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Editor's Note
Robert Altman's brilliant, sprawling masterpiece paints a detailed portrait of the people and music industry of Nashville, Tennessee. Made in 1975, one year before the celebration of the American Bicentennial, the film can also be viewed as a metaphor for the state of American politics and culture of the time. Altman's roaming camera follows a group of disparate individuals as the city prepares for an upcoming political rally for "Replacement" party candidate Hal Philip Walker. They include a ditzy Californian who's visiting her dying aunt and downtrodden uncle, a philandering rock star and his bandmates, a country singer on the verge of a nervous breakdown, a tone-deaf waitress with dreams of superstardom, a mother with two deaf children, and a British journalist who is out to capture the "true" Nashville. The characters intersect at the beginning of the film after a highway accident, and again at the end when an act of violence tarnishes the political rally. Altman's improvisational approach lends itself perfectly to the film's subject matter, which allows the actors to freely develop their personas. Another bold decision was to incorporate songs written by the actors themselves (Keith Carradine's "I'm Easy" won an Oscar for Best Song). This unorthodox style adds a satirical humor and brave honesty to NASHVILLE, making it one of American cinema's crowning achievements.
Plot Summary
NASHVILLE is an intricate, polyphonous story of 24 tangentially-linked characters whose actions weave in and out of the Nashville, Tennessee music and political scene in anticipation of an upcoming rally for "Replacement" party Presidential hopeful Hal Philip Walker. For some, like broken-down rodeo sweetheart Barbara Jean, sleazy folk-singing lothario Tom Frank, and star-aspiring waitress Sueleen Gay, Nashville represents their shot at stardom. For others, like Opal the BBC telejournalist, this scenario is a curious microcosm of American society. Altman's dystopic vision opens with a traffic jam where the characters literally collide, and ends with one of his near-patented abrupt instances of inexplicable violence.
| Features | Region 1 | | Keep Case - Checkpoint | | Letterbox - 2.35 | | Widescreen - 2.35 | | Audio:
| Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English | | Additional Release Material:
| Featurette: Interview with Robert Altman | | Audio Commentary: Robert Altman - Director | | Trailers: Theatrical Trailer | | Interactive Features:
| Scene Access | | Interactive Menus |
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| Technical Info
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Release Information
|  | Release Date: 8/15/2000 |
| Running Time: 159 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1975 | | Catalog ID: 088212 | | UPC: 00097360882124 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: English | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
| Awards |
Academy Awards (1975) |  | Keith Carradine, Winner, Best Original Song |
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| | Professional Reviews | Sight and Sound
"...NASHVILLE leaps from its exciting and individual state of grace..." 09/01/1975 p.254-5Chicago Sun-Times
"...It is a tender poem to the wounded and the sad....What's amazing is not how many characters there are in NASHVILLE but how many major characters..." 08/06/2000 p.5 USA Today
"...Altman's masterpiece looks splendid, and, as provocative entertainment, the movie hasn't lost a beat..." 08/18/2000 p.11E Total Film
"...Altman's classic strings together a succession of mournful tunes..." 07/01/2003 p.137 Entertainment Weekly
"...As resonant, and relevant, as it ever was..." 01/11/2002 p.36 Premiere
"Directing an ensemble of actors is Robert Altman's specialty, and NASHVILLE is his most profoundly influential work." 12/01/2003 p.12 Mojo
"NASHVILLE stands as one of America's greatest films about itself....The cast is simply wonderful..." 12/01/2004 p.59 |
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