Nashville (1975)

This 1975 film sits near the top of any list of the best films of the 1970s, perhaps in the top five and, in some people's minds, at the pinnacle itself. Robert Altman, at his most Altmanesque, spins together plot strands involving two dozen people over the course of one particularly busy weekend in Music City, USA. Though several of the story lines deal with country-western stars--played by Henry Gibson, Ronee Blakley and Karen Black--the plot also deals with the country scene's wannabes, the business people who pull the strings and the operative for a mysterious presidential candidate who is trying to get the de facto endorsement of some of the country stars by having them appear at a rally for him. (The unknown but rocketing presidential aspirant was eerily echoed the next year, when Jimmy Carter came out of nowhere to win the presidency.) Blakley is heartbreakingly fragile as a Loretta Lynn-like singer on the verge of total mental meltdown, while Lily Tomlin is outstanding as a housewife-gospel singer who has a dalliance with a randy folk-rock cad, perfectly played by Keith Carradine (who won an Oscar for his song "I'm Easy"). The cast also includes Jeff Goldblum, Scott Glenn, Keenan Wynn, Shelley Duvall, Geraldine Chaplin (hilarious as a fatuous British TV journalist), Barbara Harris, Michael Murphy, and Ned Beatty, with cameos by Elliott Gould and Julie Christie as themselves. Next to Mean Streets, perhaps the most influential film of the decade. --Marshall Fine Amazon.com essential video

One of Altman's Great Films!

This film is an amazing classic done in the classic Altman style. A hodge podge of singers and performers crowd the movie to provide a feeling of what Nashville may be like, the country western capital of the world. The little dramas of its many characters bring together threads culminating in an assassination. Of course, in the music business fame is fleeting. Another rises to take their place. An amazing film that would never get made today. September 20, 2008

Amazing Film, Decent DVD

Nashville is by far one of the best films ever made. It's a difficult, funny and inventive look at the country music scene in the 70s (from an outsider's perspective, which makes it all the more engrossing). This bare bones DVD could've been better. Why Short cuts has a criterion edition and this doesn't, one will never know. May 28, 2008

I agree with the good and bad reviews

All criticisms I've read about Nashville on this site and others seem to be right. And I doubt you can find many people around these days who would give this film the time of day.
But as a 20 year old I find this film fascinatingly weird, I try to view it through a 1970s audience members eyes and I can see how this would be engaging at the time seeing how nothing like this was ever made before. Also see how it could be enraging because I have grown up around hardcore country music fans who know their stuff and have also played in Nashville during the 70s who would view this as the silliest s#!t they've ever seen. I can sympathize! However, this movie is just weird to me, everyone seems like a cartoon character. Its like Altman's Nashville exists in the realm of his Popeye movie, this is one of the most seriously crazy implausible feverish nightmare of a movie I think I've ever seen and the distance of the camera from the actors, only a few select closeups, drama not being shoved in your face but melting in with the rest of society. I have to say in this age of extreme closeups and almost pornographic display of "realism" and "emotions" I found this a refreshing change of pace. I can't say I think its great but I enjoyed the fact that its completely different than anything out now. And with every director in a race to be quirky, weird & touching at the same time this movie seemed to master it on the first try. I also enjoyed Ronne Blakely's singing more than any real life woman country singer oddly enough, well not as good as Patsy Cline but I can't think of many past her that don't creep me out.

If you're like me, read about this movie alot but haven't gotten around to it, well get around to it, I mean, really when I think about it, I liked it, didn't think it was great, but it is what it is. After seeing such in your face modern stuff like The Badge, your pick of any smash "indie" director of the past decade and a half & anything by Wes Anderson and the guy that did Magnolia this movie charged me full of life and actually reminded me that being so self centered and obsessive over feelings and small intensified details is a useless waste of time, so I can't say this movie wasted mine. March 30, 2008

A great movie

At last, I've seen the classic Robert Altman film from 1975. As always, flawless in direction, acting, vision. I suppose some viewers might say it's slow getting started, but in fact he's painting a portrait of a time and place. There's a reason this guy won so much acclaim, all the awards and nominations, and the freedom to basically just do whatever he wanted. February 7, 2008

Gift

I purchased this as a gift for my dad. He enjoys the movie. It arrived quickly and in good condition. December 16, 2007

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