HealtH (1980)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers:

Robert Altman (written by) &
Frank Barhydt (written by) ...

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Hotel | Convention | Health Food | Political Satire | Florida

Cast

Carol Burnett	...	Gloria Burbank
Glenda Jackson	...	Isabella Garnell
James Garner	...	Harry Wolff
Lauren Bacall	...	Esther Brill
Paul Dooley	...	Dr. Gil Gainey
Donald Moffat	...	Colonel Cody
Henry Gibson	...	Bobby Hammer
Diane Stilwell	...	Willow Wertz
MacIntyre Dixon	...	Fred Munson
Alfre Woodard	...	Sally Benbow
Ann Ryerson	...	Dr. Ruth Ann Jackie
Margery Bond	...	Daisy Bell
Georgann Johnson	...	Lily Bell
Mina Kolb	...	Iris Bell
Allan F. Nicholls	...	Jake Jacobs (as Allan Nicholls)

Also Known As:

H.E.A.L.T.H. (USA) (alternative spelling)
Health (USA) (alternative spelling)
Health! (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

105 min | 100 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Don Cesar Hotel - 3400 Gulf Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

Company:

Lions Gate Films

Trivia:

'HealtH' was an organization in the movie which was an acronym for Happiness, Energy And Longevity Through Health.

Quotes:

Bobby Hammer: The breast that feeds the baby rules the world.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Directors: The Films of Robert Altman (#2.9)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Health

The Health of Nations

Some of the acknowledged Altman "masterpieces" seem sadder to me now. Maybe it's me. Like the last reviewer, I even like this "lesser" Altman (shown recently on FMC), although I don't think he was aiming at a wide audience. Organization politics as a "microcosm" for public campaigns. Some of this satirical "docudrama" is now dated, like Dick Cavett watching the Tonight Show, but I found much of the dialog funny and insightful (e.g. "You are for real. That means you're no threat to anyone"). The story isn't "profound," but I liked it. And the performances are funny, especially Cavett (as "himself"), Lauren Bacall as an aging conservative figurehead, Glenda Jackson (who actually became a member of Parliament) as a left wing ideologue (in the opening scene lecturing someone dressed as a carrot on the sanctity of politics), and Carol Burnett as a basket case. All in the inimitable Altman style, although maybe not quite as inimitable as usual. But pretty inimitable.