Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Short Cuts
- Commentary: I saw this movie a long time ago, shortly after I became my mother's companion, during the period when she and I pursued our separate lives (mine included work, at that time) and lived together for her emotional comfort and to my enjoyment (my mother and I have been friends since I was a young adult). I didn't see it when it was first released, but a few years later at an art house theater. My memory of it is fuzzy, but my memory of my reaction to it has been very clear ever since that viewing. I think of it as a kind of Dazed and Confused for the "more mature" set. Since I began to investigate my mother's collection of movies on DVD, I've sporadically tried to hunt it down, not knowing if it had even been burnt to disc. Suddenly, today, as it turns out, I watched this video by Daisuke Beppu and, low an behold, there was my movie! Not only that, but he talked about not only the most recent release, but the old one with a booklet of Raymond Chandler's short stories, the edition for which I've been searching all these years!
Criterion no longer carries their original release of this film (with the booklet). The last place I considered looking was Amazon, but when I ran a search through my favored search engine, that's where it turned up! It's winging it's way to me, as I write, and should arrive a week from tomorrow. Its page indicates that the movie, itself, is "new", which I didn't expect at all, so I'm very excited!
I have to admit, it's more expensive than the movies I usually buy, but not for a Criterion movie (which I only buy during sales at reduced prices from other places besides Criterion) but, frankly, I consider its price a bargain, considering everything. It is still cheaper than your average, off-sale price of a Criterion movie sold at the Criterion website.
It's done in what has become known as Robert Altman's style (like Nashville, which I own and love and watch semi-regularly). As is true of a typical Robert Altman work, it features loads of actors, famous, not-so-famous and infamous, and sets each of them in situations which play to their acting strengths. There is an overall "theme", but not like Nashville.
It's been a long, long time since I've seen it, so watching it will be akin to my memory surprising me over and over. I'll be back, later, to catalog my reaction to seeing it again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Andie MacDowell Ann Finnigan Bruce Davison Howard 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 Lili Taylor Honey Piggot Bush Robert Downey Jr. Bill Bush Madeleine Stowe Sherri Shepard Tim Robbins Gene Shepard Lily Tomlin Doreen Piggot Tom Waits Earl Piggot Frances McDormand Betty Weathers Peter Gallagher Stormy Weathers Annie Ross Tess Trainer Lori Singer Zoe Trainer Jack Lemmon Paul Finnigan Lyle Lovett Andy Bitkower Buck Henry Gordon Johnson Huey Lewis Vern Miller Charles Rocket Wally Littleton Michael Beach Jim Stone
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1993
Directed by Robert Altman.
Labels: §5, Criterion4, dramedy3, jennifer-jason-leigh, julianne-moore, matthew-modine, robert-altman, robert-downey-jr, tim-robbins
