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Short Cuts

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For other topics, seeShort Cuts (disambiguation).
Short Cuts
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Altman
Screenplay by
  • Robert Altman
  • Frank Barhydt
Based onCharacters
byRaymond Carver
Produced byCary Brokaw
Starring
CinematographyWalt Lloyd
Edited byGeraldine Peroni
Music byMark Isham
Production
companies
Distributed byFine Line Features
Release date
  • October 3, 1993(1993-10-03)
Running time
188 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million[2]
Box office$6.1 million[3]

Short Cutsis a 1993 Americancomedy-drama film,directed byRobert Altman.Filmed from a screenplay by Altman and Frank Barhydt, it is inspired by nineshort storiesand a poem byRaymond Carver.The film has aLos Angelessetting, which is substituted for thePacific Northwestbackdrop of Carver's stories.Short Cutstraces the actions of 22 principal characters, both in parallel and at occasional loose points of connection.

The film features anensemble castincludingMatthew Modine,Julianne Moore,Fred Ward,Anne Archer,Jennifer Jason Leigh,Robert Downey Jr.,Madeleine Stowe,Chris Penn,Jack Lemmon,Frances McDormand,Lori Singer,Andie MacDowell,Buck Henry,Lily Tomlin,actress and singerAnnie Ross,and musiciansHuey Lewis,Lyle Lovett,andTom Waits.

Plot[edit]

The film begins with a fleet of helicopters spraying formedflies,which brings various characters together along the flight path.

Dr. Ralph Wyman and his wife, Marian, meet Stuart Kane, an unemployed salesman, and Claire Kane, a party clown, at a concert Zoe Trainer performs oncello.They impulsively decide to have a Sunday dinner date. Meanwhile, Marian's sister, Sherri, is married to a cheating cop named Gene, who is having an affair with Betty Weathers, while Betty is divorcing one of the helicopter pilots, Stormy.

Among the other characters are Doreen Piggot, a waitress married to an alcoholic limo driver named Earl, and television commentator Howard Finnigan, who lives next door to cabaret singer Tess and her daughter Zoe. Jerry Kaiser, the pool cleaner, is married to Lois, who works from home as aphone sexoperator. Jerry and Lois are friends with Honey, Doreen's daughter, and her husband Bill, a makeup artist.

Tragedy strikes when Casey, Howard and Anne's young son, is accidentally hit by Doreen's car. Although he initially seems fine, Casey later falls unconscious at home. The concerned parents rush him to the hospital, where he remainscomatose.In the midst of this, the baker Andy Bitkower repeatedly calls the Finnigans to inform them about their ordered cake. However, Howard, wanting to keep the phone line free, abruptly ends the calls, leading to frustration on Andy's part.

Howard's estranged father, Paul, arrives at the hospital and recalls an incident from Howard's childhood, which caused the rift between them. Meanwhile, Stuart and his friends, Gordon and Vern, harass Doreen at the diner before leaving for a fishing trip. During their excursion, they discover the body of a young woman. Contemplating what to do, they decide to tie her to the rocks and continue fishing, only reporting the incident later. Stuart eventually confesses to Claire, who is appalled by their actions and visits the funeral home out of guilt.

Stormy, one of the helicopter pilots, pays a destructive visit to Betty's house while she is away with their son. Gene abandons the family dog due to its barking, but eventually retrieves it after his children express distress. The Wymans have a heated argument before their dinner party with the Kanes, during which Marian admits to having an affair. Both couples resort to heavy drinking, and the party lasts throughout the night.

A glimmer of hope arises when Casey's eyes flutter, but tragically, he suddenly dies, leaving Howard and Anne devastated. Meanwhile, Zoe, overwhelmed by her mother's alcoholism, Casey's death, and her own isolation, commits suicide by starting her car engine inside the garage. Her mother discovers her lifeless body and drinks herself into astupor.

When Honey picks up pictures from thefotomat,she finds them mixed up with Gordon's. Honey is shocked to find pictures of the submerged body from Gordon's fishing trip while Gordon equally shocked to find pictures of Honey appearing severely beaten. Disturbed, they part ways but memorize each other's license plates. Later, at a picnic, Jerry and Bill encounter two young women they had met earlier. Bill and one of the girls walk away, only to hear her scream moments before Jerry kills her with a rock. Suddenly, a major earthquake strikes, causing chaos. The aftermath suggests that Jerry's act may be mistakenly attributed to the falling rocks during the earthquake.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

According to associate producer Mike Kaplan, the screenplay was first written in 1989.[4]Filming primarily took place inLos Angeles,California.Principal photographybegan on July 26, 1992, and ended on October 1, 1992.[5]

Release[edit]

