the panorama of the city's signature buildings are painfully gorgeous. Not only do they open up the script by providing a remarkable picture of the world in which the Kittredges and their friends live, but they provide a stark contrast to the handful of shots taken in the less ethereal parts of the city. When Paul moves in with two aspiring actors in their flat above a roller disco Downtown, and when he phones Ouisa from the West Village, the love affair between New York and the camera cools. We can truly see the disparity of the worlds in which New York's rich and poor live, and sense the unease which this creates.

The performances in Schepisi's film are almost uniformly excellent. Stockard Channing, recreating the role which she originated on Broadway, is the very image of elegance and sophistication; she adds just the right touch of humor and compassion to make her completely believable as the character won over by Paul and ready to change her entire life because of him. Donald Sutherland embodies endless savoir-faire as her art dealer husband.

As the Pygmalion success story who parades into the Kittredges' home and fools them all, rapper/sitcom star Will Smith performs admirably. His portrayal is honest and sincere and it is easy to see how even New York's snobby elite could be taken in by his easy style and charm. Smith may be a little too gentle and clean-cut, however, to be thoroughly convincing as the conniving and street-smart criminal who trades sexual favors for the training and personal information which enables him to con the Kittredges.

Ian McKellan (Geoffrey) brings the perfect dash of good-humored candor and carefree elegance to the white South African friend who "might not have the price of a dinner," but "easily might have two million dollars," and on whom the Kittredges are counting for help (two million dollars worth) in closing a deal on a Cezanne.

The only really problematic casting choice is that of Eric Thal as Rick, the naive boy from Utah whom Paul cons and seduces. Thal just looks too much like a sexy movie star than like a green kid getting his first experience in the big city.

Yet, in the end, "Six Degrees" greatest asset remains John Guare's dazzling script. With humor and affection, it pokes fun at everything from marriage ("My wife is a dada manifesto"), to Cats ("Aeschylus did not invent theater to have it end with a bunch of chorus kids wondering which of them will go to Kitty Kat Heaven."), to Harvard students, ("Is that all I am? An investment?"). At the same time it captures with great compassion and understanding the tragic fears and disappointments in the lives of those who seem to have it all.