Short Cuts

R

Now Playing

3h 9m

Comedy

Drama

List

95%

61 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot (Lily Tomlin) accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy's grandfather (Jack Lemmon) tells his son, Howard (Bruce Davison), about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker (Lyle Lovett) starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy's birthday cake.

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Critics Consensus

Robert Altman's ensemble drama deftly integrates its disparate characters and episodes into a funny, poignant, emotionally satisfying whole.

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Petros T

Despite its big runtime, "Short Cuts" is engaging from beginning to end. Thematically-wise, it's dense and layered, and it boasts great performances from its incredible ensemble cast. Its biggest achievement is the way all the different stories and characters are balanced and interconnected. Even though they don't all receive the same attention, they remain interesting and realistic throughout and they play their part in the - hilarious, upsetting and thought-provoking - grand scheme of things.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/02/23

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Pam K

I didn't see what the connections were. Not very enjoyable.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/25/23

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Jerod S

So many whackos in LA! Cast is loaded with A-listers whose stories intertwine here and there...but mostly its a motley cru mess of short narratives of nuts.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/28/23

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Shioka O

Meticulously controlled the assemble cast and stories, all loosely connected and happened in somewhere in LA. It's getting interesting after 30min passed and glueing until the end because you can't expect how it's gonna end. Casey's case is the most moving. I'm kinda feel cheated by the earthquake ending though.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/09/22

Full Review

Mike P

One of the best movies ever made. And at first, this glance at the scum amd sludge and anomie of lif low life and high life in 90s Los Angeles is a downer; filtered through the ouvre of Raymond Carver short stories. But at close to an hour it really starts getting to you; all the tragedy; the hope; the dreams; the sexual assaults; the reconciliations; the darkness of it all; the mountains; the rivers, the picnics; the suburbs; all this crazy life; filtered through so many struggling sad characters; it's almost like a modern Les Miserables. And yet; in each story; just a smattering of hope; you really feel the pain and pleasure of each life presented; such a stunning mosaic of so many people. By the end; at the unifying armageddon-ish earthquake which brings all these characters together; you're really quite moved; as you realize Altman has chronicled not only Los Angeles life; but life itself; for all of us. Really quite breathtaking.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/22

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Mike J

Sonic is a movie movie star film movie star theater movie theater with Netflix theaters theaters movie movie theater theater theaters theater movie theaters

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/28/22

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Robert Altman

Director

Andie MacDowell

Ann Finnigan

Bruce Davison

Howard Finnigan

Julianne Moore

Marian Wyman

Matthew Modine

Dr. Ralph Wyman

Lily Tomlin

Doreen Piggot

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David Ansen

Newsweek

It's a funny/scary vision, with a manic edge -- which is why, when you come down from the high of the filmmaking, you may be left with the taste of ashes in your mouth. Altman's artistry can make you happy even when his art offers cold comfort.

Apr 7, 2016

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A

Sep 7, 2011

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Angie Errigo

Empire Magazine

Cool, clever and complex, Altman succeeds in bringing out the best from a highly talented cast.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 27, 2008

Full Review

Andrew Collins

Radio Times

An impeccable ensemble cast including Tom Waits, Tim Robbins, Chris Penn, Jack Lemmon, Andie MacDowell, Lily Tomlin and Julianne Moore give authentic life to incidental players in an ongoing melodrama that speaks loudly of the modern malaise.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 16, 2024

Full Review

Zita Short

InSession Film

It has the ability to generate thoughtful conversation between viewers. If you sit down and watch this with a good friend, you’ll probably both come out of it with very different observations.

Rated: B

Feb 7, 2023

Full Review

Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

Short Cuts is a long film, but it is not boring because the cast of characters is so numerous and the incidents so varied.

May 26, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot (Lily Tomlin) accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy's grandfather (Jack Lemmon) tells his son, Howard (Bruce Davison), about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker (Lyle Lovett) starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy's birthday cake.

Director: Robert Altman
Producer: Scott Bushnell
Screenwriter: Robert Altman, Frank Barhydt
Distributor: Argentina Video Home, Artificial Eye
Production Co: Fine Line Features, Avenue Pictures Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 1, 1993, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Dec 17, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.1M
Runtime: 3h 9m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo