State of Mind (2003) (TV)

Director:

Christopher Menaul

Writer:

Paula Milne (writer)

Release Date:

26 January 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Family Relationships | Marriage | Amnesia | Rowing | Crash

Cast

Niamh Cusack	...	Dr. Grace Hazlett
Rowena Cooper	...	Dr. Isabel Hazlett
Andrew Lincoln	...	Julian Latimer
Deborah Findlay	...	D.C.I. Stella Munroe
Dorian Healy	...	Det. Supt. Martin Callum
Dominic Mafham	...	Carl Watson
Hugh Mitchell	...	Adam Watson
Saira Todd	...	Carly Lucas
Stuart Goodwin	...	D.S. Devlin
Jason Watkins	...	Nathan Saunders
Juliet Seal	...	Sally
Dani Biernat	...	Nina Latimer
Simon Fielder	...	Stephen Lucas
Niall Costigan	...	Boatyard Lad
Dearbhla Molloy	...	Wanda Latimer
Alistair Petrie	...	Nick Grainger
Karen Gledhill	...	Margot Mills
Bhasker Patel	...	Abdul Yusuf

Directed by
Christopher Menaul

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Paula Milne		writer

Produced by
Clare Birks	....	executive producer: Southern Star
Dave Edwards	....	producer
David Mason	....	line producer
Paula Milne	....	executive producer
Eileen Quinn	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Lunn

Cinematography by
Lukas Strebel

Film Editing by
Chris Wimble

Casting by
Kate Day

Production Design by
Stuart Walker

Art Direction by
Charmian Adams

Costume Design by
Phoebe De Gaye

Makeup Department
Susie Adams	....	makeup designer (as Sue Adams)
Catherine Heys	....	makeup artist (as Catherine Heyes)

Production Management
Amy McCombe	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sean Guest	....	first assistant director (as Sean Cameron Guest)
James Haven	....	second assistant director
Julian Stevens	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Gari Bacon	....	properties
Mark Collisson	....	construction manager
Steve Deane	....	scenic carpenter
Douglas Glen	....	properties
Liz Griffiths	....	production buyer
Jim Hogan	....	properties
John Hogan	....	property master
Kam-Lan Man	....	stand-by art director

Sound Department
Brigitte Arnold	....	dubbing editor
Colin Chapman	....	dubbing editor
Paul McFadden	....	adr editor
David Old	....	dubbing mixer
Bruce Wills	....	sound recordist
Steve Wright	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Tom Harris	....	visual effects

Stunts
Peter Brayham	....	stunt coordinator
Seon Rogers	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Edmond Alexander	....	electrician
Bob Armstrong	....	stand-by rigger
Stuart Barell	....	focus puller (as Stuart Barrell)
Alex Griffiths	....	clapper loader
Benny Harper	....	electrician
Sam Kite	....	electrician
Dave Oldroyd	....	gaffer
Jim Philpott	....	grip
Matt Poynter	....	focus puller
Tony Sankey	....	grip
James Scott	....	clapper loader
Bob Shipsey	....	camera operator
James Summers	....	best boy
Nick Wall	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosie Grant	....	wardrobe supervisor
Hannah Hovie	....	wardrobe assistant
Luan Placks	....	wardrobe mistress

Editorial Department
Alan Bishop	....	colorist
Rob Cooper	....	on-line editor

Other crew
Sacha Bennett	....	stand-in
David Boardman	....	location manager
Sara Clark	....	production secretary
Kate Croft	....	script editor
Lindsay Grant	....	script supervisor
Owen Griffin	....	police advisor
Vicky Johnson	....	production coordinator (as Vicki Johnson)
Robert McDonald	....	production accountant
Pippa Neve	....	assistant accountant
Anoush Sookasian	....	production runner
Susie Tullett	....	publicist

Production Companies

• Monogram Productions Ltd.

Distributors

• Independent Television (ITV) (2003) (UK) (TV)
• Koch Vision (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

145 min (3 parts)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Monogram Productions Ltd.

Smug, middle class, utterly implausible -- the worst of Brit telly drama

Whatever happened to British TV drama? From John Major through Tony Blair, the focus of the genre appears to have shifted from social realism to smugly normative women-focused tales about the piddling domestic problems of nice middle class professionals.

(Or perhaps TVNZ doesn't buy the good stuff? Please let that be what it is...)

The writer's long career in soaps probably explains why the dialogue is made up mostly of stale clichés. Niamh Cusack's performance is strong on meaningful looks, each held by the director for at least half a dozen beats longer than they deserve. Baleful looks, however, are a poor substitute for depth of character, if the writer has failed to provide such material for actors to work with.

Of course this is theoretically a thriller, about a murder investigation; but that's not as important as the central character's failing marriage and its attendant problems. Is Cusack's character's husband a complete bastard? Will her son be utterly traumatized by the marriage break up? Making these the central issues isn't a sign of insight -- it indicates a profoundly narcissistic identification by the writer and director with a character who should be getting on with her job.

Lynda La Plante knows how to write this stuff so that it feels as if it matters and involves viewers other than housebound neurotics ; evidently Paula Milne isn't up to the task.