Shopgirl (Anand Tucker) - 2005

In his screenplay based on his 2000 novella (130 pages), Steve Martin acts out a male fantasy by using wealth and sophistication to seduce a lonely, young woman (Claire Danes) who works the glove department at Saks Fifth Avenue.  The Martin character is looking for a playmate but the shop-girl is hoping to escape from her dull existence.  Both eventually realize that they have nothing in common to sustain the relationship.  A third character (Jason Schwartzman) seems to have been added for comic relief.  As was the novella, this is a rather sad story that tries for a happy ending but is just too fake to believe. [JAM 4/11/2010]