Barnes & Noble

In one of his most ambitious cinematic undertakings, director Robert Altman folded no less than ten of Raymond Carver’s short stories into this sprawling 1993 comedy-drama -- an audacious, star-studded epic that encompassed no fewer than 22 significant characters. Short Cuts reveals the variegated, unaccountable ways people react when fate hands them unexpected challenges, victories, and defeats. To wit: Bruce Davison and Andie MacDowell are devastated when their son is hit by a car driven by down-at-heels waitress Lily Tomlin, who is despondent over her crumbling marriage to chauffeur Tom Waits. Attending the boy is doctor Matthew Modine, who frets that his artist wife, Julianne Moore, may be having an affair. Her model, Madeleine Stowe, is married to L.A. cop Tim Robbins, who is cheating on her with Frances McDormand, herself recently separated from helicopter pilot Peter Gallagher. When Modine and Moore meet Anne Archer, who works as a clown at children’s birthday parties, they invite her and husband Fred Ward to dinner, but first Ward takes a fishing trip with buddies Buck Henry and Huey Lewis, during which they discover the body of a dead woman floating in the water. Altman and co-scripter Frank Barhydt show remarkable ingenuity in dovetailing the various vignettes (some of them inevitably more effective than others), and editor Geraldine Peroni juggles them with admirable dexterity. What’s important to remember is that there’s no central plot, only a theme. The film is carried by the interplay of its sharply delineated characters rather than a linear narrative, and the entertainment value lies in the richness of the ensemble performances. Over three hours long, Short Cuts is oddly titled -- but it’s a stunning achievement that ranks among the very best of Altman’s distinctive motion pictures. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Based on stories by Raymond Carver, Short Cuts follows 22 Los Angeles residents whose lives intersect over the course of a few days. Ann and Howard Finnegan (Andie MacDowell and Bruce Davison) are preparing for their son Casey's birthday party when the boy is injured in an auto accident and falls into a coma. Meanwhile, Andy (Lyle Lovett), a baker, seethes with anger over the birthday cake that wasn't claimed, and Howard's father, Paul (Jack Lemmon), decides that a visit with his ailing grandson is a good time to discuss his infidelities. Lois (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is a new mother who watches over her baby when not making money doing phone sex, which bothers her husband, Jerry (Chris Penn), though he knows they need the money. Pilot "Stormy" Weathers (Peter Gallagher) takes a very literal approach to dividing up community property with his ex-wife (Frances McDormand). Doreen (Lily Tomlin) is trying on to hold her marriage with Earl (Tom Waits), who is a good man on the rare occasions that he's sober. Zoe (Lori Singer), a classical musician, is trying to find some way to connect with her mother, Tess (Annie Ross), a jazz singer. Dr. Ralph Wyman (Matthew Modine) and his wife, Marian (Julianne Moore) put their bickering on hold while they have dinner with another couple, Stuart and Claire Kane (Fred Ward and Anne Archer). Stuart and his pals Gordon and Vern (Buck Henry and Huey Lewis) earlier went on a fishing trip where they discovered the body of a drowned woman but decided not to report it until the end of the weekend. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 715515033626
• Source: CRITERION
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Language: English
• Editions: Special Edition
• Time: 3:03:00
• Sales Rank: 251

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