What is the movie Oleanna about?
Flustered college student Carol (Debra Eisenstadt) visits John (William H. Macy), one of her professors, and asks how she can pass his class. The narcissistic instructor barely seems to notice her presence, and goes off on tangents relating to his own personal philosophies and problems while failing to answer the pupil. Later, a more assured Carol returns and accuses John of sexual harassment. The professor is baffled, but Carol remains steadfast in her claim, and their feud escalates nastily.
Oleanna/Film synopsis
Why is it called Oleanna?
David Mamet uses several allusions in his play Oleanna, the biggest of which is the title. Oleanna makes reference to a utopian community founded in New Norway by a man named Ole Bull. It was translated into English by Pete Seeger: Oleanna.
What is the theme of the play Oleanna?
“Oleanna,” a powerful two-character drama by David Mamet, explores the destructiveness of miscommunication and excessive political correctness. It is a play about academic politics, student/teacher relationships, and sexual harassment.
Who is Carol in Oleanna?
The college student Carol (played by Rebecca Pidgeon) and the professor John (W. H. Macy) meet in his office. She is doing badly in his course and can’t understand the work. He, about to receive tenure and buy a new house, offers to tutor her.
What happens at the end of Oleanna?
This causes John to finally snap completely and he savagely beats her, screaming obscenities and holding a chair above her head as she cowers on the floor. As John calms down, realizing what he’s just done, he says, “. . . well . . .” The play ends with Carol saying, “Yes…that’s right.”
How old is Carol in Oleanna?
A dropout without tenancy. In the first scene of the play, John – a university professor, husband, and father in his mid-forties – is on the verge of achieving tenure. He is meeting his twenty-year-old student, Carol, in the tight confines of his office.
How long is the play Oleanna?
Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes
David Mamet is one of the most distinctive voices in stage and film writing today. His multi award-winning plays include Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed-the-Plow and American Buffalo. Running Time: Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, no interval.
What does Carol want in Oleanna?
Carol wants to teach John a lesson—and the meek, lost front she presented in the first act may have been a manipulative façade designed to provoke John into behavior that crossed a professional boundary.
How does John first react to Carol Oleanna?
John tells Carol he’ll make her a deal. Carol tells him to answer the phone, but he says that what he has to say to her is more important. John has begun to see Carol as an equal of sorts—but can’t help condescending to her when she reveals she’s concerned about her grade.
Does oleanna have an interval?
Running Time: Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, no interval.
Who manipulates whom in Oleanna?
Carol accuses John of trying to manipulate her, when really, she has perhaps been the one manipulating him into revealing certain things about himself and behaving a certain way so that she can gather more and more ammunition against him.
Who are the main characters in the movie Oleanna?
A two character movie, involving a college professor, John, who is confronted by a female student, Carol, who is failing his course. The two spend a long time talking to each other, during which time John says a few things that can be taken the wrong way.
Where did the play Oleanna get its name?
Oleanna (play) The play’s title, taken from a folk song, refers to a 19th-century escapist vision of utopia. Mamet later adapted his play into a film of the same name .
Who is the professor in the play Oleanna?
The play begins with John, a college professor, talking on the phone in his office while Carol, his student, sits across the desk from him. After he hangs up, Carol begins to discuss her issues with John’s course. She says that she is unable to understand the material and that John uses language that makes her feel unintelligent.
What was the play Oleanna by David Mamet about?
“Oleanna,” a powerful two-character drama by David Mamet, explores the destructiveness of miscommunication and excessive political correctness. It is a play about academic politics, student/teacher relationships, and sexual harassment.