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The Player
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The Player (1992) More at IMDbPro »

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The Player (1992) -- hv post

Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   22,470 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 39% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Robert Altman
Writers (WGA):
Michael Tolkin (screenplay)
Michael Tolkin (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Player on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 April 1992 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama more
Tagline:
The Best Movie Ever Made!" - Griffin Mill more
Plot:
A studio executive is being blackmailed by a writer whose script he rejected but which one? Loaded with Hollywood insider jokes. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 20 wins & 10 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(19 articles)
The Flickcast - Episode 7: The Search for Spock
 (From The Flickcast. 13 May 2009, 7:00 AM, PDT)

DVD release inspirations including Australia
 (From BoxWish. 27 April 2009, 2:08 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
A movie for movie fans more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Tim Robbins ... Griffin Mill
Greta Scacchi ... June Gudmundsdottir

Fred Ward ... Walter Stuckel

Whoopi Goldberg ... Detective Avery

Peter Gallagher ... Larry Levy

Brion James ... Joel Levison

Cynthia Stevenson ... Bonnie Sherow

Vincent D'Onofrio ... David Kahane
Dean Stockwell ... Andy Civella
Richard E. Grant ... Tom Oakley

Sydney Pollack ... Dick Mellon

Lyle Lovett ... Detective DeLongpre
Dina Merrill ... Celia
Angela Hall ... Jan
Leah Ayres ... Sandy

Paul Hewitt ... Jimmy Chase
Randall Batinkoff ... Reg Goldman
Jeremy Piven ... Steve Reeves

Gina Gershon ... Whitney Gersh
Frank Barhydt ... Frank Murphy
Mike E. Kaplan ... Marty Grossman
Kevin Scannell ... Gar Girard
Margery Bond ... Witness
Susan Emshwiller ... Detective Broom
Brian Brophy ... Phil (voice)
Michael Tolkin ... Eric Schecter
Stephen Tolkin ... Carl Schecter
Natalie Strong ... Natalie
Peter Koch ... Walter (as Pete Koch)

Pamela Bowen ... Trixie

Jeff Celentano ... Rocco (as Jeff Weston)

Steve Allen ... Himself

Richard Anderson ... Himself

Rene Auberjonois ... Himself

Harry Belafonte ... Himself

Shari Belafonte ... Herself

Karen Black ... Herself

Michael Bowen ... Himself

Gary Busey ... Himself

Robert Carradine ... Himself
Charles Champlin ... Himself

Cher ... Herself

James Coburn ... Himself

Cathy Lee Crosby ... Herself

John Cusack ... Himself
Brad Davis ... Himself
Paul Dooley ... Himself
Thereza Ellis ... Herself

Peter Falk ... Himself
Felicia Farr ... Herself
Katarzyna Figura ... Herself (as Kasia Figura)
Louise Fletcher ... Herself

Dennis Franz ... Himself

Teri Garr ... Herself

Leeza Gibbons ... Herself

Scott Glenn ... Himself

Jeff Goldblum ... Himself

Elliott Gould ... Himself
Joel Grey ... Himself
David Alan Grier ... Himself
Buck Henry ... Himself

Anjelica Huston ... Herself (as Angelica Huston)

Kathy Ireland ... Herself

Steve James ... Himself
Maxine John-James ... Herself
Sally Kellerman ... Herself
Sally Kirkland ... Herself

Jack Lemmon ... Himself

Marlee Matlin ... Herself

Andie MacDowell ... Herself

Malcolm McDowell ... Himself
Jayne Meadows ... Herself
Martin Mull ... Himself

Jennifer Nash ... Herself

Nick Nolte ... Himself
Alexandra Powers ... Herself
Bert Remsen ... Himself
Guy Remsen ... Himself
Patricia Resnick ... Herself

Burt Reynolds ... Himself
Jack Riley ... Himself

Julia Roberts ... Herself

Mimi Rogers ... Herself
Annie Ross ... Herself

Alan Rudolph ... Himself

Jill St. John ... Herself

Susan Sarandon ... Herself
Adam Simon ... Himself

Rod Steiger ... Himself
Joan Tewkesbury ... Herself

Brian Tochi ... Himself

Lily Tomlin ... Herself

Robert Wagner ... Himself
Ray Walston ... Himself

Bruce Willis ... Himself
Marvin Young ... Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Althea Gibson ... Herself (uncredited)
Ted Hartley ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Jack Jason ... Himself (uncredited)
James McLindon ... Jim the Writer (uncredited)

Derek Raser ... Studio Mail Driver (uncredited)

Scott Shaw ... Himself (uncredited)

Patrick Swayze ... Himself (uncredited)

Dan Twyman ... Funeral Guest (uncredited)
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Directed by
Robert Altman 
 
Writing credits
(WGA)
Michael Tolkin (screenplay)

Michael Tolkin (novel "The Player")

Produced by
Cary Brokaw .... executive producer
David Brown .... producer
Scott Bushnell .... co-producer
William S. Gilmore .... co-executive producer
David Levy .... associate producer
Michael Tolkin .... producer
Nick Wechsler .... producer
 
Original Music by
Thomas Newman (music by)
 