The film was distributed byFine Line Featuresand released in theUnited Stateson October 3, 1993. A special DVD edition was released by theCriterion Collectionin 2004 and contains two discs, the collection of Carver's short stories, and an essay booklet on the film.[6]

Reception[edit]

Short Cutsreceived critical acclaim. OnRotten Tomatoes,the film holds a 95% approval rating, based on 60 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Robert Altman's ensemble drama deftly integrates its disparate characters and episodes into a funny, poignant, emotionally satisfying whole."[7]OnMetacritic,the film holds a score of 81 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[8]

Roger Ebertgave the film four out of four stars and wrote: "Los Angeles always seems to be waiting for something. Permanence seems out of reach; some great apocalyptic event is on the horizon, and people view the future tentatively. Robert Altman's 'Short Cuts' captures that uneasiness perfectly in its interlocking stories about people who seem trapped in the present, always juggling."[9]Vincent CanbyofThe New York Timeswrote, "The lives are often desperate and the characters inarticulate, but the group portrait is as grandly, sometimes as hilariously, realized as anything the director has ever done."[10]Gene Siskelof theChicago Tribunegave the film four out of four stars and called it "a brilliant companion piece" toThe Player.[11]Kenneth Turanof theLos Angeles Timeswrote that the film "is not equally involving all the time. Some performances are stronger than others, some situations more entertaining, and some choices Altman has made, like an overreliance on female nudity that borders on the exploitative, difficult to defend. But whenever interest lags, a look, a moment, afrissonof regret will cross the screen and the emotional connection is restored. "[12]Rita Kempley ofThe Washington Postpanned the film as "a cynical, sexist and shallow work" populated with "whiny, inert and mostly unlikable characters."[13]

Accolades[edit]

Short Cutswas named one of the best films of 1993 by over 50 film critics.[14]OnlyThe PianoandSchindler's Listappeared on more lists.

Altman was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Director(but lost toSteven SpielbergforSchindler's List) and shared a nomination for theGolden Globe AwardforBest Screenplaywith Barhydt (lost toSteven ZaillianforSchindler's List). The cast won a Special Golden Globe Award for their ensemble acting. The film also won the prestigiousGolden Lionand theVolpi Cupfor Best Ensemble Cast at theVenice Film Festival.

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1993 Academy Awards Best Director Robert Altman Nominated [15]
1993 Golden Globe Awards Best Screenplay Robert Altman
Frank Barhydt		 Nominated [16]
Special Award for Ensemble Short Cuts Won
1993 Venice Film Festival Golden Lion Robert Altman Won [17]
FIPRESCI Prize Won
Pasinetti Award Won
Special Volpi Cup Andie MacDowell
Bruce Davison
Jack Lemmon
Zane Cassidy
Julianne Moore
Matthew Modine
Anne Archer
Fred Ward
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Chris Penn
Joseph C. Hopkins
Josette Maccario
Lili Taylor
Robert Downey Jr.
Madeleine Stowe
Tim Robbins
Cassie Friel
Dustin Friel
Austin Friel
Lily Tomlin
Tom Waits
Frances McDormand
Peter Gallagher
Jarrett Lennon
Annie Ross
Lori Singer
Lyle Lovett
Buck Henry
Huey Lewis
Danny Darst		 Won
1995 César Award Best Foreign Film Short Cuts Nominated [18]
1993 Independent Spirit Awards Best Feature Short Cuts Won [19]
Best Director Robert Altman Won
Best Screenplay Robert Altman
Frank Barhydt		 Won
Best Supporting Female Julianne Moore Nominated
1993 National Board of Review Top Ten Films of 1993 Short Cuts Won [20]
1993 National Society of Film Critics Best Film Short Cuts Nominated [21]
Best Director Robert Altman Nominated
Best Screenplay Robert Altman
Frank Barhydt		 Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Madeline Stowe Won
Jennifer Jason Leigh Nominated
1993 New York Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Nominated [22]
1993 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Director Robert Altman Nominated [23]
Best Screenplay Robert Altman
Frank Barhydt		 Nominated
1993 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Film Short Cuts Nominated [24]
Best Director Robert Altman Nominated
Best Screenplay Robert Altman
Frank Barhydt		 Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Andie MacDowell Nominated
1993 Boston Society of Film Critics Best Screenplay Robert Altman
Frank Barhydt		 Won [25]

Year-end lists[edit]

Book[edit]

A book was released to accompany the film, which compiled the nine short stories and one poem that inspired it. Altman wrote an introduction to this collection, which featured insights into the making of the film and his own thoughts about Carver's stories.[30]

  1. "Neighbors"
  2. "They're Not Your Husband"
  3. "Vitamins"
  4. "Will You Please Be Quiet, Please?"
  5. "So Much Water So Close to Home"
  6. "A Small, Good Thing"
  7. "Jerry and Molly and Sam"
  8. "Collectors"
  9. "Tell the Women We're Going"
  10. "Lemonade" (poem)

Documentary[edit]

Luck, Trust & Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Countywas a behind-the-scenes documentary, featuring interviews with Altman and the cast.[31][32]

Unfilmed sequel[edit]

Anne Rapp,who wroteCookie's FortuneandDr. T & The Womenfor Altman, was commissioned to adapt more Carver stories into a screenplay which he did not film.[33]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Short Cuts(18) ".British Board of Film Classification.October 5, 1993. Archived fromthe originalon March 5, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 4,2013.
  2. ^"AFI|Catalog".
  3. ^Short CutsatBox Office Mojo
  4. ^Kaplan, Mike (21 October 2009)."Bob Altman's big Short Cuts gamble".Theguardian.Retrieved25 October2017.
  5. ^"Short Cuts (1993) - Misc Notes".Turner Classic Movies.Retrieved25 October2017.
  6. ^"Short Cuts".The Criterion Collection.
  7. ^Short CutsatRotten Tomatoes
  8. ^Short CutsatMetacriticEdit this at Wikidata
  9. ^Ebert, Roger(October 22, 1993)."Short Cuts".RogerEbert.RetrievedDecember 14,2018.
  10. ^Canby, Vincent(October 1, 1993)."Review/Film Festival: Short Cuts; Altman's Tumultuous Panorama".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on October 6, 2023.RetrievedNovember 16,2023.
  11. ^Siskel, Gene(October 22, 1993). "Altman's surreal 'Short Cuts' turns the everyday into art".Chicago Tribune.Section 7, page C.
  12. ^Turan, Kenneth(October 8, 1993)."Movie Reviews: Robert Altman Finds His Way to Carverville".Los Angeles Times.p. F12.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  13. ^Kempley, Rita (October 22, 1993). "'Short Cuts': Back Road To Hell".The Washington PostC1.
  14. ^McGilligan, Pat; Rowl, Mark (9 January 1994)."86 Thumbs Up! For Once, The Nation's Critics Agree on the Year's Best Movies".The Washington Post.
  15. ^"1994 - Oscars.org".Academy Awards.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  16. ^"Winners & Nominees 1994".Golden Globes.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  17. ^"The 90s".La Biennale di Venezia.7 December 2017.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  18. ^"1995 - Best Foreign Film".academie-cinema.org.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  19. ^"1994 Nominees"(PDF).Film Independent Spirit Awards.p. 47.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  20. ^"1993 Archives".National Board of Review.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  21. ^McCarthy, Todd (January 3, 1994)."Crix crown Spielberg".Variety.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  22. ^Bernard, Jami (December 19, 1993)."Critics' Choice: 'List,' 'piano'".New York Daily News.Archived fromthe originalon March 3, 2016.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  23. ^"L.A. Critics Pick 'Schindler's List' as Best Picture".Los Angeles Times.December 13, 1993.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  24. ^Wilmington, Michael (January 16, 1994)."Some Simple Truths About Critics' Votes".Chicago Tribune.Archived fromthe originalon 2022-07-08.Retrieved2022-07-08.
  25. ^"BSFC Winners - 1993 (December 18th)".Boston Society of Film Critics.Archived fromthe originalon October 11, 2012.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  26. ^Mayo, Mike (December 30, 1994)."The Hits and Misses at the Movies in '94".The Roanoke Times(Metro ed.). p. 1.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  27. ^Travers, Peter(December 23, 1993)."The 10 Best Movies of 1993".Rolling Stone.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  28. ^"Film Comment's Best of the Nineties Poll: Part Four".Film Comment.Film at Lincoln Center.January–February 2000.RetrievedJuly 8,2022.
  29. ^Siskel, Gene (December 18, 1993). "These Are The Best Movies of the Year".Chicago Tribune.
  30. ^Carver, Raymond (1993-09-14).Short Cuts: Selected Stories.Vintage.ISBN978-0679748649.
  31. ^Oktay Ege Kozak (2014-10-20)."Watch: 'Luck, Trust and Ketchup' A 90-Minute Documentary On The Making Of Robert Altman's Epic 'Short Cuts'".IndieWire.Retrieved2022-02-13.
  32. ^Parkinson, David."Luck, Trust & Ketchup (1994)".Radio Times.Retrieved2022-02-13.
  33. ^"The Art of Making the Impossible Look Easy".The New York Times.1998-04-11.Retrieved2022-02-13.

External links[edit]

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