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Short Cuts

Play trailer Poster for Short Cuts R Released Oct 1, 1993 3h 9m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
95% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
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.
Short Cuts

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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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Critics Reviews

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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 Full Review 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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Michael M Certain things are masterfully done, such as the cinematography and the acting. Other things are goofy - such as all the nude scenes, I didn't see the point of it, I could have done without seeing Huey Lewis' penis. The stories themselves - meh. I guess that's not the fault of the director, but rather the writer whose stories this was based on. Every character in this film has got issues, for most of them its due to a lack of integrity - bitter, cheating people; self-absorbed people who don't care about anyone. The only character who seemed decent was Andie MacDowell, yet a tragedy befell her, a worse tragedy than what befell the other slimy characters ...what's the point of that? Well, obviously the point that they're making is either the absurdity of life or the absurdity of the shallow people in the film. Either way this type of message is very one-sided and fails because it doesn't show the other side. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review 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 Full Review Pam K I didn't see what the connections were. Not very enjoyable. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/25/23 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews
Short Cuts

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

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
Cary Brokaw
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