The Human Stain | Hitchens Virtual Theatre

Director Robert Benton brings Philip Roth's 2000 novel THE HUMAN STAIN to the screen in this lavish production, with expert cinematography from Jean-Yves Escoffier. Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) is a light-skinned African-American college professor who has kept his true racial identity secret for the majority of his life. His career comes to a sudden halt when he makes a comment that is misinterpreted as a racial slur. Soon after he is fired, Silk hooks up with young Faunia Farely (Nicole Kidman), a local janitor. The affair with Farely, who is almost half Silk's age, becomes small-town gossip, and attracts the attention of Farely's psychotic ex-husband, Lester (Ed Harris). As Lester seeks vengeance, still angry at his ex-wife, Silk must make some tough decisions about his affair with Farely, leading to the film's nail-biting conclusion.

Synopsis: The Human Stain is the story of Coleman Silk (Hopkins), a classics professor with a terrible secret that is about to shatter his life in a small New England town. When his affair with a young troubled janitor (Kidman) is uncovered, the secret Silk had harbored for over fifty years from his wife, his children and colleague, writer Nathan Zuckerman, fast explodes in a conflagration of devastating consequences. It is Zuckerman who stumbles upon Silk's secret and sets out to reconstruct the unknown biography of this eminent, upright man, esteemed as an educator for nearly all his life, and to understand how this ingeniously contrived life came unraveled.

Production Year:

2003

Released:

Tue, 07/20/2004

Run Time Minutes:

106

Rating:

Genres:

Suspense/Thriller

Genres:

Romance

Trailer:

Format Aspect Ratio:

1.85-Wide Screen

Resolution:

480x720 LowRez

More Information:

HD-5

Audio Language:

English

Audio Format:

Dolby Digital

Audio Channels:

5.1

Actors:

Anthony Hopkins - Coleman Silk

Actors:

Nicole Kidman - Faunia Farley

Actors:

Ed Harris - Lester Farley

Actors:

Gary Sinise - Nathan Zuckerman

Actors:

Wentworth Miller - Young Coleman Silk

Actors:

Jacinda Barrett - Steena Paulsson

Actors:

Harry J. Lennix - Mr. Silk

Actors:

Clark Gregg - Nelson Primus

Actors:

Anna Deavere Smith - Mrs. Silk

Actors:

Lizan Mitchell - Ernestine

Actors:

Kerry Washington - Ellie

Actors:

Phyllis Newman - Iris Silk

Actors:

Margo Martindale - Psychologist

Actors:

Ron Canada - Herb Kebble

Actors:

Mili Avital - Young Iris

Actors:

Danny Blanco Hall - Walter

Actors:

Kristen Blevins - Young Ernestine

Actors:

Anne Dudek - Lisa Silk

Actors:

Mimi Kuzyk - Professor Delphine Roux

Actors:

John Finn - Louie Borero

Actors:

Jeff Perry - Tennis Player

Actors:

Rick Snyder - Tennis Player

Actors:

Danny Stone - Tennis Player

Actors:

Vito DeFilippo - Mark Silk

Actors:

Robert Higden - Jeff Silk

Actors:

Vlasta Vrana - Solly Tabak

Actors:

Richard Mawe - Doc Chizner

Actors:

Tom Rack - Bobcat

Actors:

Bill Rowat - Swift

Actors:

Richard Russo - Faculty Committee Member

Actors:

Andrew Forge - Faculty Committee Member

Actors:

Stella Arroyave - Faculty Committee Member

Actors:

Jude Beny - Sally

Actors:

Peter Cunningham - Boxer

Actors:

John Cenatiempo - Boxer

Actors:

Frank Proctor - Announcer

Actors:

Deano Clavet - Boxing Coach

Actors:

Sylvain Dore - St. Nicholas Referee

Actors:

Neville Edwards - Coleman's Cornerman

Actors:

Phillip Colette Gervais - Train Conductor

Actors:

Allison Davis - Diner on the Train

Actors:

Charles W. Gray - Minister

Actors:

Edward Lafferty - Rally Protester

Actors:

Steven Grise - Rally Protester

Actors:

Kim Gandol Ferenczi - Rally Protester

Actors:

Terry Haig - Police Officer #2

Actors:

Laurent Imbault - Administrative Officer

Actors:

Sylvain Landry - Maitre D

Actors:

Pierre LeBlanc - Naval Recruiter

Actors:

Nwamiko Madden - Young Man on the Porch

Actors:

Luc Morrissette - Street Photographer

Actors:

Philip Pretten - Record Store Manager

Actors:

Jessica Shutle - Student

Actors:

Kate Whitney - Mrs. Primus

Actors:

Brea Asher - Primus' Secretary

Actors:

Russell Yuen - Chinese Waiter

Actors:

Jimmy Chang - Chinese Restaurant Owner

Actors:

Lydia Zadel - Nature Center Girl

Actors:

Leigh Spofford - Student