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Nashville (1975 film)
Encyclopedia
Nashville is a 1975 American musical
black comedy film
directed by Robert Altman
. A winner of many awards, selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
, Nashville is generally considered to be one of Altman's best films.
The film takes a snapshot of people involved in the country music
and gospel music
businesses in Nashville, Tennessee
. It has 24 main characters, an hour of musical numbers, and multiple storylines. The characters' efforts to succeed or hold on to their success are interwoven with the efforts of a political operative and a local businessman to stage a concert rally before the state's presidential primary for a populist
outsider running for president of the United States
on the Replacement Party ticket. In the film's final half-hour, most of the characters come together at the outdoor concert at the Parthenon in Nashville
.
The large ensemble cast
includes David Arkin
, Barbara Baxley
, Ned Beatty
, Karen Black
, Ronee Blakley
, Keith Carradine
, Geraldine Chaplin
, Robert DoQui
, Shelley Duvall
, Allen Garfield
, Henry Gibson
, Scott Glenn
, Jeff Goldblum
, Barbara Harris
, David Hayward, Michael Murphy
, Allan F. Nicholls
, Cristina Raines
, Bert Remsen
, Lily Tomlin
, Gwen Welles
, and Keenan Wynn
.
The film was shot on location in Nashville in the summer (late July, August, and early September) of 1974. All the musical scenes are 'live' concert
footage.
The original script was written by Joan Tewkesbury
, who had collaborated with Altman on several of his films, including McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Thieves Like Us
. Altman had been approached to work on a film set in Nashville which he wasn't interested in. However, he became interested in the setting and sent Tewkesbury to Nashville to observe the area and its citizenry. Tewkesbury's diary of her trip provided the basis for the film's script, with many observations making it into the finished film, such as the highway pileup. However, as with most Altman projects, much of the dialogue was improvised with the script acting as a "blueprint" dictating the actions of the characters and the plot. Other Altman trademarks prevalent in the film are the large ensemble cast and the overlapping dialogue with several characters speaking at once.
Several characters are based on real country music figures: Henry Gibson's Haven Hamilton is a composite of Roy Acuff
, Hank Snow
, and Porter Wagoner
; Ronee Blakely's Barbara Jean is based on Loretta Lynn
; the black country singer Tommy Brown (played by Timothy Brown
) is based on Charley Pride
; and the feuding folk trio is based on Peter, Paul and Mary
; within the trio, the married couple of Bill and Mary were inspired by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who later became Starland Vocal Band
. Keith Carradine
's character is believed to be inspired by Kris Kristofferson
and Karen Black's Connie White strongly resembles Lynn Anderson
.
The speeches given by candidate Hal Phillip Walker, who is never seen, were written by actor-screenwriter Thomas Hal Phillips
. Walker, the climactic assassination, the political theme and various associated characters (such as Haven Hamilton) do not appear in the earliest versions of the script.
Altman had enough footage to produce a four-hour film, and assistant director Alan Rudolph suggested he create an expanded version of "Nashville" to be shown in two parts, "Nashville Red" and "Nashville Blue," but the film ultimately remained intact. After a rush of critical acclaim, ABC expressed interest in a proposal for a ten-hour miniseries
of "Nashville", based on the footage not used in the final cut, but plans for the project were scrapped. The additional footage has not been made available on DVD releases.
However, in a 2000 interview with the AV Club, Altman disputed the claim that he had several hours worth of deleted scenes to cut another feature-length film (or two) out of. Altman claimed that there "were no deleted scenes" and that "almost everything we shot is in that film". Altman further stated the unseen, extra footage that wasn't used in the final cut of the film was mainly music and not much else.
Minor characters
There are cameo appearance
s by Elliott Gould
, Julie Christie
, and Howard K. Smith
, all playing themselves. Gould and Christie were passing through Nashville when Altman added them. Altman himself plays Bob an unseen producer who in the beginning of the film is producing Haven Hamilton's song 200 Years. He can be heard on a speaker when Hamilton gets agitated by Frog's inept piano playing.
Warning: This plot summary may contain spoilers.
Day One
The film opens with a campaign van for presidential candidate Hal Phillip Walker driving around Nashville as an external loudspeaker blares Walker's folksy political aphorisms, juxtaposed with country superstar Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson
) recording an overblown patriotic song intended to commemorate the upcoming Bicentennial
, and growing irritated with the accompanying musicians in the studio. An Englishwoman named Opal (Geraldine Chaplin
) who claims to be working on a documentary for the BBC appears in the studio but is told to leave by Haven. Down the hall from Haven's session is Linnea Reese (Lily Tomlin
), a white gospel singer recording a song with a black choir.
