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Robert Altman's DR. T & THE WOMEN (aka Mornings With Dr T)

Published at: Jul 22, 1999 5:42:55 AM CDT

All right, well on down the list of today's stories I take some pot shots at a Richard Gere project, so I guess I ought to show no hard feelings and voice support of another Richard Gere project. Namely... The upcoming Robert Altman movie DR. T & THE WOMEN. That should win an award for coolest title around. Now, knowing my Seuss, I know Dr T had 5000 fingers, so how many women are in this film?

Actually Seuss has nothing (that I know of) to do with this movie which is instead about a Texas gynecologist, played by Richard Gere, who is a bit... eccentric with his clients(/women of his life) on his daughter's wedding day. His daughter is being played by Claire Danes... while the multitudes of women look to count Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Judy Davis and Shelly Long amongst their ranks. Now that's a cool and typically Altman cast of women. Now if he could also find room for Jennifer Jason Leigh, Lili Taylor and Julianne Moore then we'd really be having a super duper cast! But as is... Man... I can't wait. This independent production looks to be set for either summer to fall release of 2000. So let's keep an ear out for goings ons with this one. We film geeks have to follow what ol Altman is up to!

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Jul 22, 1999 5:59:34 AM CDT

Call me shallow but...

by john shaft

Seeing as this is a Robert Altman film, how many of these women are going to be getting their kit off?

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Content Seeing as this is a Robert Altman film, how many of these women are going to be getting their kit off?
Jul 22, 1999 6:19:41 AM CDT

I wasn't aware that Mr. T completed his doctorate

by alessan

What was it in? Comparative Pummeling? Oh, and for God's sake, Harry, get some sleep.

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Content What was it in? Comparative Pummeling? Oh, and for God's sake, Harry, get some sleep.
Jul 22, 1999 8:40:32 AM CDT

Call me an idiot... but

by alganon

What has Robert Altman done, lately to be regarded with such high esteem and admiration? "Brewster McCloud" is an interesting movie... "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" was groundbreaking... "MASH" was wonderfully silly (much better than the TV series AND a completely different animal I might add)... "Nashville" while ponderous has some outstanding performances. The problem with Altman lies in the fact that these movies were done 25 years ago! What has he done of any "real" merit since? "3 Women" gave us the most overworked film criticism since "Citizen Kane," treading on Ken Russell and Ingmar Bergman's territory (both of whom I respect as artists a lot more than Altman). "A Wedding" is plodding and completely unintersting. "H.E.A.L.T.H" isn't even worth mentioning (although I did). "Popeye" had brilliant characterizations and wonderful art direction, but is almost completely devoid of human emotion. "Streamers" and "Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" have their merits, but then Altman goes and gives us "OC & Stiggs"!
Now then, everybody claims the "The Player" to be brilliant, and I do love that movie... but if you really analyze it... "The Player" is actually an Alan Rudolph film. I say this, because Altman was Rudolph's mentor... and Alan Rudolph had given us "Trouble in Mind," "Choose Me," and "The Moderns"... taking all of Altman's pre-eighties filmmaking and storytelling skills and extending on them. Altman set forth and purposely made an Alan Rudolph film. I think this is exposed when you then examine the follow-up films to "The Player". "Short Cuts," "Pret a Porter," and "Kansas City" immediately returned us to the same crap that Altman had previously been releasing prior to "The Player". I recently saw the "Gingerbread Man," I gave it a chance... and it too failed.
Like I said at the beginning, call me an idiot, but I just don't get Altman. And let me end this by saying that I'm not a film snob but a film fan... I can enjoy Wim Wenders, John Carpenter, Ed Wood and Michael Bay films at their different levels. I just get tired of praise being heaped on people because at one time in their career they were producing. Smart athletes know when to retire when on top... maybe filmmakers should as well.

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Content What has Robert Altman done, lately to be regarded with such high esteem and admiration? "Brewster McCloud" is an interesting movie... "McCabe and Mrs. Miller" was groundbreaking... "MASH" was wonderfully silly (much better than the TV series AND a completely different animal I might add)... "Nashville" while ponderous has some outstanding performances. The problem with Altman lies in the fact that these movies were done 25 years ago! What has he done of any "real" merit since? "3 Women" gave us the most overworked film criticism since "Citizen Kane," treading on Ken Russell and Ingmar Bergman's territory (both of whom I respect as artists a lot more than Altman). "A Wedding" is plodding and completely unintersting. "H.E.A.L.T.H" isn't even worth mentioning (although I did). "Popeye" had brilliant characterizations and wonderful art direction, but is almost completely devoid of human emotion. "Streamers" and "Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" have their merits, but then Altman goes and gives us "OC & Stiggs"! Now then, everybody claims the "The Player" to be brilliant, and I do love that movie... but if you really analyze it... "The Player" is actually an Alan Rudolph film. I say this, because Altman was Rudolph's mentor... and Alan Rudolph had given us "Trouble in Mind," "Choose Me," and "The Moderns"... taking all of Altman's pre-eighties filmmaking and storytelling skills and extending on them. Altman set forth and purposely made an Alan Rudolph film. I think this is exposed when you then examine the follow-up films to "The Player". "Short Cuts," "Pret a Porter," and "Kansas City" immediately returned us to the same crap that Altman had previously been releasing prior to "The Player". I recently saw the "Gingerbread Man," I gave it a chance... and it too failed. Like I said at the beginning, call me an idiot, but I just don't get Altman. And let me end this by saying that I'm not a film snob but a film fan... I can enjoy Wim Wenders, John Carpenter, Ed Wood and Michael Bay films at their different levels. I just get tired of praise being heaped on people because at one time in their career they were producing. Smart athletes know when to retire when on top... maybe filmmakers should as well.
Jul 22, 1999 9:36:30 AM CDT

