Directed by: Robert Altman.
Produced by: Cary Brokaw.
Written by: Robert Altman & Frank Barhydt, based on the writings of Raymond Carver.
Director of Photography: Walt Lloyd.
Edited by: Geraldine Peroni.
Music by: Mark Isham.
Released by: Criterion Collection.
Country of Origin: USA. 183 min. Rated: R.
With: Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Jack Lemmon, Julianne Moore, Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Robert Downey, Jr., Tim Robbins, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand & Lyle Lovett.
DVD Features: Two discs. New high-definition digital transfer. Conversation with Robert Altman & Tim Robbins. Luck, Trust and Ketchup: Robert Altman in Carver Country, a feature-length documentary on the making of Short Cuts. To Write and Keep Kind, a PBS documentary on Raymond Carver. Segment from BBC Television's Moving Pictures tracing the development of the screenplay. One-hour 1983 audio interview with Carver. Original demo recordings of the Doc Pomus-Mac Rebennack songs, performed by Dr. John. Deleted scenes. A look inside the marketing of the film. The companion book of Raymond Carver short stories. Essay by film critic Michael Wilmington.
Raymond Carver's quiet short story "A Small, Good Thing" is at the center of Robert Altman's even quieter epic Short Cuts. Before Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia) dropped a single frog from the sky, it was Altman who interwove nine short stories with both lengthy and powerful results. A young boy is struck by a car on his birthday. Moving between their house and the hospital, the boy's parents are tormented over the phone by a baker looking for someone to pick up their previously ordered cake. In an effort to relate everything in Short Cuts to the "destruction of the drink," Altman adds an impeccable Jack Lemmon as the boy's troubled grandfather. The performances of Andie MacDowell and Bruce Davison as the boy's parents rank among the best in an impressive ensemble.
In other stories, a marriage is thrown into turmoil when a husband (Matthew Modine) relentlessly prods his wife (an unapologetically nude Moore) for information about a three-year-old affair. An adulterous cop (Robbins) seeks to dispose of, and then later get back the family dog. And in the most cataclysmic of the stories, two unhappily married men (Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Penn) literally run from their wives chasing younger women.
Short Cuts begs multiple viewings. Dialogue, characters, and even music intersect time and time again to create a plot that only becomes more detailed as it devolves into an staggering cluster. For all its drama and its earthshattering finale, Short Cuts remains a dignified collection of short stories. It's just a little long.
DVD Extras: Among the worthy documentaries in this set, a PBS segment on Raymond Carver seemingly features just about everyone who ever knew him. Much about the writer is dissected here, including a tour of his home as well as his favorite writing spots. A behind-the-scenes look at the filming, as well as a BBC featurette explore and compare Carver's short stories and Altman's final vision. And in the best feature, there is an extensive conversation between Altman and actor Tim Robbins as they talk about everything from clowns to Jennifer Jason Leigh's skills as a phone sex operator.
