“I have seen it many times, been through it twice in shot-by-shot analysis, and yet it always seems to be happening as I watch it. Recurring dreams are like that.” - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“A gauzy, perfectly executed vacation in Doppelgänger-burg.” - Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
Wednesday, July 16, 6:00 p.m. & Saturday, July 19, 2:00 p.m. | When the introverted Pinky (Sissy Spacek) comes to work at a health spa in a California desert town, she is immediately drawn to Millie (Shelley Duvall), an incessantly chatty co-worker. The women become roommates, but Millie rejects Pinky’s fascination with her, driving Pinky to an act of self harm. As Pinky recovers, she begins to take on Millie’s extroverted behavior, and Millie retreats into a quieter version of herself. Ever-present is the enigmatic Willie (Janice Rule), a muralist and the pregnant wife of their womanizing landlord Edgar. Altman’s daring and dyadic vision, which pays homage to Ingmar Bergman’s PERSONA and paves the way for David Lynch’s MUHOLLAND DRIVE, is an eerie and unsettling watch, which came to Altman from a dream he had when his wife Kathryn was in the hospital. Reflections and faces are seen in water, windows, and mirrors as Altman blurs the line between reality and illusion in this haunting puzzle of female identity.
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Actress (Shelley Duvall, tied with Monique Mercure), Cannes Film Festival
Nominee - Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival
Winner - Best Supporting Actress (Sissy Spacek), New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Nominee - Best Actress (Shelley Duvall), New York Film Critics Circle Awards
Nominee - Best Actress (Shelley Duvall), BAFTA Awards
Robert Altman Centennial | June–August 2025
Robert Altman (1925–2006) is one of the rare directors whose name alone conjures his style. Say a film is “Altmanesque” and you’ll get nods of understanding—most cinephiles know the auteur’s calling cards: large ensemble casts; overlapping dialogue; a roving camera, and a subtle critique of the American Dream. Altman was prolific (a hardworking midwesterner), directing 36 feature films, and well over 100 episodes of television. Nominated for five Best Director Academy Awards, Altman was presented with an Honorary Academy Award in 2006—and he passed away nine months later, at the age of 81. When asked by Playboy Magazine in 1976, “When you look into your future, what do you want to have accomplished?” Altman answered, “All I want is to do what I'm doing. What else would I do?”
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu