Nashville (1975)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Graham J

  
  A hilarious satire of country music, Altman's Nashville is one the best ensemble pieces ever created.

• Chris W

  
  Okay so I just finished this a bit ago, and it hasn't all quite sunk in yet, so my review might not be the best. Perhaps I should let it sink in for a while first and maybe even give it a rewatch, but I don't really have time to do that so take my review with a grain of… More
  Okay so I just finished this a bit ago, and it hasn't all quite sunk in yet, so my review might not be the best. Perhaps I should let it sink in for a while first and maybe even give it a rewatch, but I don't really have time to do that so take my review with a grain of salt. First off, this film is somewhat overlong and a tad too meandering at times, and maybe just a bit pretentious, However, it carries a lot of influence (particular on the works of P.T. Anderson) and it is a rather incredible experience. This is an ambitious, sweeping epic look at America and the state of American life and culture on the cusp of the bicentennial filtered through the lens of around 24 characters who, despite having their own specific storylines, all interweave to form a narrative surrounding the effort to put on a concert rally for the state's presidential primary for a populist fringe candidate running on the Replacement party ticket. The film has an overall running time of 2 Hours, 40 minutes, with an hour of that time devoted to musical numbers (all songs written by the cast and some of the crew). This is a broad mosaic of a film, but despite some of the heavy subject matter it is played out in Altman's loose, heavily improvised and mutilayered style. It's one of those movies where you can probably pick up more and more with each viewing, but is also a great sort of hang out film where, kinda like a crowded party, you can just sort of filter in and out of various conversations or moments and still pick up the gist. The film is rather successful at this for the msot part, though it took me a bit to really get inot it. Once I did though, things got really cooking, and I found this to be quite a film that says a lot without really saying or doing too much when you get right down to it. I'm not going to list all of the 24/5 main actors, but I will say that most do a really good job. I wish they al lwere uniformly great, but hey there's so much going on here that the goods outweigh the bads. I think Lily Tomlin probably stuck out as the best for me though. I used to not pay her much mind, but she's really quite a wonderful actress. I knew she was good, but now I realize she's great. You don't have to enjoy country, folk, or gospel to like this movie, but it obviously helps if you at least appreciate it. LIke I said, the film is overlong and rambling, but I was engaged for most of it. I think it works better as an experience more tha na proper film, but there's nothing wrong with that. This is a wonderful document that really captures the zeitgeist of the times, and is easily one of the best film of the 70s, which is really saying something given that the 70s was the best decade for cinema. I'm still not quite sure what to make of this movie, but as for right now, I'm quite impressed. You should really give this one a look. It's a really well done and significant work of art.

• Stella D

  
  hilarious and heartbreaking and couldn't be closer to the bone. a masterpiece

• Steven C

  
  Robert Altman's "Nashville" is the grandfather of the American mosaic (it's extended family includes "Short Cuts", "Magnolia", "Crash"). This 1975 classic is intensely American; showing the country in both good and bad ways.… More
  Robert Altman's "Nashville" is the grandfather of the American mosaic (it's extended family includes "Short Cuts", "Magnolia", "Crash"). This 1975 classic is intensely American; showing the country in both good and bad ways. "Nashville" is a film that defies categorization. The songs the characters sing tell the story, yet it's not a musical. There are things to laugh at in the film but it's not a comedy. The depression and hopelessness most of these characters feel is never fully elaborated on so it's not totally a drama. There is social commentary on the entertainment industry and fame, politics, a woman's role in 70's America (more specifically Tennessee) but it never dips into full satire. There isn't even real plot points (expect for the films climax which is delivered with equal amounts of cheer and chilling hopelessness). There aren't even any main characters, though we do follow the lives of 24 different people. Even more so, all these people tend to talk over each other while Altman layers the dialogue with other voices, songs and presidential campaign propaganda. Without saying, the 2 and a half hour "Nashville" is a dizzying experience. But what makes it's so utterly fascinating (once you as the viewer gain your footing an hour or so in) is that Altman has such control over the world he has created. He knows every single aspect of these people and each one is important in one small way that isn't clear until it's final moments. And, it's so wonderful because none of these people are aware of the effect they are having on the world around them. Sure, we see how their actions effect things, but that's because we are visitors to Altman's world. We see what he wants us to see and in those small moments of despair or lust or joy or embarrassment these people feel, we are connected to them. The characters in "Nashville" are us, always searching and never realizing their true potential or simply passing it by once it arrives, their effect on the world, or how obvious the facades we display are. "Nashville" is about the shows we put on for the world, and how really, no one watches or cares. "Nashville" is an extremely complex but ultimately extremely rewarding experience, culminating in one of the finest films of the 1970s.

• Jon L

  
  Although I didn't really figure out what this film was trying to say, I still really felt myself liking almost every aspect of this film. I loved the timeframe it took place in, the locations and especially the vast array of characters. There is not too much to say about this… More
  Although I didn't really figure out what this film was trying to say, I still really felt myself liking almost every aspect of this film. I loved the timeframe it took place in, the locations and especially the vast array of characters. There is not too much to say about this film, other than it is a good mindless dramady that I think it worth a watch. It is definitely a classic and gave a lot of budding actors their starts in the industry.

• danny d

  
  while containing great production quality and an excellent cast, i found this to be a highly overrated film. it was entertaining, but at over 2 1/2 hours the film suffered from far too much aimless wandering. the entire film was characterized by randomness from the underdeveloped… More
  while containing great production quality and an excellent cast, i found this to be a highly overrated film. it was entertaining, but at over 2 1/2 hours the film suffered from far too much aimless wandering. the entire film was characterized by randomness from the underdeveloped characters to the random connections of those characters that dont further the story. the film floats along with a total lack of focus outside of the ambiguous commentary on nashville and politics. a unique film but not as good as the hype.

• jay n

  
  Interminable!!

• Jennifer X

  
  Altman is the only one that makes me understand the true meaning of the word auteur. This movie confused the crap out of me yet still I really liked it. How. Awesome.

• Michael S

  
  Tied with Short Cuts and M*A*S*H as Altman's best work.

• Jason V

  
  The trailer to Nashville makes a point to mention the 24 "unforgettable" characters in the film and their stories which will captivate the audience. It's great marketing, to be honest, considering close to half of the characters show up for three seconds (out of 160… More
  The trailer to Nashville makes a point to mention the 24 "unforgettable" characters in the film and their stories which will captivate the audience. It's great marketing, to be honest, considering close to half of the characters show up for three seconds (out of 160 minutes) and don't do anything of any interest. The other half hold up the story-a story about country music singers, politics, marriages, understanding. With all those characters and a nearly obscene running time, it's not a wonder most of the stories feel half baked. Just as the audience begins to get invested in the action on the screen, the momentum is stopped to focus on something else. And by the time the original story comes back, the tension has subsided. Add to that a very flimsy overarching storyline about a third party presidential candidate and it's hard to imagine why so many people hold this film in such high regard. Which would then question the three stars I'm giving it. Why? For director Altman, who wrangles the cast and manages to make the film comprehensible. For the music. And for the sheer audaciousness of the entire enterprise.

• Jake B

  
  "Y'all take it easy now. This isn't Dallas, it's Nashville! They can't do this to us here in Nashville! Let's show them what we're made of. Come on everybody, sing! Somebody, sing!" Robert Altman's 'Nashville' is simply one of… More
  "Y'all take it easy now. This isn't Dallas, it's Nashville! They can't do this to us here in Nashville! Let's show them what we're made of. Come on everybody, sing! Somebody, sing!" Robert Altman's 'Nashville' is simply one of film's greatest achievements. Combining improvisation, drama, and comedy to forge Altman's best and most un- forgettable movie experience. The rotating plot centers around the city of Nashville, TN. the country music capital of the world. A mysterious van campaigning for politician Hal Phillip Walker circulates the city spouting off campaign promises. The unseen Walker is trying to win candidacy for the U.S. Presidancy. He belongs to the newly formed "Replacement Party". Of the many plot threads, my personal favorites were: the tale of Barbra Jean (Ronee Blakely), a country queen who just suffered a mental break down. She is also idolized by a solider (Scott Glenn) who trots along like a loyal puppy. Linnea Reese (Lilly Tomlin) the choral singer and mother of two deaf children, who shacks up with music sensation Tom (Keith Carridine), a womanizer. Mr. Green (Keenan Wynn), a man who brings his niece, Marthe (Shelly Duvall), to care for his dying wife. She cares more about celebrities, (including Tom, who she also shacks up with), then her dying aunt. Green also rents a room out to a mysterious stranger (David Hayward). And finally Haven Hamilton, (Henry Gibson), an egotistical, aging, S.O.B. of a country star. All mentioned above do splendid work, especially Wynn, there are some heart-breaking scenes in the hospital, where his wife stays. For the climactic assassination scene, Altman knows not to underscore the scene with music, but with crowds, movements, faces and cutting. Altman is a master he makes you know why in that scene alone.

