The Secret Lives of Dentists (2002)

85% of critics liked it
(93 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(2,866 ratings)

A gentle man suddenly finds himself at a loss for what to do when he suspects his wife has been unfaithful in this comedy drama from director Alan Rudolph. David and Dana Hurst (Campbell Scott and Hope Davis) are a married couple with three children who also happen to be dentists who share an… More A gentle man suddenly finds himself at a loss for what to do when he suspects his wife has been unfaithful in this comedy drama from director Alan Rudolph. David and Dana Hurst (Campbell Scott and Hope Davis) are a married couple with three children who also happen to be dentists who share an office. David is a quiet and reserved sort, while Dana has been quietly but obviously unhappy with things recently. Backstage at a community theater production, David sees Dana in the arms of another man and is immediately certain she's having an affair, a suspicion only deepened by her continued dark mood, long periods of silence, and frequent trips out of the house. Slater (Denis Leary) is a disgruntled patient of the Hursts who has gone public with his unhappiness over their work; as David tries to work out Slater's differences, Slater becomes a frequent (and not always welcome) visitor in David's home. As he observes the obvious tension in David and Dana's relationship, Slater begins offering his own gruff brand of advice to David -- including acting cooler and informing Dana "I could kill you" at the dinner table. Co-produced by leading man Campbell Scott, The Secret Lives of Dentists was based on the novel The Age of Grief by Jane Smiley. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 41 min.
Directed By: Alan Rudolph
Written By: David Newman, Alan Rudolph
Genres: Drama, Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 1, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Jan 27, 2004
Studio: Manhattan Pictures International

Critic Reviews

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
Rudolph's fondness for angular, oblique characterization is ideally suited to the movie's incidental story of sublimated feelings and contradictory impulses.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Domestic scenes with the kids are drawn with letter-perfect naturalism.
John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press
There are movies that have a way of hitting you at a certain time in your life, and this study of being married with young children speaks in satisfying ways.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
It's often been said that we don't really know people, that we don't know what goes on in other people's marriages, no matter how intimate we may be with them. With this film, Rudolph sneaks us a peak.
Roger Davidson, Orlando Sentinel
It's funny, honest enough to make you squirm and a film that may make you feel a little bit of the pain on the other side of that shrieking drill.
Stanley Kauffmann, New Republic
Rudolph's past work has been spotty, but his stress here on familial sovereignty is moving, as is his direction of the three children.
Sarah Chauncey, Reel.com
The DVD has some refreshing elements, starting with the somewhat self-deprecating commentary by Rudolph and Scott.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Retrata com sensibilidade o cotidiano de uma família em crise e representa mais uma prova dos talentos de Scott e Davis.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Alan Rudolph's most accessible film in years is anchored by incredible performances by Campbell Scott and Hope Davis.
Kim Linekin, eye WEEKLY
One of those quietly brilliant indies, so small in scope that it takes a little extra attention to appreciate how deeply it plunges into its characters.
Daniel M. Kimmel, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
The Secret Lives of Dentists is a provocative title, promising much more than this domestic melodrama is able to deliver.
Greg Muskewitz, eFilmCritic.com
...[T]he potency is abrogated by Rudolph's indulgent pretension of including Scott's personified conscience in the form of an obstreperous patient...
Bruce Kirkland, Jam! Movies
For me (unlike some critics who have embraced this film), Leary becomes so persistent, so grating and so bloody irritating that I want to scream: Stop the madness! End the pain!