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The Player

The Player

Actor(s): Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher
Director(s): Robert Altman
8


Details

MPAA Rating: R
Content Advisory: Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Humor, Profanity, Sexual Situations
Movie Release: 1992
DVD Release: 07/16/1997
Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
Edition: Special Collection
Audio Tracks: English, French
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 2 hrs 4 mins
Studio: New Line Home Video
Members Wishing: 9
Genres: Comedy, Satire, Ensemble Film, Showbiz Comedy

Synopsis

Robert Altman takes a scalpel to Hollywood ethics in the 1990s (or the lack thereof) in his acidic satire The Player, adapted from Michael Tolkin's novel. (Tolkin also wrote the screenplay.) The film concerns a sleek and smooth Hollywood studio executive who starts receiving death threats from a disgruntled writer because he has committed the ultimate Hollywood sin -- he promised the writer he would call him back and he never did. This is particularly ironic because the studio executive, Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins), is considered "writer-friendly," spending his days listening to pitches from such noted screenwriters as Buck Henry, who is pushing "The Graduate, Part II" and Alan Rudolph, who is hawking a Bruce Willis action film described as "Ghost meets The Manchurian Candidate." But The Player finds Griffin's comfortable life style in danger of collapse. He is trying to find a way to unload his girlfriend (Cynthia Stevenson) whose independence and intelligence make her a poor candidate for a trophy wife. More importantly, it seems that Larry Levy (Peter Gallagher), a slippery executive from Twentieth Century Fox, is angling for his job. And then there are those nasty postcards and faxes from a screenwriter threatening to kill him. Altman cast over 65 stars in cameo roles as texture for his scabrous tale. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Cast

Tim Robbins - Griffin Mill
Greta Scacchi - June Gudmundsdottir
Fred Ward - Walter Stuckel
Whoopi Goldberg - Det. Susan Avery
Peter Gallagher - Larry Levy


Awards

1992David Lean Award (nominee)British Academy of Film and TelevisionRobert Altman
1992Best Adapted Screenplay (nominee)British Academy of Film and TelevisionMichael Tolkin
1992Best Actor (nominee)British Academy of Film and TelevisionTim Robbins
1992Editing Award (nominee)British Academy of Film and TelevisionGeraldine Peroni
1993Best Picture (nominee)British Academy of Film and TelevisionMichael Tolkin
1993Best Picture (nominee)British Academy of Film and TelevisionRobert Altman
1992Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com (winner)Golden GlobeTim Robbins
1992Best Director (nominee)Golden GlobeRobert Altman
1992Best Screenplay (nominee)Golden GlobeMichael Tolkin
1992Best Director (nominee)Directors Guild of AmericaRobert Altman
1992Best Adapted Screenplay (nominee)Academy of Motion Picture Arts and ScieMichael Tolkin
1992Best Director (nominee)Academy of Motion Picture Arts and ScieRobert Altman
1992Best Editing (nominee)Academy of Motion Picture Arts and ScieGeraldine Peroni
1992Best Actor (winner)Cannes Film FestivalTim Robbins
1992Best Director (winner)Cannes Film FestivalRobert Altman
1992Best Director (Runner-up) (winner)National Society of Film CriticsRobert Altman
1992Best Director (winner)New York Film Critics CircleRobert Altman
1992Best Cinematography (winner)New York Film Critics CircleJean Lepine

Editorial Review

Robert Altman junkies are in for a treat with the New Line Cinema Platinum Edition of The Player. This double-sided DVD features an anamorphic, high-definition widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital Multi-Channel Surround Sound -- enabling the appreciation of the acerbic multi-level dialogue, which is a trademark of this director. Another characteristic of Altman's work is his use of an expansive cast, and The Player's impressive array of star cameos is highlighted by a cameo filmography feature, which allows viewers to jump to the scene the particular actor appears in. There is also a one page filmography/biography on the main cast, which includes Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, and Whoopi Goldberg. The meatiest of the features comes in the form of a detailed and informative audio commentary on side A by Altman and Michael Tolkien (who wrote both the novel and screenplay ), and a featurette on the director on side B. Both are successful in taking the audience into the film's deeper themes as well as into the minds of its creators. The audio commentary is particularly terrific in the detailing of the famous eight-minute opening shot, observing each actor's part in the jigsaw of the whole and how the director linked the improvisational elements together in one continuous flow. Additional features include five deleted scenes and the original theatrical trailer. This special edition caters to both the first-timer and the aficionado, enhancing for all the appreciation of the elements in a work of such ambition. ~ Marsha Mehran, All Movie Guide

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