Nashville (1975)

Over the course of a few hectic days, numerous interrelated individuals prepare for a political convention as secrets and lies are surfaced and revealed.

Director:

Robert Altman

Writer:

Joan Tewkesbury

Stars:

Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine

Won 1 Oscar. Another 22 wins & 23 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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
Geraldine Chaplin	...	Opal
Robert DoQui	...	Wade (as Robert Doqui)
Shelley Duvall	...	L. A. Joan
Allen Garfield	...	Barnett
Henry Gibson	...	Haven Hamilton
Scott Glenn	...	Pfc. Glenn Kelly
Jeff Goldblum	...	Tricycle Man
Barbara Harris	...	Albuquerque

Storyline

This movie tells the intersecting stories of various people connected to the music business in Nashville. Barbara Jean is the reigning queen of Nashville but is near collapse. Linnea and Delbert Reese have a shaky marriage and 2 deaf children. Opal is a British journalist touring the area. These and other stories come together in a dramatic climax.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | candidate | assassination | title appears in text | deafness | 

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Taglines:

Wild. Wonderful. Sinful. Laughing. Explosive.

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 September 1975 (UK)

Also Known As:

Nashville, i polis ton ekplixeon

Filming Locations:

Centennial Park, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

ABC Entertainment, American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

159 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The actor Merle Kilgore plays Trout, a reference to Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s seminal character Kilgore Trout.

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Goofs

When the Mercedes bus (model O 309) breaks the gate-arm at the Nashville Airport (21:00 in), there is clear right-front damage, the bumper is bent, headlight broken, and there is no sign on the right side of the bus. But, at the freeway accident scene (22:12 in; on I-24 near Shelby Avenue), the passengers act like the damage just happened (saying: "Oh no." And looking at the damage), and now there is a sign on the right side that reads: "Connie White" and has her image.

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Quotes

Opal: Have you been in Vietnam?
Pfc. Glenn Kelly: Huh?
[Nods]
Opal: Yes, you have. I can tell by your face. Was it awful?
Pfc. Glenn Kelly: It was kinda... hot and wet.

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Crazy Credits

The song "It Don't Worry Me" continues to play long after the end credits have stopped rolling.

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Connections

Referenced in Sneak Previews: Best Films of the '70s (1979)

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Soundtracks

"200 Years"
Written by Richard Baskin and Henry Gibson
Performed by Henry Gibson
Lions Gate Music Co. (ASCAP) / Landscape Music Co. (BMI) / Silvery Moon Music (ASCAP) / Plumbago Publishing Co. (BMI)

User Reviews

One of the greatest films of its era.

Can't believe I've taken this long to reply re: Nashville. It is simply the movie that has had the biggest influence on my life since I first had the honor of viewing it one hot August day in Seattle in 1975. Leaving the theatre dazed, numbed and shattered, in a way only a truly great work of art is able to accomplish, at having seen something so unique and so powerful it helped this then 21 year old Canadian see life and the possibility of film in an entirely different light. That's a pretty lofty thing for a movie to do, but Nashville is the most defining movie of my lifetime, the one that all others were judged by or compared to. Over the years I have viewed this movie countless times in second-run, revival houses, and even on television where it's impact is of course diluted by commercials and indifferent presentations It was the first movie I bought on DVD, even before I owned a player and have scoured newspapers, books and magazines long before the access of the internet to read everything available on this film. Unfortunately, Nashville's reputation suffered during the dark years of the 1980-90s (the complete exclusion from the AFI's list of 100 greatest films of all time was especially vexing but rallied a bit with its availability on DVD. True, it is a love it or hate it movie, most great works of art do bring out these strong emotions and I have experienced both during the close to 30 years since the movie's release, but for those of us who love it, there are very few others that compare.