Short Cuts (1993)

Director:

Robert Altman

Writers (WGA):

Raymond Carver (writings)
Robert Altman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

3 October 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

From two American masters comes a movie like no other

Plot:

The everyday lives of a number of Los Angeles residents are the subject of this loosely-knitted collection of short stories.

Plot Keywords:

Fishing | Helicopter | Jazz | Drink | Medfly

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 13 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Andie MacDowell	...	Ann Finnigan
Bruce Davison	...	Howard Finnigan
Jack Lemmon	...	Paul Finnigan
Zane Cassidy	...	Casey Finnigan
Julianne Moore	...	Marian Wyman
Matthew Modine	...	Dr. Ralph Wyman
Anne Archer	...	Claire Kane
Fred Ward	...	Stuart Kane
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Lois Kaiser
Chris Penn	...	Jerry Kaiser
Joseph C. Hopkins	...	Joe Kaiser
Josette Maccario	...	Josette Kaiser
Lili Taylor	...	Honey Bush
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Bill Bush
Madeleine Stowe	...	Sherri Shepard

MPAA:

Rated R for graphic sexual language, and for nudity

Runtime:

187 min | Argentina:190 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | Norway:15 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Israel:PG | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Avenue Pictures Productions

Trivia:

Madeleine Stowe turned down the part later taken by 'Julianne Moore'.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Paul and Howard are sitting in the hospital cafeteria, the food items on the table keep changing between shots.

Quotes:

Sherri Shepard: Wouldn't it be a trip if Alex Trebek bought a nude painting of me?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L'appât (1995)

Soundtrack:

I Don't Want To Cry Anymore

Well acted but emotionally lacking

A classic bit of Altman - the story of cross-cutting lives over several days in LA. Featuring an all-star cast featuring a host of great character actors including Tim Robins, Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh to name a few.

The performances are wonderful without exception (even Andie McDowell does OK). The intertwining stories are interesting up until the end - three hours goes past almost effortlessly and unnoticed. My only problem with the film is the lack of any real emotional punch or meaning in all of the stories. The majority of the stories have the potential for strong emotions to draw the audience in but the majority don't let it out too much (like real life I suppose), the one story that does let the characters feel (the story of McDowell's child) is not that convincing. Some of the stories don't make a lot of sense and don't feel based in reality. Compared to Magnolia, Glengarry Glen Ross, 12 Angry Men and other ensemble pieces this engages on an interest level but lacks an emotional involvement. I know that this is often on critic's top-ten lists but I felt that interesting stories and great acting do not make up for the lack of an emotional centre to the film. And the conclusion makes very little sense in relation to one of the stories in particular.