13 Conversations About One Thing (2002)

82% of critics liked it
(108 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(7,752 ratings)

Following up on her acclaimed debut, Clockwatchers, Jill Sprecher spins this intricate ensemble film about life's big questions. Set in New York City, the film focuses on five different characters with radically different perspectives on life. Gene (Alan Arkin) manages a large insurance company and… More Following up on her acclaimed debut, Clockwatchers, Jill Sprecher spins this intricate ensemble film about life's big questions. Set in New York City, the film focuses on five different characters with radically different perspectives on life. Gene (Alan Arkin) manages a large insurance company and is a compulsive pessimist, constantly bursting the bubbles of his more cheery colleagues. Walker (John Turturro), who holds a similarly bleak view of the world, decides that he cannot stand another day in his dull life as a physics professor and thus promptly dumps his wife, Patricia (Amy Irving). Troy (Matthew McConaughey) is an up-and-coming lawyer whose career is derailed after a hit-and-run accident. And Beatrice (Clea DuVall) is a modest cleaning woman hoping for a miracle. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: Jill Sprecher
Written By: Karen Sprecher, Jill Sprecher
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 1, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Nov 19, 2002
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

Critic Reviews

, Chicago Tribune
Resonates with intelligence and a poignancy.
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Without getting grand or preachy, the Sprechers use an unconventional approach to coax us into asking ourselves fundamental questions.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Often messy and frustrating, but very pleasing at its best moments, it's very much like life itself.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
Smart, serious and deftly composed.
Loren King, Chicago Tribune
Each of these stories has the potential for Touched by an Angel simplicity and sappiness, but Thirteen Conversations About One Thing, for all its generosity and optimism, never resorts to easy feel-good sentiments.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Smart and alert, Thirteen Conversations About One Thing is a small gem.
John A. Nesbit, Old School Reviews
lends higher philosophical and spiritual tone ... without preaching
Christopher Smith, Bangor Daily News (Maine)
A terrific film that follows several interrelated New York stories and the people barely existing within them.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Poignant, touching, and in moments deeply philosophical, Sprecher's second feature is most interesting.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Clea DuVall again shows why she's one of Hollywood's most under-rated actresses
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
So packed with intriguing ideas that it's well worth seeing, even if it feels rather clinical and aloof.
Mark Sells, Oregon Herald
Playfully wavers on the meaning of true happiness, the notion of karma and luck, and the possibility of hope.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Deposita suas energias nos entrecruzamentos de seus personagens e se esquece de que, teoricamente, deveria girar em torno das visões destes sobre o mundo.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
How many movies offer up frank discussions based on existentialism?
Joshua Tanzer, Offoffoff
A dry, dim-looking film that's more about clever structure than meaningful stories.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

Several intertwining stories in this elegant confusion of an ensemble piece of a small film about THE MEANING OF LIFE (only w/o the capital letters). Excellent performances abound.
Alice S

One of those intertwining ensemble stories that almost makes it but not quite. The titular "one thing" isn't always clear. It could be several things: fortune, happiness, love, guilt, faith, trust, fate, coincidence, et cetera. All the individual stories are really… More
One of those intertwining ensemble stories that almost makes it but not quite. The titular "one thing" isn't always clear. It could be several things: fortune, happiness, love, guilt, faith, trust, fate, coincidence, et cetera. All the individual stories are really quite beautiful though, with moments of deep elation and moments of inexplicable grief.
Cynthia S

Definitely an intelligent film. It's not for everybody, though. It's not the most entertaining movie I've ever seen. Eccentric, and at times confusing. Rather slow.
Lea L

A man approaching middle age decides to change his life. A rising young attorney's plans are thrown into disarray as the result of a single act. A woman faces her husband's infidelity. An envious businessman seeks revenge on a cheerful coworker. And an optimistic young… More
A man approaching middle age decides to change his life. A rising young attorney's plans are thrown into disarray as the result of a single act. A woman faces her husband's infidelity. An envious businessman seeks revenge on a cheerful coworker. And an optimistic young cleaning woman awaits a miracle. These ordinary people all find themselves asking the fundamental question philosophers have pondered throughout history: What is happiness, and how does one achieve it?.. Great Story... Casting was terrific, and acting, excellent Clea DuVall was fab.. well worth watching..
FanGirl B

One of the best 'interconnected' storyline films ever.
Laurence C

So much irony in a single movie, wow... A must-see. A powerful and poignant look about urban lives interconnecting.