Player, The (1992)

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Robert Altman takes a scalpel to Hollywood ethics in the 1990s (or the lack thereof) in his acidic satire The Player, adapted from Michael Tolkin's novel. (Tolkin also wrote the screenplay.) The film concerns a sleek and smooth Hollywood studio executive who starts receiving death threats from a… More Robert Altman takes a scalpel to Hollywood ethics in the 1990s (or the lack thereof) in his acidic satire The Player, adapted from Michael Tolkin's novel. (Tolkin also wrote the screenplay.) The film concerns a sleek and smooth Hollywood studio executive who starts receiving death threats from a disgruntled writer because he has committed the ultimate Hollywood sin -- he promised the writer he would call him back and he never did. This is particularly ironic because the studio executive, Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins), is considered "writer-friendly," spending his days listening to pitches from such noted screenwriters as Buck Henry, who is pushing "The Graduate, Part II" and Alan Rudolph, who is hawking a Bruce Willis action film described as "Ghost meets The Manchurian Candidate." But The Player finds Griffin's comfortable life style in danger of collapse. He is trying to find a way to unload his girlfriend (Cynthia Stevenson) whose independence and intelligence make her a poor candidate for a trophy wife. More importantly, it seems that Larry Levy (Peter Gallagher), a slippery executive from Twentieth Century Fox, is angling for his job. And then there are those nasty postcards and faxes from a screenwriter threatening to kill him. Altman cast over 65 stars in cameo roles as texture for his scabrous tale. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 4 min.
Directed By: Robert Altman
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 1, 1992 Wide
Studio: New Line Home Entertainment

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Anthony V

Ah, Hollywood. If you haven't seen this, put it on your must see list.

Cast

            Tim Robbins as Griffin Mill

            Greta Scacchi as June Gudmundsdottir

            Fred Ward as Walter Stuckel

            Whoopi Goldberg as Det. Susan Avery

            Peter Gallagher as Larry Levy

            Vincent D'Onofrio as David Kahane

            Brion James as Joel Levison

            Cynthia Stevenson as Bonnie Sherow

            Dean Stockwell as Andy Civella

            Richard E. Grant as Tom Oakley

            Sydney Pollack as Dick Mellen

            Lyle Lovett as Det. DeLongpre

            Dina Merrill as Celia

            Angela Hall as Jan

            Leah Ayres as Sandy

            Paul Hewitt as Jimmy Chase

            Randall Batinkoff as Reg Goldman

            Jeremy Piven as Steve Reeves

            Gina Gershon as Whitney Gersh

            Frank Barhydt as Frank Murphy

            Mike E. Kaplan as Marty Grossman

            Kevin Scannell as Gar Girard

            Steve Allen as Himself

            Richard Anderson as Himself

            Rene Auberjonois as Himself

            Harry Belafonte as Himself

            Shari Belafonte as Herself

            Karen Black as Herself

            Michael Bowen as Himself

            Gary Busey as Himself

            Robert Carradine as Himself

            Charles Champlin as Himself

            Cher as Herself

            James Coburn as Himself

            Cathy Lee Crosby as Herself

            John Cusack as Himself

            Brad Davis as Himself

            Paul Dooley as Himself

            Thereza Ellis as Herself

            Peter Falk as Himself

            Felicia Farr as Herself

            Kashia Figura as Herself

            Louise Fletcher as Herself

            Dennis Franz as Himself

            Teri Garr as Herself

            Leeza Gibbons as Herself

            Jeff Goldblum as Himself

            Elliott Gould as Himself

            Joel Grey as Himself

            David Alan Grier as Himself

            Buck Henry as Himself

            Anjelica Huston as Herself

            Kathy Ireland as Herself

            Steve James as Himself

            Maxine John-James as Herself

            Sally Kirkland as Herself

            Jack Lemmon as Himself

            Marlee Matlin as Herself

            Andie MacDowell as Herself

            Malcolm McDowell as Himself

            Jayne Meadows as Herself

            Martin Mull as Himself

            Jennifer Nash as Herself

            Nick Nolte as Himself

            Alexandra Powers as Herself

            Bert Remsen as Himself

            Guy Remsen as Himself

            Patricia Resnick as Herself

            Burt Reynolds as Himself

            Jack Riley as Himself

            Julia Roberts as Herself

            Mimi Rogers as Herself

            Annie Ross as Herself

            Alan Rudolph as Himself

            Jill St. John as Herself

            Susan Sarandon as Herself

            Adam Simon as Himself

            Rod Steiger as Himself

            Joan Tewkesbury as herself

            Brian Tochi as Himself

            Lily Tomlin as Herself

            Robert Wagner as Himself

            Ray Walston as Himself

            Bruce Willis as Himself

            Marvin Young as Himself

            Margery Bond as Witness

            Pamela Bowen as Trixie

            Brian Brophy as Phil

            James Coburn Jr.
            
            Scott Glenn as Himself

            Pete Koch as Walter

            Natalie Strong as Natalie

            Jeff Weston as Rocco

            Susan J. Emshwiller as Detective Broom

            Michael Tolkin as Eric Schecter

            Stephen Tolkin as Carl Schecter

            Stephen James
            
            Scott Shaw as Himself (uncredited)
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