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Robert Altman is the master of films with large casts where the lives of the various characters intertwine. This film is a look at the lives of 22 characters living in Los Angeles, which clearly influenced the work of Paul Thomas Anderson. The three-hour plus movie plays like a giant slice of life character study of the various cast members.

Ann Finnigan (Andie MacDowell, GROUNDHOG DAY) is married to TV commentator Howard Finnigan (Bruce Davison, LONGTIME COMPANION). Their son Casey (Lane Cassidy) is hit by car on his way to school. Waitress Doreen Piggot (Lily Tomlin, 9 TO 5) was driving the car and tries to take care of the kid, but he refuses to get in a car with a stranger and walks home. Doreen is married to a drunk limo driver named Earl (Tom Waits, BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA), who is hated by Doreen’s daughter Honey Bush (Lili Taylor, SAY ANYTHING…), who is married to sleazy make-up artist Bill (Robert Downey Jr., CHAPLIN).

Honey and Bill are friends with sexually confused pool man Jerry Kaiser (Chris Penn, RESERVOIR DOGS) and his wife, phone sex operator Lois (Jennifer Jason Leigh, THE MACHINIST). Jerry cleans the Finnigan’s pool as well as the Finnigan’s next-door neighbor jazz singer Tess Trainer (Annie Ross, PUMP UP THE VOLUME) and her depressed cellist daughter Zoe (Lori Singer, THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE). Casey’s doctor is the reserved Dr. Ralph Wyman (Matthew Modine, FULL METAL JACKET), who is married to the painter Marian (Julianne Moore, BOOGIE NIGHTS), who’s sister Sherri Shepard (Madeleine Stowe, BAD GIRLS) is married to arrogant cop Gene (Tim Robbins, THE PLAYER), who is having an affair with Betty Weathers (Frances McDormand, MISSISSIPPI BURNING), who is married to Stormy Weathers (Peter Gallagher, SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE), who flies night missions spraying med fly insecticide over L.A.

The Wyman’s meet Claire, who works as a clown, and out-of-work Stuart Kane (Fred Ward, HENRY & JUNE) at a classical music performance where Zoe is playing. Stuart — along with friends Gordon (Buck Henry, THE GRADUATE) and Vern (Huey Lewis, DUETS) — find something strange on their fishing trip. Finally, Lyle Lovett (COOKIE’S FORTUNE) plays a vindictive baker and Jack Lemmon (THE APARTMENT) makes an appearance as Howard’s absent father.

How the characters lives cross and parallel is what makes the film so good. Two parents lose children. Two children have absent parents. The film has two murders. There are two hidden affairs. The list of parallels can go on and on. The script from Altman and Frank Barhydt based on writings by Raymond Carver is a masterpiece of pacing. The film effortlessly moves from one tale to the next without ever losing any steam. None of the stories are weak, which is remarkable.

The film is artful and entertaining as we take a glimpse into these characters lives. The story displays the magnitude of drama that goes on around us without us even knowing it. The film reminds us that as human beings we all have a story to tell and it may just mirror someone else’s that we wouldn’t even expect.