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Plot

Robert Altman takes a scalpel to Hollywood ethics in the 1990s (or the lack thereof) in his acidic satire The Player, adapted from Michael Tolkin's novel. (Tolkin also wrote the screenplay.) The film concerns a sleek and smooth Hollywood studio executive who starts receiving death threats from a disgruntled writer because he has committed the ultimate Hollywood sin -- he promised the writer he would call him back and he never did. This is particularly ironic because the studio executive, Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins), is considered "writer-friendly," spending his days listening to pitches from such noted screenwriters as Buck Henry, who is pushing "The Graduate, Part II" and Alan Rudolph, who is hawking a Bruce Willis action film described as "Ghost meets The Manchurian Candidate." But The Player finds Griffin's comfortable life style in danger of collapse. He is trying to find a way to unload his girlfriend (Cynthia Stevenson) whose independence and intelligence make her a poor candidate for a trophy wife. More importantly, it seems that Larry Levy (Peter Gallagher), a slippery executive from Twentieth Century Fox, is angling for his job. And then there are those nasty postcards and faxes from a screenwriter threatening to kill him. Altman cast over 65 stars in cameo roles as texture for his scabrous tale.
MPAA Rating:
R for language, and for some sensuality.
Genre(s):
Comedy
Run Time:
123min.
Theatrical Release Date:
04/06/1992
DVD Release Date:
07/16/1997
Distributor(s):
Fine Line Features
Director(s):
Robert Altman
Starring:
Tim Robbins , Greta Scacchi , Fred Ward , Whoopi Goldberg , Peter Gallagher
Themes:
Office Politics,Ladder to the Top,Success is the Best Revenge,Work Ethics,Filmmaking
Tone:
Paranoid,Stylish,Deadpan,Biting,Cynical,Satirical,Talky
Keywords:
Hollywood,behind-the-scenes,business,career,executive,filmmaker,greed,harassment,industry,investigation,killing,mistaken-identity,murder,power,producer [showbiz],screenwriter,self-protection,suspect,writing
Country of Origin:
USA (04-10-1992)
Language:
English