Six Degrees of Separation

A young Black man calling himself Paul turns up at the Manhattan home of Ouisa and Flan Kittredge, art dealers who live in comfort near Central Park. He says he was robbed and injured, that he knows their children from Harvard, and that he is the son of Sidney Poitier. His manner and his stories about famous people win him the couple's hospitality, but the evening gives way to a string of embarrassing discoveries about who he really is. What begins as one stranger's invention spreads well past the apartment where he was welcomed. The film is a comedy-drama adapted by John Guare from his own play.

Fred Schepisi directed, with Arnon Milchan producing alongside him. Stockard Channing plays Ouisa and Donald Sutherland plays Flan; Will Smith appears as Paul. Ian McKellen, Mary Beth Hurt and Bruce Davison are also in the cast, part of a credited ensemble of 77. Six Degrees of Separation followed Schepisi's Roxanne, Evil Angels, The Russia House and Mr. Baseball, and came before I.Q. and, later, Fierce Creatures and Words and Pictures.

On a budget of about 15 million dollars, the film returned roughly 6 million worldwide. On TMDB it holds 6.4 out of 10 from 381 votes, while critics rated it 7.1 out of 10 across 34 reviews, placing professional assessment of the film above the general audience's.