Review of Nashville (1975) by Nicholas V — 20 Sep 2007

One of my all-time favorite movies is one that has to be seen on the big screen to have a greater appreciation for it. Many consider this director Robert Altman's masterpiece, and in many ways, it is.

It paved the way for both Magnolia and Crash. This movie is told from the point-of-view of 24 characters all living or visiting Nashville, the country music capital of the United States. For the record, even if you don't like country music, you might still love this movie as long as you can sit through it (It is 2 hours and 40 minutes long).

There are the singers, the publicists, the reporters and everyone else coverging for the return of a country musc star (Ronee Blakely) who has recovered from a recent nervous breakdown. It's not really the main story, but one of about maybe six of them occuring throughout the movie.

Throughout the movie, a political candidate named Hal Philip Walker is sending messages via a blowhorn truck where he addresses some of his plans for if he ends up becoming president of the United States (He is part of the Replacement Party).

Also throughout the movie are the actors, including Henry Gibson, Ned Beatty, Lily Tomiln, Keith Carrideane, Karen Black, Shelley Duvall, Scott Glenn, Barbara Harris, Geraldine Chaplin, and Jeff Goldblum among others, who shine through an excellent script by Joan Tewkesbury an brilliant songs (Like I said before, even if you don't like Country music, you will love this movie along with its music).

It's a shame that Robert Altman is dead, because we will never get to see another movie like this done the same way. The experience of watching this movie in a theater pales in comparison to watching it on TV, mainly because on TV it doesn't have the same impact.

Still, Turner Classic Movies does show it from time to time, so if it is on, or if you want buy or rent it on DVD, then I urge you to check it out. It is definitely one of the greatest movies ever made.