• Andrew F

  
  After all the great things I heard about this film, I was really disappointed when I watched it and found that it was a boring, dull, 2.5 hour film that does nothing to develop its characters. Aside from one or two scenes, I found the entire movie pointless. But maybe I just… More
  After all the great things I heard about this film, I was really disappointed when I watched it and found that it was a boring, dull, 2.5 hour film that does nothing to develop its characters. Aside from one or two scenes, I found the entire movie pointless. But maybe I just don't get it.

• Joey N

  
  Typical Altman: huge cast, perceptive, and long. There's just something about Lily Tomlin....she seems so smart and witty to me. My favorite scene is when Kieth Carradine sings "I'm Easy" and three girls (he's a playa) in the audience thinks he's… More
  Typical Altman: huge cast, perceptive, and long. There's just something about Lily Tomlin....she seems so smart and witty to me. My favorite scene is when Kieth Carradine sings "I'm Easy" and three girls (he's a playa) in the audience thinks he's singing directly to them. I love that song. I have it on my ipod! Oh, all the actors not only sing their own songs, but they wrote them too. The last scene is particularly interesting.

• Stephen E

  
  "Nashville" is not a musical, as many have been led to believe, but rather an ensemble drama intercut with country music performances, and despite good acting and direction, it feels surprisingly disappointing. As interesting as some of the characters are, none are given… More
  "Nashville" is not a musical, as many have been led to believe, but rather an ensemble drama intercut with country music performances, and despite good acting and direction, it feels surprisingly disappointing. As interesting as some of the characters are, none are given enough screen time to make them seem important, and for the most part, they aren't well-developed. Altman's satirical humor works most of the time and is often very funny, but overall, "Nashville" is not engaging or particularly involving. It has its moments, and the good definitely outweigh the bad, but I just don't think it quite deserves the credit it's been given.

• Lauren D

  
  Just stupid. The plot was meh. I hated all the songs. I was however, surprised that Mother Firefly and Lundy could sing.

• Ivan D

  
  "The place as the ultimate protagonist, the characters as the specks of detail". That's how I viewed Altman's "Nashville" after watching it. It's a picture filled with plenty of characters, but as one would look on, the camera never bothered to focus… More
  "The place as the ultimate protagonist, the characters as the specks of detail". That's how I viewed Altman's "Nashville" after watching it. It's a picture filled with plenty of characters, but as one would look on, the camera never bothered to focus its lens to a single one for an extended period of time, but always jumps back and forth. It's never intended to present such immense scale of characters and then give each of them acceptable resolutions(as what was always done on other "mosaic" films). The camera, rather than a follower of a budding conflict, is more of an observer with a short attention span. Looking at the lives of the populace randomly, with a certain sense of voyeuristic pleasure that something will happen, then jumps to another when finding out that there's none. It may be far-fetched, but even through these subtle cinematic gestures, Robert Altman's got something to say. Along its almost 3-hour length, I am not in the right position to say that the film has covered everything it has intended to, but as a medium commonly put down as "entertainment only", it's quite heavy in its subversive statements about society. But although it's a radical view on the anxious condition of America at the time, the final scene at the Parthenon offered a brief but lasting glimpse on the spirit of the masses: "Lay down the issue, we'll put on some music, and 'it won't worry me'". Though "Nashville" begs for multiple viewings, it's not just for further understanding of missed-out details, but roots out from an urge to devour once more a brilliant satire sweetened by timeless country music.

• Robert F

  
  An incredible film. I'm not sure why, but it left me devastated.

• Lord N

  
  I don't know if I liked it. I think did but I need a good plot synopses so that I can understand the film. I can't find one. it seemed good though. not better than Cuckoo's nest (Which is why cuckoo's nest won.) it didn't seem to have a plot really.

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