“Hilarious and heartless in about equal measure, and often at the same time.” - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“Hilarious and deadly, this may be Altman's most completely realized film since his glory days in the '70s.” - David Ansen, Newsweek
Wednesday, August 6, 6:00 p.m. & Saturday, August 9, 2:00 p.m. | In Altman’s slick and stylish THE PLAYER, morally dubious Hollywood producer Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is on edge after receiving death threats from a rejected screenwriter. When his meeting with the suspected sender leads to a deadly confrontation, Griffin is entangled in a web of paranoia and lies. With an all-star cast including Peter Gallagher, Whoopi Goldberg, and Fred Ward, and celebrity cameos from Harry Belafonte, Anjelica Huston, Marlee Matlin, and Burt Reynolds, among others, THE PLAYER—which begins with an astonishing, eight-minute, single-take opening shot—earned Altman his third Academy Award nomination for Best Director. A biting critique of the commodification of creativity, Altman explained THE PLAYER bites even deeper: “People say this is a satire, and it's an attack on Hollywood. It isn’t. I’m using Hollywood and the film business as a metaphor for our culture and our country… talking about greed and who we admire.”
Awards & Nominations
Winner - Best Director, Best Actor (Tim Robbins), Cannes Film Festival
Nominee - Palme d’Or, Cannes Film Festival
Nominee - Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Editing, Academy Awards
Winner - Best Screenplay - Adapted, BAFTA Awards
Nominee - Best Direction, Best Film, Best Actor (Tim Robbins), Best Editing
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