Nashville is a 1975 American satirical musical comedy-drama film directed and produced by Robert Altman. The film features a large ensemble cast of 24 characters, including David Arkin, Norman, Barbara Baxley, Lady Pearl, Ned Beatty, Delbert Reese, Karen Black, Connie White, Ronee Blakley, Barbara Jean, Timothy Brown, Tommy Brown, Keith Carradine, Tom Frank, Shelley Duvall, Bill, Allen Garfield, Barnett, Henry Gibson, Haven Hamilton, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, Tricycle Man, Michael Murphy, John Triplette, and Lily Tomlin.
Plot
Nashville is a complex and sprawling film that follows 24 characters over the course of five days leading up to a political convention and a gala concert for a populist outsider running for president on the Replacement Party ticket. The film is a satirical musical comedy-drama that takes place in Nashville, Tennessee and features a large ensemble cast of characters connected to the music business. The film's plot is a tapestry of intersecting stories that come together in a dramatic climax.
The film's overarching plot takes place over five days leading up to a political rally for Replacement Party candidate Hal Phillip Walker, who is never seen throughout the entire movie. The story follows 24 characters roaming around Nashville, in search of some sort of goal through their own (often overlapping) story arcs. The film opens with a campaign van for presidential candidate Hal Phillip Walker driving around Nashville as an external loudspeaker blares Walker's folksy political aphorisms and vaguely anti-establishment populism. This is juxtaposed with country superstar Haven Hamilton recording an overblown patriotic song.
The film's characters include Barbara Jean, the reigning queen of Nashville who is near collapse; Linnea and Delbert Reese, who have a shaky marriage and two deaf children; and Opal, a British journalist touring the area. Other characters include Connie White, one of those second-line singers who open for Johnny Cash; Lady Pearl, the bar owner who is cynical until she lets her hair down and talks of her love for the slain Kennedys; and Mr. Green, a political operative who is trying to get Walker elected.
The film's plot is a commentary on American politics and culture in the 1970s, and it explores themes of celebrity, politics, and the music industry. The film's soundtrack is an integral part of the movie, and many of the songs were written by the actors who sing them. The film's direction and writing are clever, and the large ensemble cast is able to weave the stories of twenty-four characters into a cinematic tapestry that is equal parts comedy and drama.
Trailer
Cast
- David Arkin as Norman
- Barbara Baxley as Lady Pearl
- Ned Beatty as Delbert Reese
- Karen Black as Connie White
- Ronee Blakley as Barbara Jean
- Timothy Brown as Tommy Brown
- Keith Carradine as Tom Frank
- Shelley Duvall as Bill
- Allen Garfield as Barnett
- Henry Gibson as Haven Hamilton
- Scott Glenn as Pfc. Glenn Kelly
- Jeff Goldblum as Tricycle Man
- Michael Murphy as John Triplette
- Lily Tomlin as Linnea Reese
Other notable cast members include Geraldine Chaplin, Barbara Harris, and Robert DoQui. Many of the actors in the film also contributed to the soundtrack, with songs written by Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine, and Karen Black.
Director: Robert Altman
Writer: Joan Tewkesbury
Box Office Gross: $9,991,258
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 11, 1975
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016