Cinematography by
Jean Lépine (director of photography) (as Jean Lepine)
 
Film Editing by
Maysie Hoy 
Geraldine Peroni 
 
Production Design by
Stephen Altman 
 
Art Direction by
Jerry Fleming 
 
Set Decoration by
Susan Emshwiller 
 
Costume Design by
Alexander Julian (wardrobe designer)
 
Makeup Department
Deborah K. Larsen .... makeup artist (as Deborah Larsen)
Scott Williams .... hairdresser
 
Production Management
Jim Chesney .... production supervisor
Tom Udell .... unit production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
C.C. Barnes .... second assistant director (as CC Barnes)
Allan F. Nicholls .... first assistant director (as Allan Nicholls)
 
Art Department
Matthew R. Altman .... set dresser (as Matthew Altman)
John Beauvais .... scenic painter
Peter Borck .... leadman
Charles Bragg .... title painting
John Bucklin .... set dresser
Thomas Calloway .... carpenter
Sydney Cooper .... artwork
Loren Corney .... construction coordinator
John Evans .... carpenter
Kenny Funk .... carpenter (as Kenneth Funk)
Michelle Guastello .... art department coordinator (as Michele Guastello)
Julie Heuer .... assistant property master
Justin Kritzer .... carpenter
Darryl Lee .... carpenter
Chris Marneus .... carpenter
Patrick Maurer .... construction foreman (as Pat Maurer)
James Monroe .... property master
Mario Pérez .... swing gang (as Mario Perez)
Ricky Riggs .... painter
David Ronan .... set dresser
Daniel C. Rothenberg .... swing gang (as Daniel Rothenberg)
Jim Samson .... set dresser
 
Sound Department
Kenneth R. Burton .... sound effects editor (as Ken Burton)
Robert Deschaine .... foley mixer (as Bob Deschaine)
Rich Gooch .... recordist
Joseph Holsen .... dialogue editor
Paul Holzborn .... foley artist (as Paul Holtzborn)
Matthew Iadarola .... re-recording mixer
David Jobe .... foley recordist
Stanley Kastner .... re-recording mixer
Edmund J. Lachmann .... dialogue editor (as Ed Lachmann)
John Post .... foley artist
John Pritchett .... production sound mixer
Michael P. Redbourn .... supervising sound editor (as Michael Redbourn)
Joel Shryack .... boom operator
Emily Smith-Baker .... cable puller
Bill Ward .... assistant sound editor
John Rotondi .... sound engineer: Y4 (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
John C. Hartigan .... special effects (as John Hartigan)
 
Stunts
Greg Walker .... stunt coordinator
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Robert Reed Altman .... first assistant camera
Robert Bruce .... electrician
Andy Day .... best boy electric (as Andrew Day)
Val DeSalvo .... electrician (as Val De Salvo)
Kevin Fahey .... grip
Michael James Fahey .... best boy grip (as Michael J. Fahey)
Craig Finetti .... third assistant camera
Scott Hollander .... grip (as Scott 'El Gato' Hollander)
Anthony T. Marra II .... key grip
Daniel Cary McCrystal .... second assistant camera (as Cary McKrystal)
Tom McGrath .... electrician
Don Muchow .... gaffer
Tim Nash .... grip
Chris Reddish .... electrician
Lorey Sebastian .... still photographer
Wayne Stroud .... dolly grip
Scott Hamilton .... still photographer (uncredited)
Al Luis .... electrician (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Angela Billows .... wardrobe assistant
Vickie Brinkford .... wardrobe assistant (as Vicki Brinkkord)
Lydia Tanji .... wardrobe supervisor
 
Editorial Department
Alisa Hale .... second assistant editor
Bob Hart .... negative cutter
A. Michelle Page .... assistant editor
Mike Stanwick .... color timer (as Michael Stanwick)
Dylan Tichenor .... apprentice editor
 
Music Department
Bill Bernstein .... music editor
Thomas Pasatieri .... orchestrator
John Vigran .... music scoring mixer
 
Transportation Department
Chris Armstrong .... driver (as Christopher Armstrong)
Ron Chesney .... driver
Steve Earle .... driver
Don Feeney .... driver
D.J. Gardiner .... driver
Derek Raser .... transportation coordinator
J.T. Thayer .... transportation captain (as 'J.T.' Thayer)
Gregg Willis .... driver (as Greg Willis)
 
Other crew
Alison Balian .... assistant: Nick Wechsler
Andrea Berty .... craft service
Angie Bonner .... production assistant
Paul D. Boydston .... assistant location manager (as Paul Boydston)
Jim Brockett .... animal trainer
John O. Brown III .... production assistant (as John Brown III)
Betsy Chasse .... assistant coordinator
Stacy Cohen .... production secretary
Celia Converse .... representative: Sandcastle 5
Signe Corriere .... production assistant
Steve Day .... production assistant
Kimberly Edwards .... production accountant (as Kimberly Edwards Shapiro)
Judy Geletko .... additional accounting services
Robin Hage .... assistant: Cary Brokaw
Sheri Halfon .... financial representative: Avenue
Pamela Hedley .... production executive
Cynthia Hill .... production coordinator
Kelly Householder .... production assistant
Lawrence Karman .... karaoke videos (as Larry 'Doc' Karman)
Jack Kney .... location manager
Danielle Knight .... assistant: Cary Brokaw
Cheryl Kurk .... assistant accountant
Claudia Lewis .... production executive
Stuart McCauley .... craft service
James McLindon .... assistant: Robert Altman (as Jim McLindon)
Tom Moore .... set medic
Dan Perri .... title designer
Carole Starkes .... script supervisor
Andrew Varela .... promotions arranger
Catherine Webb .... post-production accountant
Michael Hubert .... assistant coordinator (uncredited)
Julie Kuehndorf .... unit publicist (uncredited)
Chris Paine .... assistant to writer and producer (uncredited)
 
Thanks
Janis Dinwiddie .... special thanks
Mark Eisen .... special thanks
Morgan Entrekin .... special thanks
Luis Estevez .... special thanks
Bob Flick .... special thanks: Entertainment Tonight
Suzanne Goldman .... special thanks
Gerald Greenbach .... special thanks: Two Bunch Palms
Ron Haver .... special thanks
Randy Honaker .... special thanks
Julie Johnston .... special thanks
Patrick Murray .... special thanks
Toyoko Nezu .... special thanks
Mimi Rabinowitz .... special thanks
Steve Trombatore .... special thanks: All Payments
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language, and for some sensuality.
Runtime:
124 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Ultra Stereo

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The interior of Griffin Mill's office is the same as used in Barton Fink (1991). more
Goofs:
Continuity: Position of Griffin's tie while he's breaking up with Bonnie. more
Quotes:
Malcolm McDowell: If you've got something to say about me; say it to my face, not behind my back. more
Movie Connections:
References Pretty Woman (1990) more
Soundtrack:
DRUMS OF KYOTO more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
15 out of 15 people found the following comment useful:-
A movie for movie fans, 17 September 2007
Author: AdnanZ from thecinemajournal.blogspot.com

During Robert Altman's "The Player" the criteria for a good Hollywood movie are established by the lead character: "Suspense, laughter, violence, hope, heart, nudity, sex, and happy endings, mainly happy endings". If you look close enough you'll find all of them in the film, as well as some in the film within this one. "The Player" is a scathing, smart, and funny attack on the Hollywood studio system and doubtless one that will be enjoyed more by those who have prior knowledge of the studio system, or are simply just movie fans. This film is packed with cameos, specific references to film history and only a truly dedicated movie fan could catch all of them.

The film opens with an eight minute long continuous shot which follows the lives and discussions of several executives and other personnel at a movie studio. This shot establishes several important characters as well as the cynical tone of the film (we hear a pitch for "The Graduate 2" set 25 years after the original among other ridiculous discussions). It also pays tribute to Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock, even mentioning Welles' "Touch of Evil" and its similar opening shot as well as Hitchcock's "Rope". Soon we meet Griffin Mill, a studio executive whose job is basically to hear pitches and either approve them or turn them down. His job isn't to pick the good movies, it's to pick the moneymakers (later in the film a character talks about "The Bicycle Thief", a product of Italian Neo-Realism and says: "that's an art film, it doesn't qualify. We're talking about movie movies"). One of the writers Mill turned down starts to send him threatening postcards and he assumes this person is David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio), so he tracks him down and semi-accidentally kills him, leading to a rather typical police investigation into the matter. Mill begins a romance with Kahane's widow, further adding to the convoluted Hollywood thriller plot.

In a wonderfully funny subplot Mill approves a pitch for a bleak, dark drama in which an innocent woman is sent to the gas chamber. The pitch is for the film not to include a happy ending and also 'no stars, only talent'. The subplot is developed alongside the main plot and used mainly for pure comic relief (nothing in "The Player" is serious drama, but the main plot is played straight and is mainly satiric in its ridiculousness, mostly avoiding big laughs in favor of more subtle humor). Over the course of the film the criteria for a good Hollywood film are all met. There's suspense (suspense in the Hollywood sense), laughter, violence, hope and heart (we manage to feel supportive of Griffin Mill even though he's mostly heartless and cruel), some nudity thrown in for good measure, and even an utterly idiotic sex scene which of course has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot. The brilliant double-ending is played for laughs and remains one of the best I've ever seen.

The screenplay by Michael Tolkin (who also wrote the book) is pitch-perfect in its balance, it manages to be satiric without descending to farce and scathing while remaining good-natured. The acting is excellent all around, particularly from Tim Robbins, who is perfectly capable of a strong performance (see Clint Eastwood's "Mystic River"), but plays his role here like any bland lead in a Hollywood thriller. He doesn't even bother emoting for the majority of the film, which only makes the satire stronger.

With "The Player" Robert Altman returns to form and makes a worthy addition to his impressive filmography (which includes films like "Nashville", "Gosford Park" and "MASH"). The film is funny both in a traditional manner and also in a dark, satirical manner. By including all of the elements of typical Hollywood in his film Altman has crafted a crowd-pleaser as well as a tribute to film and film fans everywhere. One of precious few films that are truly perfect.

5/5

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