The Player (1992)

98% of critics liked it
(52 reviews)
84% of users liked it
(17,722 ratings)

Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is a Hollywood producer with a studio executive girlfriend Bonnie Sherow (Cynthia Stevenson). Mill's job is to hear story pitches from screenwriters and decide which films have the potential to get made and which films get rejected. His job is suddenly in danger, though,… More Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is a Hollywood producer with a studio executive girlfriend Bonnie Sherow (Cynthia Stevenson). Mill's job is to hear story pitches from screenwriters and decide which films have the potential to get made and which films get rejected. His job is suddenly in danger, though, when up-and-comer Larry Levi (Peter Gallagher) begins work at the studio. Rumors swirl that Griffin may be replaced soon by Levi. Griffin has also been receiving threatening postcards, presumably from a disgruntled writer whose pitch he rejected.Griffin delves through records and surmises that the disgruntled writer is David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio), who had previously pitched a script to him. Griffin calls Kahane's home and is told by a woman, June (Greta Scacchi), that Kahane is at a movie theatre. Griffin goes to the theatre in Pasadena and offers Kahane a scriptwriting deal, hoping this will stop the threats. However, Kahane gets intoxicated and rebuffs Griffin's offer. He denies that he sent Griffin any postcards. Kahane pushes Griffin in the parking lot and the two men scuffle. In a rage, Griffin accidentally kills Kahane. Thinking fast, Griffin makes the death look like a robbery gone wrong.The next day at work, he receives another postcard, confirming that his stalking writer is still at large. Griffin attends Kahane's funeral and connects with Kahane's girlfriend, June. Studio chief of security Walter Stuckel (Fred Ward) confronts Griffin about the murder and says that Pasadena Police know Griffin was the last one to see Kahane alive. Pasadena detectives Susan Avery (Whoopi Goldberg) and DeLongpre (Lyle Lovett) suspect that Griffin is guilty of murder. They question him and DeLongpre starts to keep an eye on Griffin. The stalking writer leaves a rattlesnake in Griffin's car, causing a near-death experience that makes Griffin realize how he has sudden and deep feelings for June. With his girlfriend Bonnie out of town, Griffin takes June to a Hollywood awards banquet and their relationship grows.Meanwhile, with Levi ever encroaching on his job, Griffin sees an opportunity to save his position. He hears a pitch idea from two writers about a film called Habeas Corpus and instantly recognizes huge problems with the downbeat story. However, he manages to convince Levi that the pitch is golden and the movie will be a guaranteed Oscar contender. Griffin plans to let Levi shepherd the film through production and have it flop miserably. Then Griffin will step in at the last moment and suggest some basic changes to salvage the film's box office potential, letting him reclaim his position at the studio. The Pasadena detectives call Griffin in for a lineup after a witness to Kahane's death comes forward. Griffin catches a big break when the witness identifies the wrong man, Detective DeLongpre, who was placed in the lineup with the other suspects.One year later, studio power players are watching the end of Habeas Corpus with its tacked-on upbeat ending. Griffin's plan to "save" the movie worked like a charm and he is now a studio executive. While driving home, he gets a pitch over the phone from a man who reveals himself as the postcard writer. The man pitches an idea about a studio executive who kills a writer and gets away with murder. Griffin recognizes the pitch as blackmail and immediately agrees to give the writer a deal. The writer's title for the film is The Player. The movie ends by showing that June is now Griffin's wife and pregnant with his child.

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

In Theaters: Apr 10, 1992 Wide
On DVD: Jul 16, 1997
Studio: Fine Line Features

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
[It's] supposed to be scathing, but the pleasure it affords is like what you get from watching the Oscars: celebrity spotting and in-jokes.
Variety Staff, Variety
Mercilessly satiric yet good-natured, this enormously entertaining slam dunk quite possibly is the most resonant Hollywood saga since the days of Sunset Blvd. and The Bad and the Beautiful.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
A movie about today's Hollywood -- hilarious and heartless in about equal measure, and often at the same time.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
Mr. Altman's most subversive message here is not that it's possible to get away with murder in Hollywood, but that the most grievous sin, in Hollywood terms anyway, is to make a film that flops.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
[Altman] sticks it to every target, himself and us included, with a wicked zest that hurts only when you laugh.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
The Player is a rare commodity. It's brilliant and a guilty pleasure.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Amusing black comedy on Tinseltown.
Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat
The Player can be admired even more now than it was at the time, because it so succinctly diagnosed the sickness that still causes Hollywood to churn out too much soulless "product."
Chris Cabin, Slant Magazine
Robert Altman's over-praised yet highly enjoyable skewering of the business of making movies arrives on Blu-ray in a befittingly humble and loving audio and visual transfer.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
...if I were an actor in Hollywood and Altman didn't ask me to be in his film, I'd have been offended. (Blu-ray Edition)
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
Altman performs a bit of legerdemain, poking fun at the film industry while simultaneously paying tribute to it.
Jon Fortgang, Film4
Cynical, sophisticated movie-industry-murder-mystery made with great attention to detail, and still one of the best examples of Hollywood turning the camera on itself.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
One of the greatest Hollywood-eats-itself movies.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A daringly seductive satire working on its relentless terms with a fluid pace. Under seemingly improv surface, Altman has deconstructed Hollywood with cynical but not bitter eye, suggesting it's hard but not impossible for artists to work in the factory
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
As definitive a film about modern Hollywood as "Sunset Boulevard" was in its time.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Graham J

