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Nashville
Robert Altman's Nashville (1975) is simultaneously an intimate film about interpersonal connection and disconnection, and a sprawling, meandering portrait of American societal exhaustion in the wake of Vietnam, Watergate and a spate of political assassinations. Despite its pessimistic, satirical viewpoint, the film suggests a carefully guarded 'life may be a one-way street', but one has no choice but to 'keep a' goin'.
Heather Hendershot places Nashville in the context of the New Hollywood of the 1970s, which offered a post-censorship anti-hero, the perennial loser. Embracing the new pessimism, Altman's work fits with those of contemporaries such as Martin Scorsese and Peter Bogdanovich, but it also stands apart for its innovative sound design, improvisatory drive, and loose genre commitments.
Through a close reading of the five days over which the film takes place, Hendershot unpacks both its political dynamics and the characters' interrelationships and motivations. She highlights Nashville's criticism of the suffering of its female characters, an engagement that springs from Joan Tewkesbury's screenplay, Altman's sensitivity to gendered exploitation (here, if not in all of his pictures), and the role the performers themselves played by improvising and scripting some of their own material.
Heather Hendershot places Nashville in the context of the New Hollywood of the 1970s, which offered a post-censorship anti-hero, the perennial loser. Embracing the new pessimism, Altman's work fits with those of contemporaries such as Martin Scorsese and Peter Bogdanovich, but it also stands apart for its innovative sound design, improvisatory drive, and loose genre commitments.
Through a close reading of the five days over which the film takes place, Hendershot unpacks both its political dynamics and the characters' interrelationships and motivations. She highlights Nashville's criticism of the suffering of its female characters, an engagement that springs from Joan Tewkesbury's screenplay, Altman's sensitivity to gendered exploitation (here, if not in all of his pictures), and the role the performers themselves played by improvising and scripting some of their own material.
104 pages, Paperback
Published October 16, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 5, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for the ARC.
I watched the movie earlier this year, and by coincidence, found this not long after. I can't say I enjoyed the movie personally, it just wasn't for me. But this piece about the movie at least helped me understand it a bit better in the context of the time it was made in. Even if I didn't like a movie, I like a good conversation about it anyways, and this was well-thought-out.
I watched the movie earlier this year, and by coincidence, found this not long after. I can't say I enjoyed the movie personally, it just wasn't for me. But this piece about the movie at least helped me understand it a bit better in the context of the time it was made in. Even if I didn't like a movie, I like a good conversation about it anyways, and this was well-thought-out.
September 14, 2025
My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Academic for an advance copy of this book that looks at the life and legacy of a movie that while being ignored when first released has come to be considered a classic, both in way of telling a story, its use of many characters, and its profile of a time in America when anything was possible, both good and bad.
My first experience with the director Robert Altman was, I believe, when I saw the movie Popeye in the theaters with my family and a lot of confused people. Maybe it was my age, but I enjoyed the movie far more than many. I know the next was when I watched the movie M*A*S*H, a movie that was confusing to me as the characters I knew from watching the show were different, the movie seemed mean and dark and not for me. That along with my attitude towards mean, dark and satire would change. Short Cuts was a revelation. A movie with a big cast, a lot of stories directed with a sure handedness I was unaware of. Which brought me to Nashville. I finally saw it on TV somehow on a movie channel that showed older movies I guess. I don't remember a DVD or VCR, nor being able to pause as it has a long running time. For a movie probably 30 years old at the time, I was amazed. Again big cast, big movie, a lot of darkness, but a lot of hope, and respect for the characters, even if they were disrespectful in many ways. Watching it again recently I can see why though it did ok, it took years to gain the respect it has. Reading this book made it clear why it should be considered a classic. Nashville by Heather Hendershot, is another entry in the British Film Institute BFI Film Classics series and looks at this film not just from the production end, but from what was going on in America, behind the scenes, and the legacy this big film has cast.
The movie takes place over a 5-day period in the city of Nashville, a place of broken dreams, broken people, and broken promises. The film clocks in at 160 minutes and features a cast that is well huge, with over 20 actors being considered in main roles. Made up of many different stories, dealing with love, life, politics, fame, lies, and failure, the plot moves among these people sometimes crossing over, sometimes stepping over characters. There are successful country singers, with secrets, and fear of failure. Angry managers, women beat down by their husbands, women beat down by life. A politician in the Replacement Party sharing both Republican and Democrat ideas, but none of his own. People are used, forgotten, lied to lie to each other, and even killed.
The movie is a lot, with a big cast and a long runtime, with singing, dancing and lots of talking. However one doesn't notice as the movie carries on along. Just like this book. Hendershot has done a very good job of researching the movie, and the times in which it was made, melding them together to give a rich understanding of what Altman might have been going for. Hendershot looks at the shadow of Nixon, the rise of woman and their attempts at rights, and parity with men, and how men continued to treat women. Hendershot looks at the way the movie came together, the satire, the casting and even the soundtrack. One gets a very strong appreciation for the movie, and one is thankful that a very talented writer was tasked with this book.
