Short Cuts
Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy's grandfather tells his son, Howard, about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy's birthday cake.
Critics Sentiment
Marian admits adultery during heated argument with Ralph
Wymans and Kanes prepare for their planned dinner gathering
The film surges from mundane dinner preparations to Julianne Moore's powerfully honest confession scene.
Short Cuts builds gradually from an ambitious but overwhelming character introduction to powerful emotional peaks centered on family tragedy and moral complexity. Critics consistently praised individual performances and scenes while sometimes struggling with the sprawling narrative scope. The film's reputation has grown over time as viewers appreciate Altman's masterful weaving of interconnected Los Angeles lives.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 51
Andie MacDowell
Ann Finnigan
Bruce Davison
Howard Finnigan
Jack Lemmon
Paul Finnigan
Tim Robbins
Gene Shepard
Julianne Moore
Marian Wyman
Tom Waits
Earl Piggot
Lily Tomlin
Doreen Piggot
Fred Ward
Stuart Kane
Chris Penn
Jerry Kaiser
Frances McDormand
Betty Weathers
Madeleine Stowe
Sherri Shepard
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Lois Kaiser
Anne Archer
Claire Kane
Matthew Modine
Dr. Ralph Wyman
Lili Taylor
Honey Bush
Robert Downey Jr.
Bill Bush
Peter Gallagher
Stormy Weathers
Zane Cassidy
Casey Finnigan
Joseph C. Hopkins
Joe Kaiser
Josette Maccario
Josette Kaiser
Crew
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