What Happened Was... | |
---|---|
Directed by | Tom Noonan |
Screenplay by | Tom Noonan |
Based on | What Happened Was... by Tom Noonan |
Produced by | Scott Macaulay Robin O'Hara |
Starring | Karen Sillas Tom Noonan |
Cinematography | Joe DeSalvo |
Edited by | Richmond Arrley |
Music by | Ludovico Sorret |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | The Samuel Goldwyn Company |
Release dates | 26 January 1994 (Sundance) 9 September 1994 (US) |
Running time | 91 minutes [1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
What Happened Was... is a 1994 American independent film written for the screen, directed by and starring Tom Noonan.[2] It is an adaptation of Noonan's original stage play of the same name.[3]
The film depicts two people, played by Karen Sillas and Tom Noonan, on a first date; their conversation gradually reveals their lonely lives and hidden personalities.[4][5]
What Happened Was... has an overall approval rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.[6]
On the Siskel & Ebert show, Gene Siskel gave the film a thumbs up, stating that "For what is really just one long night of conversation, the stakes and the tension couldn't be any higher if these were two characters having a more conventional action scene." Roger Ebert, however, gave the film a thumbs down, calling it "Contrived" and stating that "There is a lot less here than meets the eye."[7] The film is a favourite of filmmaker Charlie Kaufman.[8]
It won the Grand Jury Prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.[15] Noonan was nominated for Best First Screenplay and Karen Sillas for Best Female Lead at the 10th Independent Spirit Awards.