Novocaine (2001)
Average Rating: 4.7/10
Reviews Counted: 107
Fresh: 41 | Rotten: 66
The quirky Novocaine flirts with both dark comedy and noir suspense, but the result is a jarring mix of tones which never quite mesh.
Average Rating: 4.5/10
Critic Reviews: 31
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 21
The quirky Novocaine flirts with both dark comedy and noir suspense, but the result is a jarring mix of tones which never quite mesh.
liked it
Average Rating: 2.8/5
User Ratings: 7,275
My Rating
Movie Info
In this darkly comic film noir from writer/director David Atkins, Steve Martin revisits dentistry -- an occupation he'd explored 15 years prior, in the camp musical Little Shop of Horrors. Novocaine casts Martin as a much more mild-mannered D.D.S., Dr. Frank Sangster. Engaged to a prim and delicate hygienist, Jean (Laura Dern), Sangster leads a placid, upper-middle class existence, save for the occasional visit from his deadbeat artist brother Harlan (Elias Koteas). But Sangster finds his life
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Cast
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Steve Martin
Dr. Frank Sangster -
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Laura Dern
Jean Noble -
Scott Caan
Duane -
Keith David
Detective Lunt -
Lynne Thigpen
Pat -
Kevin Bacon
Hip movie star [uncredi... -
Mindy Suzanne Bell
Trooper Bunch -
Jobe Cerny
Pharmacist Wayne Ponze -
Roy Hytower
Skinny Sheriff -
Rich Komenich
Detective -
Elias Koteas
Harlan Sangster -
George Lugg
Liquor Store Owner -
Rom Milanovich
"Blue Sands" Bartender -
Lucina Paquet
Mrs. Langston -
Chelcie Ross
Mike -
Quincy Wong
Chinese Husband -
Preston Maybank
Gelding -
Polly Augusta Noonan
Sally -
Eddie Bo Smith Jr.
Motel Security Guard -
Eric Lane
Officer Chuck Smith -
Yasen Peyankov
"Sunshine Lounge" Barte... -
Teri Cotruzzola
Attractive Complaining ... -
Sally Kao
Chinese Wife -
Tyler Rostenkowski
Billy -
Karol Kent
Detective Lily Pons -
Mary Ann Childers
Anchorwoman -
James Chisem
Harris -
Joe Kasala
Officer Peter Reilly -
Kwame Amoaku
Visiting Room Guard -
Len Bajenski
Trooper Jarvis -
Roderick Peeples
Storch -
Christian Stolte
Court guard
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All Critics (119) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (66) | DVD (24)
The casting is peculiar, the tone is off, the plot is uninteresting and the ending is sorry.
Top CriticPlays like the sort of silly shared fantasy that a group of dental students might come up with late one night, after too much coffee and cramming for finals.
This movie was not effective.
A coarse, witless and stunningly violent black comedy.
Atkins never finds the right tone for Novocaine. It's not dark enough to be either viciously funny or unsettling.
With Bonham Carter's been-there, done-that performance and a plot that spins out of control, we end up with a movie that you can't quite sink your teeth into.
This dark, stylish tale isn't for kids.
It is entertaining enough to arouse imagination of post-Tarantino audience.
Prejudicado por um roteiro previsível e que jamais opta por um gênero claro, o filme traz uma ótima atuação de Steve Martin, que deveria fazer mais filmes "sérios".
The film and site offer an offbeat trip, but this is certainly not recommended for anyone who's currently thinking about major dental work.
To say this is black comedy is to understate the case, but the fun parts really are a hoot.
While the plot does work in mechanical terms, its multiple ins and outs never achieve more than plodding motion.
In a world filled with technically beautiful dogs, every once in awhile it's nice to see a film that bets the bank on great storytelling and a whole lot of soul.
Filled with dark, edgy details and atmosphere, but ultimately becomes a very cold enterprise because you simply don't care about any of the characters.
Intriguingly straddles genres a bit, but a faint sliver of the film it could have been... [with a] lame, roundly unsatisfying motivation and ending.
Audience Reviews for Novocaine
Super Reviewer
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- Jean Noble: I've taken care of everybody my whole life, and I am fucking tired! I have organised everything, I have made everything perfect, I made everybody's lives work smoothly and I am tired of being a caretaker CO-DEPENDENT NO MORE! Do you know how hard it is to be perfect? When everybody need you to take care of them? Has anybody ever done that for me? Nobody has ever done that for me, nobody, NOBODY! And you know what? I am tired of everybody else getting all the stuff and me being left out. I wanna be the boss! I wanna be on top! Because I deserve it all! And I'm gonna get it! And if you don't understand that, you really a fucking idiot!
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- Mike: Barbie's Bakery, it's Mr. Muffin speaking.
Discussion Forum
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Latest News on Novocaine
December 21, 2005:
Critical Consensus: "Dick & Jane" Not Much Fun; "Cheaper" Is BankruptThis week's wide releases include a remake ("Fun With Dick and Jane") and a sequel to a...
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My favourite scene was Martin's call where he spoke to that guy who answered the phone with "barbie's bakery. it's mr. muffin man speakin." LOL
My overall rating is: 6.5/10 - if you're not sure what to watch, try this one. It works pretty well as entertainment