A masterpiece only overshadowed by his next film (Short Cuts), Altman's Hollywood satire is a hilarious and disturbing look at Hollywood.
Mike S

Kind of like a 2-hour episode of HBO's <i>Entourage</i>, only with less sex and more seriously-toned drama. The writing and directing is really quite impressive, but what will surely get your attention is the sparkling cast. Besides the main ensemble with Tim Robbins… More
Kind of like a 2-hour episode of HBO's <i>Entourage</i>, only with less sex and more seriously-toned drama. The writing and directing is really quite impressive, but what will surely get your attention is the sparkling cast. Besides the main ensemble with Tim Robbins in the lead, cameos include names like Cher, John Cusack, Angelica Houston, Burt Reynolds and Jeff Goldblum. And that's just to mention a few. It even stars Jeremy "Ari Gold" Piven in a minor role, which really underlined the whole "Entourage feel". So if you happen to be a film buff (which I assume most of you are) or a fan of said show, you should definitely take the time to give this one a go.
Dan S

A beautiful slice of satire that only a true auteur like Robert Altman could craft so well, dealing with a Hollywood exec (Tim Robbins), who deals with stars on a daily basis, and how his life changes when he gets embroiled in an accidental murder case, in which he is clearly guilty.… More
A beautiful slice of satire that only a true auteur like Robert Altman could craft so well, dealing with a Hollywood exec (Tim Robbins), who deals with stars on a daily basis, and how his life changes when he gets embroiled in an accidental murder case, in which he is clearly guilty. While it has the typical Altman traits (muddled talking, a detached feeling from the characters), this thing really comes together in striking fashion near its conclusion, when the laughs really start to take off and the brilliance of the film as a whole can no longer be denied. It does have some slow stretches (and one could argue it goes on a little too long), however, this is still a fine, fine piece of cinema that should definitely be seen by those who loves movies just as much as this film does.
Steven C

Robert Altman's "The Player" is, to me, the cream of the crop. 1990s films don't get much better. This is a biting Hollywood satire that completely shines when dipping into meta-narrative. The performances are nuanced, fun and effective. The humor is scathing and… More
Robert Altman's "The Player" is, to me, the cream of the crop. 1990s films don't get much better. This is a biting Hollywood satire that completely shines when dipping into meta-narrative. The performances are nuanced, fun and effective. The humor is scathing and the dialogue is witty and memorable. The cinematography is typically Altman-eque; the man knew how to move a camera. Also, "The Player" vibrates with characters, always adding that immediacy Altman works best with. "The Player" is nothing but engrossing fun with a wicked black heart.
Jennifer X

This is one of the few movies that Altman directed that doesn't overuse the overlapping dialogue, and for that I thank him. I love how this movie is so hilarious in the weirdest places, and how it crosses genre into the venues of thriller and crime (sometimes it even reminded me… More
This is one of the few movies that Altman directed that doesn't overuse the overlapping dialogue, and for that I thank him. I love how this movie is so hilarious in the weirdest places, and how it crosses genre into the venues of thriller and crime (sometimes it even reminded me of Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors), and how the masses of cameo talent just breeze in and out without a thought. I enjoy this film not only as a satire, but as an actual movie.
Luke B

Fantastically intelligent satire on the Hollywood system without ever disappearing up its own arse. The opening shot alone pretty much sums up the irony of the film which extends to the overall thriller narrative. All the stars excel in their cameos and the ones who are acting such as… More
Fantastically intelligent satire on the Hollywood system without ever disappearing up its own arse. The opening shot alone pretty much sums up the irony of the film which extends to the overall thriller narrative. All the stars excel in their cameos and the ones who are acting such as Robbins, Ward and Goldberg really are sensational. The scenes at the police station are unlike those from any other film and the "Hollywood" ending of both the film and the film within a film are hilariously spectacular. Robbins is always likable despite mostly being a little shit, it's the sympathy he brings with the roll that works so well. It's witty, smart and best of all accessible.
Lafe F

A novel approach to behind-the-scenes Hollywood scriptwriting society. It's black comedy with a lot of cool cameo appearances by the contemporary stars of the time. It has some nice commentary on the film industry. I wouldn't call it brilliant however.
Aaron N

Larry Levy: I'll be there right after my AA meeting. Griffin Mill: Oh Larry, I didn't realize you had a drinking problem. Larry Levy: Well I don't really, but that's where all the deals are being made these days. A very good Hollywood satire portraying the early… More
Larry Levy: I'll be there right after my AA meeting. Griffin Mill: Oh Larry, I didn't realize you had a drinking problem. Larry Levy: Well I don't really, but that's where all the deals are being made these days. A very good Hollywood satire portraying the early 90s movie culture. This is a movie that goes right along as a companion piece with American Psycho, another satire focused on 80s culture. Both of these films are darkly hilarious. Tim Robbins stars as a studio executive who's job is to say yes or no to movie pitches. He starts to receive death letters from a screenwriter he has rejected and attempts to take matters into his own hand. What follows is a mix of Hitchcock thriller and satirical plays the life of someone involved in Hollywood. Hitchcock isn't the only clear reference hear, director Robert Altman takes cues from all sorts of movies. First example comes in the opening shot of the movie, which is a very long and has actors coming in and out discussing other films with long, continuous shots. The supporting cast, which includes Fred Ward, Peter Gallagher, and Whoopi Goldberg among others are all very good as well. This movie is also a who's who of early 90s popularity, as it features over 50 celebrity cameos, all of whom improv their presence on screen. A lot of the dialogue throughout the movie is improvised, and a lot of it is very funny. Though some of the humor is very subtle, it is easily a movie that I can watch again soon because it is very enjoyable. Andy Civelli: Griffin, you move in mysterious ways, but I like it! I like it!
Michael S

One of Altman's very best.
Dean M

This wickedly delicious satire on Hollywood tells us more about the industry than any documentary ever could.
Michael G

A great movie and essential tool for 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Stephen E

Robert Altman's The Player is a quaint and clever middle finger to Hollywood and the movie industry. It's funny and knows it subject very well. After watching it a second time, I grasp and understand the film's message and the people that it speaks out against.… More
Robert Altman's The Player is a quaint and clever middle finger to Hollywood and the movie industry. It's funny and knows it subject very well. After watching it a second time, I grasp and understand the film's message and the people that it speaks out against. Sometimes there are films that require a re-watch. The film opens with a magnificently orchestrated tracking shot that lasts for at least a good five minutes. Robert Altman hasn't really impressed me all that much with his filmography, but I do admire his directorial skills. Here in The Player, he shines. I love the way he positions his shots, where the main event often takes place in the background with something obscuring it in the foreground. I loved the final scene, where there is a screening of Habeas Corpus. It has a different ending then it had when originally scripted. Julia Roberts says 'What took you so long?' and Bruce Willis replies with 'Traffic was a bitch.' Then that same scene is re-enacted between Tim Robbins and Greta Scacchi, after Robbins receives a phone call from the mysterious writer summing up the entire movie. Now, tell me that wasn't ingenious.
Alec B

This movie is the best evidence I can offer for why Robert Altman never got any serious recognition for his illustrious career other than that bullshit lifetime achievement Oscar. He recognized that Hollywood is full of monstrous, lying, assholes and he dared to call them out on it.
William G

A satire of the film industry whose bite has grown considerably muted over time.
Joey N

Ingeniusly clever Hollywood satire that bites the hand that feeds it. Cameos everywhere!
Stephen E

Robert Altman's The Player is a quaint and clever middle finger to Hollywood and the movie industry. It's funny and knows it subject very well. After watching it a second time, I grasp and understand the film's message and the people that it speaks out against.… More
Robert Altman's The Player is a quaint and clever middle finger to Hollywood and the movie industry. It's funny and knows it subject very well. After watching it a second time, I grasp and understand the film's message and the people that it speaks out against. Sometimes there are films that require a re-watch. The film opens with a magnificently orchestrated tracking shot that lasts for at least a good five minutes. Robert Altman hasn't really impressed me all that much with his filmography, but I do admire his directorial skills. Here in The Player, he shines. I love the way he positions his shots, where the main event often takes place in the background with something obscuring it in the foreground. I loved the final scene, where there is a screening of Habeas Corpus. It has a different ending then it had when originally scripted. Julia Roberts says 'What took you so long?' and Bruce Willis replies with 'Traffic was a bitch.' Then that same scene is re-enacted between Tim Robbins and Greta Scacchi, after Robbins receives a phone call from the mysterious writer summing up the entire movie. Now, tell me that wasn't ingenious.
Tobias X

The greatest Hollywood screenplay ever written about Hollywood. Three cheers for Michael Tolkin! This is my second favorite Altman film after MCCABE AND MRS. MILLER (1971)
Marion R

I really liked this movie. It has a subtle humor and is filled with all the Hollywood film cliches. I really liked this film.
Marcus W

Hollywood must have been quiet while filming this as everyone is in it at some point or another. The direction is easily amongst the best I have ever witnessed (the opening scene rivals anything in Children of Men) and Richard E Grant and Whoopi Goldberg give standout performances. As… More
Hollywood must have been quiet while filming this as everyone is in it at some point or another. The direction is easily amongst the best I have ever witnessed (the opening scene rivals anything in Children of Men) and Richard E Grant and Whoopi Goldberg give standout performances. As good as it however, with some wonderful satire, Tim Robbins is just too bland in this and lets the film down. A great film-within-a-film and very well written, but not quite amazing.
Tom S

I don't love Altman's camera, but I love his writing in this spoof on the Hollywood studio system.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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