Intermission: Film offers strong cast, outstanding director

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|bold_on|"Dr. T and the Women"|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Directed by: Robert Altman|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Starring: Richard Gere, Shelley Long and Helen Hunt|bold_on||ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|Rated: R|ret||ret||tab|

Long before there was "Pulp Fiction" or "Magnolia," two films famous for their ensemble casts and non-linear narrative style, there was Robert Altman. One of the true American film geniuses, Altman did much for defining this type of movie. "Nashville," "The Player" and most of all "Short Cuts" saw the director dissecting as well as intersecting multiple plot lines that featured large casts of great actors. |ret||ret||tab|

With his latest effort, "Dr. T and the Women," Altman stays relatively traditional with his narrative form, but does make use of a large and gifted cast. |ret||ret||tab|

Actors love working with directors like Altman and he has a knack for bringing out the best in them. Indeed, Shelley Long, who was great as Diane on "Cheers" but hasn't really done a lot of impressive film work, has never been better. Richard Gere, too, has found his best role (as the title character) in a long time. |ret||ret||tab|

Sully Travis, or Dr. T to nearly everyone, is the most beloved OB/GYN specialist in Dallas. His waiting room is always full and his patients revere him, mostly because he seems to really love women and finds each one special and unique. |ret||ret||tab|

Altman films usually have expansive opening scenes and here we get the feel of the chaos that is the day to day life at Dr. T's office. He tries to balance this hectic world with his home life. He's faithful and loving to his wife (Farrah Fawcett) and two daughters, but this world is rapidly coming unraveled. Mrs. Travis suffers from a rare disease, Hestia syndrome, that only afflicts women who get too much love and prosperity. She sheds her clothes at the mall, dances naked in a fountain and winds up in a mental hospital where her doctors believe it best that Sully doesn't see her. One of his daughters works at the JFK Conspiracy Museum and his other girl seems to be rekindling an old affair with her college roommate, who is to be the maid of honor at her upcoming wedding.|ret||ret||tab|

Add to this the fact that his gal Friday (Shelley Long) has had the hots for Dr. T for a long time and in view of the circumstances, believes this might be the right time to make her move.|ret||ret||tab|

Into this ball of confusion comes Bree (Helen Hunt) a former golf pro that hits it off pretty well with Sully. The two have dinner and a few casual dates and the good Doctor finds he might be falling in love. As we've learned by this point, nothing in Dr. T's life is ever simple or easy and this affair becomes complicated in a way he really had not foreseen.|ret||ret||tab|

One review I heard about this film accused it, and Altman, of being misogynistic. For my money, nothing could be further from the truth. No director (outside of Ingmar Bergman) has a track record that can match Altman in his use of women at the center of his films. His oeuvre includes some of the strongest roles for women in film in the last 25 years, and each important female role in "Dr. T" is well developed and cast. Liv Tyler, Janine Turner, Laura Dern, Kate Hudson and Tara Reid, in addition to the main female characters, all have their individual moments. There are no throwaway cameos here.|ret||ret||tab|

Many students of film have suggested that the Dr. T character may be a surrogate for Altman himself and based on his body of work might tend to agree. This, like most of Altman's work, is a well written, thought provoking and funny film, one that should not be missed by anyone who has an interest in cinema. Along with Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and a small handful of others, Altman is one of the true American living legends making movies today.|ret||ret||tab|

|bold_on|(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)[[In-content Ad]]