altman rules

by mofo

How can you say Altman has lost it? He is the only director that has been making films for 40 years that has yet to sell out. He managed to get great performances out of such lame ducks as Chris O'Donnell and Liv Tyler. I'm sure he'll get a great performance out of Richard Gere. As far as not making a good film since The Player. That movie was okay, but nowhere near as good as Short Cuts. Cookie's Fortune and Vincent and Theo were also amazing films made in the 90's. The Gingerbread Man was actually an original thriller with original characters, unlike an overrated piece of manure like A Simple Plan.
Altman never finds an audience because he does the one thing (most) moviegoers hate - he tests them. Noone could accept that Kansas City was actually a musical because it was marketted as a gangster film.
As for Nashville - It was voted the 2nd greatest film of the 70's, behind The Godfather. I think you're missing something.

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Content How can you say Altman has lost it? He is the only director that has been making films for 40 years that has yet to sell out. He managed to get great performances out of such lame ducks as Chris O'Donnell and Liv Tyler. I'm sure he'll get a great performance out of Richard Gere. As far as not making a good film since The Player. That movie was okay, but nowhere near as good as Short Cuts. Cookie's Fortune and Vincent and Theo were also amazing films made in the 90's. The Gingerbread Man was actually an original thriller with original characters, unlike an overrated piece of manure like A Simple Plan. Altman never finds an audience because he does the one thing (most) moviegoers hate - he tests them. Noone could accept that Kansas City was actually a musical because it was marketted as a gangster film. As for Nashville - It was voted the 2nd greatest film of the 70's, behind The Godfather. I think you're missing something.
Jul 22, 1999 10:35:30 AM CDT

Altman Is God

by benjamin raspiel

The reason Altman's films -- good, bad, terrible, uneven, mesmerizing, whatever -- have never really reached a "mass audience" (and the reason he'll never receive one of these "honorary" Elia Kazan-style Academy Awards) is the fact that, to the bone, the guy is defiantly, uncompromisingly unsentimental. There is never a single moment of emotion in an Altman film that isn't earned. I can't think of another director, in the history of film, who can make a similar claim. For example, notice how Altman never gives a character a dog just so you'll like them (a staple of lesser director's films). (In fact, an entire book could be written on Altman's extraordinarily cunning utilization of house pets; viz, the dog Tim Robbins "loses" and then "takes back" in SHORT CUTS, and the seemingly-typical use of Phillip Marlowe's cat, in the opening sequence of THE LONG GOODBYE, which is actually just a means of setting up the movie's final, devastating line of dialogue.) Altman is, indeed, the greatest.

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Content The reason Altman's films -- good, bad, terrible, uneven, mesmerizing, whatever -- have never really reached a "mass audience" (and the reason he'll never receive one of these "honorary" Elia Kazan-style Academy Awards) is the fact that, to the bone, the guy is defiantly, uncompromisingly unsentimental. There is never a single moment of emotion in an Altman film that isn't earned. I can't think of another director, in the history of film, who can make a similar claim. For example, notice how Altman never gives a character a dog just so you'll like them (a staple of lesser director's films). (In fact, an entire book could be written on Altman's extraordinarily cunning utilization of house pets; viz, the dog Tim Robbins "loses" and then "takes back" in SHORT CUTS, and the seemingly-typical use of Phillip Marlowe's cat, in the opening sequence of THE LONG GOODBYE, which is actually just a means of setting up the movie's final, devastating line of dialogue.) Altman is, indeed, the greatest.
Jul 22, 1999 4:08:22 PM CDT

OH! Claire Danes will be his DAUGHTER!

by miss direction

Thank God! I thought it was going to be another cradle robbin' romance. I must say, as far as Altman goes, I happened onto Pret-a-Porter on cable one night and thought "Eh? Why not?". I watched the whole thing and wanted to know how it came out, but I didn't leave it thinking "Wow! What a great movie!" It was just "Huh. Now I've seen Pret-a-Porter." There was just something lacking...something missing.

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Content Thank God! I thought it was going to be another cradle robbin' romance. I must say, as far as Altman goes, I happened onto Pret-a-Porter on cable one night and thought "Eh? Why not?". I watched the whole thing and wanted to know how it came out, but I didn't leave it thinking "Wow! What a great movie!" It was just "Huh. Now I've seen Pret-a-Porter." There was just something lacking...something missing.
Jul 22, 1999 4:42:29 PM CDT

Mr. T

by michelle21

I pity the fool who doesn't...ah nevermind.

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Content I pity the fool who doesn't...ah nevermind.
Aug 15, 2006 1:33:40 PM CDT

Rodentherapy

by wolfpack

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Robert Altman's DR. T & THE WOMEN (aka Mornings With Dr T)

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