For fans of the movie, cultural studies people and of course lovers of cinema. There is a lot about the making of and why the film works, and the magic that made everything come together. I really enjoy this series and this is an outstanding addition.
My first experience with the director Robert Altman was, I believe, when I saw the movie Popeye in the theaters with my family and a lot of confused people. Maybe it was my age, but I enjoyed the movie far more than many. I know the next was when I watched the movie M*A*S*H, a movie that was confusing to me as the characters I knew from watching the show were different, the movie seemed mean and dark and not for me. That along with my attitude towards mean, dark and satire would change. Short Cuts was a revelation. A movie with a big cast, a lot of stories directed with a sure handedness I was unaware of. Which brought me to Nashville. I finally saw it on TV somehow on a movie channel that showed older movies I guess. I don't remember a DVD or VCR, nor being able to pause as it has a long running time. For a movie probably 30 years old at the time, I was amazed. Again big cast, big movie, a lot of darkness, but a lot of hope, and respect for the characters, even if they were disrespectful in many ways. Watching it again recently I can see why though it did ok, it took years to gain the respect it has. Reading this book made it clear why it should be considered a classic. Nashville by Heather Hendershot, is another entry in the British Film Institute BFI Film Classics series and looks at this film not just from the production end, but from what was going on in America, behind the scenes, and the legacy this big film has cast.
The movie takes place over a 5-day period in the city of Nashville, a place of broken dreams, broken people, and broken promises. The film clocks in at 160 minutes and features a cast that is well huge, with over 20 actors being considered in main roles. Made up of many different stories, dealing with love, life, politics, fame, lies, and failure, the plot moves among these people sometimes crossing over, sometimes stepping over characters. There are successful country singers, with secrets, and fear of failure. Angry managers, women beat down by their husbands, women beat down by life. A politician in the Replacement Party sharing both Republican and Democrat ideas, but none of his own. People are used, forgotten, lied to lie to each other, and even killed.
The movie is a lot, with a big cast and a long runtime, with singing, dancing and lots of talking. However one doesn't notice as the movie carries on along. Just like this book. Hendershot has done a very good job of researching the movie, and the times in which it was made, melding them together to give a rich understanding of what Altman might have been going for. Hendershot looks at the shadow of Nixon, the rise of woman and their attempts at rights, and parity with men, and how men continued to treat women. Hendershot looks at the way the movie came together, the satire, the casting and even the soundtrack. One gets a very strong appreciation for the movie, and one is thankful that a very talented writer was tasked with this book.
For fans of the movie, cultural studies people and of course lovers of cinema. There is a lot about the making of and why the film works, and the magic that made everything come together. I really enjoy this series and this is an outstanding addition.
August 17, 2025
Nashville by Heather Hendershot is another excellent addition to the BFI Film Classics series. Like the others, it offers both an analysis of the film itself as well as contextualizing it within its own era.
It is often thought of as having been unsuccessful or a flop when released but, as one professor I had decades ago pointed out, it was only unsuccessful based on what was expected. When comparing actual box office it was more middle of the road. This was before every movie was expected to be a "blockbuster" so when a film was expected to do exceptionally well, it stood out if it didn't. That said, I remember at the time being surprised there wasn't more talk among people I knew about what the film did.
Which leads us, of course, to the difficulty in succinctly grasping what the film did. Because no group, political or cultural, was spared everyone could read it from whatever perspective they chose. They could be upset because a group they belong to was lampooned (though most groups were also given some positives) or they could be happy because a group they opposed was likewise lampooned. Unfortunately, for many, they just came away confused and wasn't able to give their friends much reason to go see it. And word of mouth, even now (maybe especially now with social media) word of mouth pushes a film from moderately successful to blockbuster.
Hendershot takes the first part of the book laying the foundation, the political and cultural moment of the making of the film along with how choices were made to inject a certain amount of ambiguity. Then, for 53 of the 92 pages of the text, Hendershot goes through the film day by day (the film takes place over a five day period).
This close look at the film isn't simply a scene-by-scene recounting, it looks at what the impact and various takeaways from each scene and interaction are. We can more easily understand both why the film has always been a critical success while largely confusing to a lot of the viewing public. Like Altman always said, films (like music and literature) should be watched more than once to grasp what is being shown. Just like we sometimes better understand what happened yesterday in our own lives if we replay the previous day's events in our mind.
Like I usually do with books about any art form, I watched the film before reading, then again after. The difference was startling, and these were probably my fourth and fifth viewings, so I didn't come to them as a new viewer. When a book can offer enough insight and new understanding for me to feel the movie was significantly different for me from before and after reading, it was a success.
Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in film and film history, especially anyone interested in the dynamic between social/cultural issues and film. This certainly adds to an understanding of the dynamics of the period but also speaks to how we can view films from the past and think about our current environment.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
It is often thought of as having been unsuccessful or a flop when released but, as one professor I had decades ago pointed out, it was only unsuccessful based on what was expected. When comparing actual box office it was more middle of the road. This was before every movie was expected to be a "blockbuster" so when a film was expected to do exceptionally well, it stood out if it didn't. That said, I remember at the time being surprised there wasn't more talk among people I knew about what the film did.
Which leads us, of course, to the difficulty in succinctly grasping what the film did. Because no group, political or cultural, was spared everyone could read it from whatever perspective they chose. They could be upset because a group they belong to was lampooned (though most groups were also given some positives) or they could be happy because a group they opposed was likewise lampooned. Unfortunately, for many, they just came away confused and wasn't able to give their friends much reason to go see it. And word of mouth, even now (maybe especially now with social media) word of mouth pushes a film from moderately successful to blockbuster.
Hendershot takes the first part of the book laying the foundation, the political and cultural moment of the making of the film along with how choices were made to inject a certain amount of ambiguity. Then, for 53 of the 92 pages of the text, Hendershot goes through the film day by day (the film takes place over a five day period).
This close look at the film isn't simply a scene-by-scene recounting, it looks at what the impact and various takeaways from each scene and interaction are. We can more easily understand both why the film has always been a critical success while largely confusing to a lot of the viewing public. Like Altman always said, films (like music and literature) should be watched more than once to grasp what is being shown. Just like we sometimes better understand what happened yesterday in our own lives if we replay the previous day's events in our mind.
Like I usually do with books about any art form, I watched the film before reading, then again after. The difference was startling, and these were probably my fourth and fifth viewings, so I didn't come to them as a new viewer. When a book can offer enough insight and new understanding for me to feel the movie was significantly different for me from before and after reading, it was a success.
Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in film and film history, especially anyone interested in the dynamic between social/cultural issues and film. This certainly adds to an understanding of the dynamics of the period but also speaks to how we can view films from the past and think about our current environment.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
August 13, 2025
Cinephiles often forget that Nashville was not a box office success when first released. Heather Hendershot wants to give the film the respect it deserves, and in her critical examination of the film simply entitled, ‘Nashville’ she looks at the production, reception, legacy, and the film itself to understand why ‘Nashville’ is regarded as one of the best American films of the 1970s.
Hendershot situates ‘Nashville’ in Altman's filmography and she pays particular attention to the industrial films and television work he did prior to making it in feature films. She sees many connections between the industrial films and his later independent and Hollywood films. She views his preference for overlapping dialogue and the free-flowing nature of the productions as precursors for films like ‘McCabe and Mrs. Miller’ and ‘Nashville’.
Hendershot goes to great lengths to talk about the politics in the film, and how various politicians react to the film based on their personal and public beliefs. She also highlights how the third party candidate in the film (Hal Philip Walker) has a mixture of both Republican and Democratic talking points. He is not the typical third-party candidate, so Altman ends up skewing both sides. She also details the disagreement that Polly Platt had about the assassination plot development and how she quit because of this story turn. Hendershot makes the point that politics does not have to be about voting for a particular candidate; it can also be disagreeing about the unfair treatment given to a fictional character. Platt stood up for her principles and left the production.
In the end, Hendershot's examination of ‘Nashville’ is an informative and enjoyable look at this fifty-year-old piece of cinematic Americana. It’s a wonderful companion to Altman’s masterpiece.
Hendershot situates ‘Nashville’ in Altman's filmography and she pays particular attention to the industrial films and television work he did prior to making it in feature films. She sees many connections between the industrial films and his later independent and Hollywood films. She views his preference for overlapping dialogue and the free-flowing nature of the productions as precursors for films like ‘McCabe and Mrs. Miller’ and ‘Nashville’.
Hendershot goes to great lengths to talk about the politics in the film, and how various politicians react to the film based on their personal and public beliefs. She also highlights how the third party candidate in the film (Hal Philip Walker) has a mixture of both Republican and Democratic talking points. He is not the typical third-party candidate, so Altman ends up skewing both sides. She also details the disagreement that Polly Platt had about the assassination plot development and how she quit because of this story turn. Hendershot makes the point that politics does not have to be about voting for a particular candidate; it can also be disagreeing about the unfair treatment given to a fictional character. Platt stood up for her principles and left the production.
In the end, Hendershot's examination of ‘Nashville’ is an informative and enjoyable look at this fifty-year-old piece of cinematic Americana. It’s a wonderful companion to Altman’s masterpiece.
November 17, 2025
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.
A fantastic breakdown of the themes of the movie - this timed nicely with a screening commemorating the 50th anniversary.
A fantastic breakdown of the themes of the movie - this timed nicely with a screening commemorating the 50th anniversary.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews