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What Happened Was...

Two vaguely acquainted co-workers meet for a first date. This is the deceptively simple premise of What Happened Was..., the directorial debut of actor and playwright Tom Noonan. Noonan also portrays Michael, a paralegal; Karen Sillas plays Jackie, an executive assistant at the same New York law firm. The film limits itself to their first encounter outside the office, a dinner date at Jackie's apartment, and allows the evening to unfold at a natural, unforced pace. Michael and Jackie are humorously awkward at first, nervously focusing their conversations on the office; in these early sections, the film plays as a sly, humorous dissection of modern mating rituals. But as the evening continues, Michael and Jackie begin to open up. As they reveal more about themselves, it becomes clear that they both have secrets; though the conversation remains relatively mundane, something ominous is lurking beneath the surface. By the end of the evening, the film takes a turn towards serious drama, as Michael and Jackie reveal more about themselves than they ever intended. — Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize, 1994 Sundance Film Festival

"One of my favorite films of the year! I've always felt there was a great film to be made out of a first date... Now I've seen it! It's superb!" — Gene Siskel, Siskel & Ebert

"Sillas and Noonan are superb!" — David Ansen, Newsweek

The Great Basin Film Society is a non-profit group of film lovers determined to bring film to the Reno-Sparks area. Our mission is to complement Reno's film scene with art-house and independent films, as well as classics that haven't been to the big screen in years.

Also, Reno's film scene is growing. Please support alternative screenings by visiting CinemaReno and the Reno Film Festival.

2003 Reno Film Festival