The Secret Lives of Dentists

Alan Rudolph is a highly variable director, but this adaptation of a novella by Jane Smiley is perhaps the best thing he's ever done--an intelligent, perceptive, stylish, and quietly controlled study of midlife crisis and marital discord. Campbell Scott delivers a stunning portrait of a man afraid that his life is unraveling as David Hurst, a dentist who shares a practice with his wife Dana (the excellent Hope Davis). David becomes convinced that Dana is having an affair, and agonizes over how to respond; his internal debate, however, is expressed not through narration (which would have stopped the picture dead in its tracks), but by means of a hallucination in the person of a rude, sarcastic patient (Denis Leary) who pops in periodically to stoke the husband's suspicions and encourage a confrontation. The domestic atmosphere, which is portrayed in a wonderfully natural way, grows increasingly poisonous--especially after a ghastly bout of influenza affecting both parents and kids--yet the film refuses to offer a pat resolution, allowing an air of profound resignation to prevail. The downbeat, claustrophobic mood may put off some viewers, but The Secret Lives of Dentists builds remarkable cumulative power before the credits finally roll. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Alan Rudolph and costar Campbell Scott, the 26-minute Sundance Channel production “Anatomy of a Scene,” four minutes of deleted scenes, a four-minute blooper reel, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a fine indie film.] (F. Swietek)