History Film / StateandMain

* MassiveMultiplayerScam: At the end, it's revealed that the first trial was actually a fake put on to allow the main character to perjure himself and regret it, allowing him to tell the truth when the real trial starts]].

* MatzoFever: Claire confesses this to Joe when she finds a box of matzo crackers in his room:
-->'''Claire:''' I love Jewish men.
-->'''Joe:''' Uh, why?
-->'''Claire:''' ''You know.''

It's basically a meta movie about the HorribleHollywood filmmakers who descend on a hapless Vermont town and wreak various types of havoc.

--> During the closing credits, after the end of the song, "The Song of the Old Mill", a fictional interviewer speaks to Howie Gold (played by Jonathan Katz) about the song. Gold says the song can no longer be called "The Song of the Old Mill", since the movie's title has been changed from ''The Old Mill'' to ''The Fires of Home''.

--> '''Marty:''' Either she follows her contract, or I'm gonna rip out your heart and piss on your lungs through the hole in your chest. ... And my best to Marion.

** At the high school, the writer notices that the Waterford Huskies have won the championship every year except for 1975 — and there is a blank space for that year. A janitor walks up close to Joe to explain like it's some dark secret, but is interrupted by Walt's arrival before he gets a word out. The tie-in website [[http://www.bazoomer.com Bazoomer.com]] teases an answer, promising the whole story if you follow a link. The link leads to a blank white page.

* SuitWithVestedInterests: Doug, all over the place. He spends a lot of the movie obsessing over his political aspirations, and becomes a lot more eager to launch his statutory rape investigation against Bob Barrenger when it becomes clear that he can put the screws to Joe White (who his fiancée dumped him for). Any chance that he really is partially motivated by a sense of justice gets tossed out the window when he takes Marty's bribe.

It's basically a meta movie about the HorribleHollywood filmmakers who descend on a hapless town in Vermont and wreak various types of havoc.

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A rare comedy from Creator/DavidMamet, released in 2000 and featuring an ensemble cast including Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/AlecBaldwin, Creator/SarahJessicaParker, Creator/JuliaStiles, and Creator/PhilipSeymourHoffman.

** At the train station, the writer notices that the Waterford Huskies have won the championship every year except for 1975 — and there is a blank space for that year. A station worker walks up close to Joe to explain like it's some dark secret, but is interrupted by Walt's arrival before he gets a word out. The tie-in website [[http://www.bazoomer.com Bazoomer.com]] teases an answer, promising the whole story if you follow a link. The link leads to a blank white page.

* ChekhovsGun: The producers send for an extra $800,000 to pay Claire to do the nude scene. After they re-work the script so she doesn't get naked after all, it turns out that no one remembered to cancel the money transfer, and it arrives, in cash, just as they're bemoaning what to do about the case against Bob. Said money then gets "left" in Doug's office right before the charges are dropped.

* ChekhovsGun: The producers send for an extra $ 2 million to pay Claire to do the nude scene. After they re-work the script so she doesn't get naked after all, it turns out that no one remembered to cancel the money transfer, and it arrives, in cash, just as they're bemoaning what to do about the case against Bob. Said money then gets "left" in Doug's office right before the charges are dropped.

* AlmostKiss/InterruptedIntimacy: This happens to Joe and Ann a few times (by a trooper, by townspeople), at least until the very end.

* MeetCute: Bookseller Ann meets Joe, the film's writer, when he comes to her shop to buy a typewriter and she recognizes a play that he wrote. Shortly afterward, she unceremoniously dumps her local politician fiance.

* SuitWithVestedInterests: Doug, all over the place. He spends a lot of the movie obsessing over his political aspirations, and becomes a lot more eager to launch his statutory rape investigation against Bob Barrenger when it becomes clear that he can put the screws to Joe White (who his fiancee dumped him for). Any chance that he really is partially motivated by a sense of justice gets tossed out the window when he takes Marty's bribe.

* {{Ephebophile}}: Bob Barrenger

* HollywoodNuns

* ToplessnessFromTheBack: Discussed. The screenwriter finally figures out how to preserve his critically important nudity scene with an actress who refuses to get naked.

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A rare Creator/DavidMamet RomanticComedy, wrapped up in a meta movie about the HorribleHollywood filmmakers who descend on a hapless town in New England and wreak havoc.

!!This Film Contains Examples of:

* WrittenInInfirmity: Bob Barrenger, the star of the film-within-a-film, slices up his forehead in a car crash. It's worked in quite naturally as his character starts the film having returned from putting out a large fire.