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Thursday, August 2, 2012

Books / Film 24 Years Ago Today in Port Angeles, Raymond Carver Died

Posted by David Schmader on Thu, Aug 2, 2012 at 11:48 AM

Tonight, Central Cinema pays tribute to the man with a screening of the best-ever movie based on his work: Robert Altman’s Short Cuts, the humongous ensemble piece of 1993 that weaves together nine Carver stories and offers up a cavalcade of indelible moments, including but not limited to Lily Tomlin and Lili Taylor as mother and daughter, Tom Waits and Lily Tomlin as lovers, Tim Robbins slutting around in a cop suit, Huey Lewis actually urinating out of his actual penis, and Julianne Moore making it clear she’s a natural redhead.

Late-breaking fact: This screening will be introduced by me, because I am crazy about Raymond Carver and Robert Altman and because I know how to speak in public without dying. Full info here.

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I never saw it, though I'm a fan of both Carver and Altman. I think my college English Lit teacher said it best when he said, to paraphrase, 'I have a relationship with his characters that are all my own and I'd rather not have anyone alter that'. It could be a great movie. I dunno. Maybe it's time for me to give it a shot.

Posted by heywhatsit!? on August 2, 2012 at 12:07 PM

@ 1, anyone who really loves a work of fiction will always be somewhat disappointed with a film adaptation. Perhaps the only one I've seen that didn't make me cringe was The Shining, even though Kubrick took some major liberties with the novel. That's a testimony to Kubrick's skill.

I love Short Cuts. I've never read Carver, however. But Altman was another master filmmaker, especially when it comes to weaving so many story lines together, so I trust that he did Carver justice.

Posted by Matt from Denver on August 2, 2012 at 12:12 PM

@2 If you have about 2 hours of free time, pick up "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love". 12 (?) stories of pure beauty.

Posted by heywhatsit!? on August 2, 2012 at 12:16 PM

I love Raymond Carver - but setting "Short Cuts" in Los Angeles - and not the Pacific Northwest? Give me a break!

Posted by CC-Rob on August 2, 2012 at 12:24 PM

@ 3, will do. Carver is just one of many authors I mean to read, but never get around to doing... this is a good reason to get off my ass.

Posted by Matt from Denver on August 2, 2012 at 12:35 PM

I endorse this. It's a great movie that takes some major liberties from the source text, but in a completely honorable way. The movie and the book are not twins, but they're very close friends.

Posted by Paul Constant

on August 2, 2012 at 12:42 PM

1993 was a fantastic year for cinema. I would've chosen Short Cuts for the Oscar (although Schindler's List was no slouch). And Anna Paquin was still a fresh little angel. The scene with the birthday cake and the dead son!

Posted by Michael of the Green on August 2, 2012 at 2:18 PM

i moved here 24 years ago to the day, so stoked to be around the great raymond carver and he died. i can still feel the sadness that overcame me...he's incredible. i agree with you paul in that the movie does overreach here and there but man, it is still a great pairing - altman and carver.

long live both those guys!!

Posted by birdy num num on August 2, 2012 at 3:08 PM

Haven't seen this since it first came out, I'll be there!

Posted by COMTE

on August 2, 2012 at 3:59 PM

FYI, in an interview I read somewhere (and don't ask me to find the source), Matthew Modine claimed that Huey's huey was a fake, which makes some snese: he had to pee on cue, and probably for several takes. OTOH, Modine was pissed (so to speak) because he didn't get to show *his* willy - even in the hot tub scene at the end - and, as he put it, "I wear a Size 13 shoe."

Posted by Jared Bascomb on August 2, 2012 at 4:38 PM