What Happened Was

What Happened Was... is a 1994 American independent film written for the screen, directed by and starring Tom Noonan. It is an adaptation of Noonan's original stage play of the same name.

Premise

The film depicts two people, played by Karen Sillas and Tom Noonan, on a first date; their conversation gradually reveals their lonely lives and hidden personalities.

Reception

On the Siskel & Ebert show, Gene Siskel gave the film a thumbs up, stating that "For what is really just one long night of conversation, the stakes and the tension couldn't be any higher if these were two characters having a more conventional action scene." Roger Ebert gave the film a thumbs down, calling it "Contrived" and stating that "There is a lot less here than meets the eye." The film is a favorite of filmmaker Charlie Kaufman.
It opened at the Angelika Film Center in Manhattan on September 9, 1994 and grossed $22,973 in its opening week.

Year-end lists

10th – Todd Anthony, Miami New Times
Top 9 – Dan Webster, The Spokesman-Review
Top 10 – Jimmy Fowler, Dallas Observer
"The second 10" – Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune
Honorable mention – Howie Movshovitz, The Denver Post
Honorable mention – Jeff Simon, ''The Buffalo News''

Accolades

It won the Grand Jury Prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival. Noonan was nominated for Independent [Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay|Best First Screenplay] and Karen Sillas for Best Female Lead at the 10th [Independent Spirit Awards].

Planned sequel

Noonan wrote a sequel, which he pitched to both Netflix and Amazon Prime, but it never came to fruition. Noonan and Sillas were to have reprised their roles, and the film would have also co-starred Louis C.K., Charlie Kaufman and Vin Diesel.