Robert Altman’s ‘Short Cuts’ finds beauty in complexity

Short Cuts is one of Robert Altman’s finest films, and that’s saying a lot about the prolific director who mastered the ability to tell complex stories with numerous characters. Based on the writings of Raymond Carver, the three-hour film looks at several interconnecting story lines in Los Angeles. From a set of parents facing the worst of tragedies to a group of fishermen discovering something unpleasant in the woods, the tales are simultaneously unique and yet fit into an overall cinematic fabric.

Andie MacDowell and Bruce Davison play the parents, Ann and Howard Finnigan. He’s a workaholic media commentator, and she watches the children. Their lives are thrown into upheaval after their son is hit by a car. The motorist is Doreen Piggot (Lily Tomlin, a frequent presence in Altman films). After learning about Ann and Howard, we move to Doreen’s story, and then on to another and another. After three hours, we have come to know dozens of people.

Altman, working off a script he co-wrote with Frank Barhydt, constantly comes back to the stories he introduces. At first, it takes some getting used to the lay of the land, but once the characters are all present and accounted for, they become great company.

The connective tissue for much of the film is a spray being utilized throughout L.A. to combat a medfly invasion. The controversy over the potentially harmful effects of the spray serve as starting-off points for many of the narrative offshoots.

Of the many stories, a few characters stand out. There’s Jack Lemmon as Howard Finnigan’s father. Lemmon, the late, great actor, plays the role almost like a used car salesman, constantly trying to win his son’s sympathy and work his way back into the family’s life. There’s also Marian (Julianne Moore) and Ralph (Matthew Modine), who are having relationship issues. She’s an artist, and he’s a doctor. The ensemble doesn’t stop there: Add in Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Jason Leigh, Frances McDormand, Tom Waits, Madeline Stowe and Lili Taylor, among many others.

Annie Ross is perhaps the best storyline. She’s a jazz singer (in real life and the film), and in Short Cuts, she struggles with her career, her booze and her daughter (in that order). Coupling soul-searching songs with a razor-sharp line delivery, it’s an impressive supporting performance.

Altman’s films feel like Woody Allen movies on steroids. The director takes the ensemble aspect and weaves everything together seamlessly. It would be great to stay with one set of characters for a longer period of time, but that’s one of the joys of watching his films. He gives a taste of reality, and then he quickly takes it away. Soon enough feelings of dissatisfaction melt away, replaced by the engagement of the new storyline.

Short Cuts provides discovery after discovery, and watching these elements swirl is fun cinema.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• Short Cuts

• 1993

• Directed by Robert Altman

• Written by Altman and Frank Barhydt; based on the stories of Raymond Carver

• Starring Julianne Moore, Annie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Lily Tomlin, Lili Taylor, Jack Lemmon, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Frances McDormand, Matthew Modine, Tom Waits, Peter Gallagher and Tim Robbins

• Running time: 187 minutes

• Rated R for graphic sexual language, and for nudity

• Rating: