Corrente was signed by Castle Rock to helm the feature adaptation of David Mamet's three-character drama "American Buffalo" with Al Pacino set to star. When Pacino balked at using a relatively novice helmer, the studio put the project in turnaround where it languished until the Samuel Goldwyn Company agreed to distribute it. Teaming Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Franz, "American Buffalo" premiered at the 1996 Boston Film Festival. The majority of critics again were impressed with Corrente's handling of actors but as Mamet retained the claustrophobic settings of his original, the overall effect was that of a filmed play rather than a re-imagining or reinterpretation of a work.
While he worked on developing other projects (including "The Yellow Handkerchief"), Corrente and his actress wife Libby Langdon (who co-starred in "Federal Hill") served as producers for the romantic comedy-drama "Say You'll Be Mine" (1998), the screenwriting and directorial debut of Brad Kane. At the same time, he was working on a long-cherished project, the film adaptation of Peter Farrelly's novel "Outside Providence" (1999). Corrente had bought the book for one dollar at a second-hand store in 1988 and quickly obtained the screen rights from its author for the same price. Responding not only to the story's Rhode Island setting but also its skewed sense of humor, he was certain it could be translated into a screenplay. Success, however, intervened. Corrente went off to make his films and Peter Farrelly with his brother Bobby crafted the low-brow comedy hits "Dumb and Dumber" (1994) and "Kingpin" (1996). When the three convened to pen the script, the Farrelly brothers were impressed with Corrente's disciplined approach, which was in direct contrast to their more laid-back style. Financed partly by Wall Street investors and Rhode Islanders, "Outside Providence" began shooting in the fall of 1997 with Corrente's pal Alec Baldwin in the pivotal role of a hard-drinking, blue-collar parent and newcomer Shawn Hatosy as the protagonist. Harvey Weinstein at Miramax picked up the film and allowed the director to fine-tune it until its release in the summer of 1999 to generally positive reviews.