nwFilmCenter

It Don't Worry Me:
A Tribute to Robert Altman

Continuing the retrospective that started in March, we are pleased to present seven more films from Robert Altman's remarkable body of work. In a career that spanned five decades, Altman (1925 – 2006) left no genre untouched. Scorning the emotional dishonesty of typical Hollywood formula pictures, he aggressively sought to subvert, innovate and reinvent the very boundaries of filmmaking. Ever the cinema's malcontent, Altman employed unorthodox methods such as overlapping dialogue, semi-improvisatory techniques, and documentary style camera work to realize his now-trademark vision of cinematic verisimilitude.

Fri, Apr 4, 2008 at 7 PM	SHORT CUTS DIRECTOR: ROBERT ALTMAN US SHORT CUTS follows a myriad of broken characters through subtle yet seismic shifts in their lives. Based on the acclaimed writings of Raymond Carver, the film creates a rich tapestry of destitute souls and tragic grief that is ultimately a cinematic testament to the fragile human condition. The all-star cast includes Tim Robbins, Julianne Moore, Mathew Modine, Tom Waits, Jack Lemmon, Jennifer Jason-Leigh, and many more. "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." – Vincent Canby, NEW YORK TIMES. ( 187 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Apr 5, 2008 at 9 PM	SECRET HONOR DIRECTOR: ROBERT ALTMAN US Producer/director Robert Altman once again demonstrates his extraordinary skill at stage-to-screen translation in this powerful personal and political "fictional meditation," in which Richard Nixon (played by Philip Baker Hall) is the sole character. The script is fast-moving, often funny and continually thought-provoking. Hall delivers a brilliant interpretation of a crazed Nixon, a tortured, sentimental and calculating man led to betrayal by the promise of absolute power. Written by Donald Freed, Prize-Winning Playwright, and Arnold Stone, a former U.S. Attorney, the film is "just like watching political pornography. I merely added surveillance monitors! Audiences seem to adore it, though maybe I shouldn't be the one to say so. . . I'm quite proud of it."—Robert Altman. ( 90 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 7 PM	NASHVILLE DIRECTOR: ROBERT ALTMAN US A complex character piece that explores the intersecting lives of twenty-four characters, NASHVILLE is Robert Altman's definitive film. Seeking to create a "metaphor for America," Altman brilliantly weaves politics and show business into a carnivalesque narrative that explores ambition and manipulation on almost every level. At once a comedy and a tragedy, a musical and a burlesque, NASHVILLE is social commentary at its finest, and remains a pinnacle of cinematic achievement. Though the film performed poorly at the box office, its subsequent ascension into film history bespeaks Altman's ultimate success. ( 159 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Apr 18, 2008 at 7 PM	CALIFORNIA SPLIT DIRECTOR: ROBERT ALTMAN US Bill (George Segal), an unhappy magazine writer who turns to gambling for comfort, meets Charlie (Elliott Gould), an experienced card shark and wiseacre. In the superstitious hope that they will bring each other luck, the two decide to stick together. Drinking, bar-fighting, and a whole lot of poker-playing ensue. As the friendship between the two men grows, Bill descends deeper and deeper into gambling addiction. Altman, himself a self-confessed recovering gambler, strived to depict the gambling world realistically by shooting most of the film in Reno and casting real gamblers, such as world champion poker player Amarillo Slim, in supporting roles. CALIFORNIA SPLIT was the first film to utilize the experimental eight-track sound system which helped develop Altman's trademark overlapping dialogue. ( 111 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 4 PM	TANNER '88 - PART I: EPISODES 1-6 DIRECTOR: ROBERT ALTMAN US A 12-episode HBO television series written by Garry Trudeau, TANNER '88 follows (fictional) former Michigan congressman Jack Tanner (Michael Murphy) in his bid to secure the democratic presidential nomination, from the New Hampshire primary to the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta.Tagging along are his pugilistic campaign manager T.J. (Pamela Reed), his idealistic college-age daughter Alex (Cynthia Nixon), and his mistress (Wendy Crewson), who is a high-level member of a rival campaign. The series features cameo appearances from real-life politicians such as Jesse Jackson, Bob Dole, Ralph Nader and Pat Robertson. Altman himself referred to TANNER '88, along with SHORT CUTS, as his most creative work. ( 180 min ) Screening Courtesy of Sundance Channel ^ Top
Sat, Apr 19, 2008 at 8 PM	VINCENT AND THEO DIRECTOR: ROBERT ALTMAN US Though Vincent Van Gogh is now acknowledged to be one of the great masters of Western art, during his lifetime his work was largely ignored. Altman's biographical drama explores the relationship between Vincent and his brother Theo, an art dealer. While Theo struggled to eke out a living selling his brother's paintings, Vincent fanatically immersed himself in his art, oblivious to profit. Both brothers, in their different ways, grappled with depression and madness. Altman renders the portrait (originally conceived as a BBC miniseries) with humor and humanity, while Jean Lepine's cinematography reflects Van Gogh's impressionistic style. ( 138 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Apr 20, 2008 at 6:30 PM	TANNER '88 - PART II: EPISODES 7-12 DIRECTOR: ROBERT ALTMAN US A 12-episode HBO television series written by Garry Trudeau, TANNER '88 follows (fictional) former Michigan congressman Jack Tanner (Michael Murphy) in his bid to secure the democratic presidential nomination, from the New Hampshire primary to the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta.Tagging along are his pugilistic campaign manager T.J. (Pamela Reed), his idealistic college-age daughter Alex (Cynthia Nixon), and his mistress (Wendy Crewson), who is a high-level member of a rival campaign. The series features cameo appearances from real-life politicians such as Jesse Jackson, Bob Dole, Ralph Nader and Pat Robertson. Altman himself referred to TANNER '88, along with SHORT CUTS, as his most creative work. ( 180 min ) Screening Courtesy of Sundance Channel ^ Top
Sun, Apr 27, 2008 at 7 PM	TANNER ON TANNER DIRECTOR: ROBERT ALTMAN US Sixteen years after making TANNER '88, Altman and writer Garry Trudeau reunite with the original cast to make a follow-up set during the 2004 presidential election. Alex Tanner (Cynthia Nixon) is filming a documentary about her father's 1988 presidential run, interviewing former campaign staffers and attending the 2004 Democratic National Convention to compare the different political milieus. Meeting her father's former campaign manager, T.J., now principal campaign advisor to John Kerry, Alex is told that her father could join the Kerry bandwagon if she destroys documentary footage of her father attacking the Iraq War. As in the original, TANNER ON TANNER abounds with cameos, including Alexandra Kerry, Howard Dean, Robert Redford, and Martin Scorsese. ( 120 min ) ^ Top