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- This article is about the 1993 motion picture. "Short Cuts (TV series)" refers to the 2002 TV series.
Short Cuts is a 1993 movie directed by Robert Altman. Filmed from a screenplay by Robert Altman and Frank Barhydt, it takes inspiration from a number of short stories by Raymond Carver. Substituting a Los Angeles setting for the Pacific Northwest backdrop of Carver's stories, the movie traces the actions of twenty-two principal characters, both in parallel and at occasional points of connection. The role of chance and luck is central to the film, and many of the stories concern death and infidelity. The film was distributed by Fine Line Features.
In the film's opening scenes, the Wymans and Kanes meet at a concert and make a spontaneous Sunday dinner date, but both marriages show cracks over the weekend: a dead body casts a shadow over Claire and Stuart Kane, while Ralph and Marian Wyman avoid a taboo topic. Fate almost whimsically determines that Howard and Ann Finnegan's overprotected son will not receive his birthday cake, while Betty and Stormy Weathers' neglected son eats a cake alone.
Doreen and Earl Piggot each harbor secrets, but the tragic consequences of Doreen's actions remain a secret even to herself. Doreen's daughter, Honey is married to Bill Bush, a man aroused by sadism. Their party buddies, Lois and Jerry Kaiser, face a toxic brew of phone sex and jealousy. And Gene Shepard, an unethical cop who cheats on his wife, Sherri, fears that Suzy, the family dog, knows the truth. Sherri's ultimate confidante is her sister, Marian Wyman. These stories are woven together with musical bridges performed by Zoe the depressed cellist and her embittered, jazz singer mom, Tess. By the end of the three-hour film, the Sunday dinner rages on 'til its upended by a unifying Monday-morning disaster.
Sometimes the connections among characters are meaningful; other times, they bump into each other randomly in bakeries, bars, hospital waiting rooms, or mix-ups at the Fotomat. In a couple of instances, a moment is repeated, but with different characters and outcomes, emphasizing the role of fate. A nude woman floating in the water can be a tragedy or just a person holding her breath.
A Short Cuts Soundtrack album was issued to accompany the film.
Cast
- Fred Ward - Stuart Kane
- Andie MacDowell - Ann Finnigan
- Bruce Davison - Howard Finnigan
- Tim Robbins - Gene Shepard
- Julianne Moore - Marian Wyman
- Matthew Modine - Dr. Ralph Wyman
- Anne Archer - Claire Kane
- Jennifer Jason Leigh - Lois Kaiser
- Christopher Penn - Jerry Kaiser
- Lili Taylor - Honey Bush
- Robert Downey Jr. - Bill Bush
- Madeleine Stowe - Sherri Shepard
- Tom Waits - Earl Piggot
- Lily Tomlin - Doreen Piggot
- Frances McDormand - Betty Weathers
- Peter Gallagher - Stormy Weathers
- Annie Ross - Tess Trainer
- Lori Singer - Zoe Trainer
- Jack Lemmon - Paul Finnigan
- Lyle Lovett - Andy Bitkower
- Buck Henry - Gordon Johnson
- Huey Lewis - Vern Miller
External links
1993 films | Films directed by Robert Altman | Films_based_on_short_fiction | Films over three hours long
"Short Cuts"