Robert Altman's sprawling, yet remarkably rich, compelling, and cohesive mosaic of Bicentennial-era America chronicles several days in the lives of a vivid and eclectic array of people in the country music capitol of Nashville, Tennessee. Altman and the incisive script by Joan Tewkesbury astutely captures the hopes, dreams, and delusions of America in the mid-1970's, with a specific emphasis on our nation's obsession with fame, success, and celebrity, the fierce distinction between the haves and the have nots, the complex interrelationship between politics and entertainment, and the various ways men exploit, abuse, and/or degrade women. Few movies depict both the negative and positive aspects of American culture with the same wit, warmth, and vitality as this pip does.
Moreover, the uniformly terrific cast rates as another substantial asset: Ronee Blakley as the fragile Barbara Jean, Allen Garfield as her overprotective husband Barnett, Keith Carradine as callous and narcissistic womanizing heel Tom Frank, Henry Gibson as the arrogant Haven Hamilton, Michael Murphy as smarmy politician John Triplette, Lily Tomlin as the sweet Linnea Reese, Ned Beatty as her neglectful lawyer husband Delbert, Gwen Welles as the ambitious, but untalented Sueleen Gay, Geraldine Chaplin as clueless and obnoxious reporter Opal, Shelley Duvall as kooky groupie L.A. Joan, David Hayward as troubled loner Kenny Frasier, Barbara Harris as the daffy, but determined Albuquerque (the climax with Harris belting out "It Don't Worry" me on stage is a real show-stopper), Bert Remsen as her cranky husband Star, Karen Black as the haughty Connie White, Scott Glenn as the smitten Private Glenn Kelly, Barbara Baxley as the brash and outspoken Lady Pearl, Robert DuQui as the hard-nosed Wade, and, in an especially poignant role, Keenan Wynn as the kindly Mr. Green. Best of all, it's a total treat to the watch the colorful characters continually cross paths with each other in a multitude of surprising and inspired ways, with a particular highlight being when Carradine sings the excellent song "I'm Easy" in a club to a handful of women who he's seduced and bedded. The songs featured on the soundtrack range from the sublime (the rousing "My Idaho Home") to the gloriously hokey (the jingoistic tune "200 Years"). Essential viewing.
Moreover, the uniformly terrific cast rates as another substantial asset: Ronee Blakley as the fragile Barbara Jean, Allen Garfield as her overprotective husband Barnett, Keith Carradine as callous and narcissistic womanizing heel Tom Frank, Henry Gibson as the arrogant Haven Hamilton, Michael Murphy as smarmy politician John Triplette, Lily Tomlin as the sweet Linnea Reese, Ned Beatty as her neglectful lawyer husband Delbert, Gwen Welles as the ambitious, but untalented Sueleen Gay, Geraldine Chaplin as clueless and obnoxious reporter Opal, Shelley Duvall as kooky groupie L.A. Joan, David Hayward as troubled loner Kenny Frasier, Barbara Harris as the daffy, but determined Albuquerque (the climax with Harris belting out "It Don't Worry" me on stage is a real show-stopper), Bert Remsen as her cranky husband Star, Karen Black as the haughty Connie White, Scott Glenn as the smitten Private Glenn Kelly, Barbara Baxley as the brash and outspoken Lady Pearl, Robert DuQui as the hard-nosed Wade, and, in an especially poignant role, Keenan Wynn as the kindly Mr. Green. Best of all, it's a total treat to the watch the colorful characters continually cross paths with each other in a multitude of surprising and inspired ways, with a particular highlight being when Carradine sings the excellent song "I'm Easy" in a club to a handful of women who he's seduced and bedded. The songs featured on the soundtrack range from the sublime (the rousing "My Idaho Home") to the gloriously hokey (the jingoistic tune "200 Years"). Essential viewing.