Later that day, popular country singer Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakley
) is returning to Nashville, having recovered from a burn accident, and the elite of Nashville's music scene - including Haven Hamilton and his companion Lady Pearl (Barbara Baxley
) have converged on Berry Field
to greet her plane as it arrives. Also present are Pfc. Glenn Kelly (Scott Glenn
) and the popular folk trio "Bill, Mary, and Tom" who are in town to record an album. Bill (Allan F. Nicholls
) and Mary (Cristina Raines
) are married, but largely unhappy, partly due to the fact that she is in love with womanizer Tom (Keith Carradine
). Meanwhile, Mr. Green (Keenan Wynn
) arrives at the airport to pick up his niece Martha (Shelley Duvall
), aka "L.A. Joan", a teenage groupie who has come to Nashville ostensibly to visit her aunt Esther Green who is sick in the hospital. However, Martha repeatedly puts off visiting her aunt in favor of chasing after male musicians. Working at the airport restaurant are African-American cook Wade Cooley (Robert DoQui
), and his pretty waitress friend, Sueleen Gay (Gwen Welles
), an aspiring country singer who refuses to recognize that she can't carry a tune.
After greeting the crowds on the tarmac, Barbara Jean faints due to the heat, and her handlers, headed by her domineering husband-manager Barnett (Allen Garfield
), rush her to the hospital. Barbara Jean's appearance having been cut short, those in attendance depart the airport and wind up stranded on the highway after a pile-up
occurs. During the commotion, Winifred (Barbara Harris
), an aspiring country singer, runs away from her husband, Star (Bert Remsen
), after he refuses to take her to the Grand Ole Opry
. Star gives a ride to Kenny Frasier (David Hayward), who has just arrived in town carrying a violin case. Opal takes advantage of the traffic jam to interview first Linnea and then Tommy Brown (Timmy Brown), an African-American country singer who is performing at the Opry. Tommy and his entourage go to Lady Pearl's club but Wade, who is drinking and trying to pick up white girls at the bar, insults Tommy for being too "white" and starts a fight.
Linnea's husband Del Reese (Ned Beatty
) is working with political organizer John Triplette (Michael Murphy
) to plan a small fundraiser and a large outdoor concert gala for the Walker campaign. Sueleen appears at a local club's open mike night in a provocative outfit, and despite her lack of singing ability, club manager Trout (Merle Kilgore
) recommends her to Triplette for the fundraiser based on her appearance. Winifred shows up at Trout's club trying to recruit musicians to record a demo with her, but Star sees her and chases her out. Del invites Triplette for family dinner with Linnea and their two deaf children. Linnea and Del are having communications problems and she focuses on the children rather than on him. In the middle of dinner, Tom calls trying to make a date with Linnea, but she puts him off, so he takes Opal back to his room instead. Pfc. Kelly sneaks into Barbara Jean's hospital room and sits in the chair by her bed all night, watching her sleep.
Day Two
Tom calls Linnea again but, with Del listening on the other line, Linnea yells at Tom and tells him not to call her any more. Kenny rents a room from Mr. Green. Haven Hamilton throws a pre-show party at his house before the evening's Grand Ole Opry
performance. At the party, Triplette tries to persuade Haven to perform at the Walker gala by telling him that if Walker is elected, Walker would back Haven for state governor. Haven says he'll give Triplette his decision after the Opry show that night.
Later, Tommy Brown, Haven, and Connie White (Karen Black
) all perform at the Opry. Connie is substituting for the hospitalized Barbara Jean. Winifred tries unsuccessfully to get backstage. At the hospital, Barbara Jean and Barnett have an argument because he is going to the after-show gathering to thank Connie for substituting at the last minute. Barbara Jean doesn't want him to go and he accuses her of having another nervous breakdown like she did previously. Barnett finally subdues Barbara Jean and leaves, but Connie doesn't seem happy to see him. Haven tells Triplette that Barbara Jean and Connie never appear on the same stage, and that he (Haven) will appear anyplace Barbara Jean also appears. Bill gets upset when his wife Mary doesn't show up all evening; she is sleeping with Tom.
Day Three
It is Sunday morning and the characters are shown attending various Catholic and Protestant church services. At the hospital chapel, Barbara Jean sings a hymn from her wheelchair while Mr. Green and Pfc. Kelly, among others, watch. Mr. Green tells Kelly how he and his wife lost their son in WWII. Opal wanders alone through a huge auto scrapyard making free-form poetic speeches about the cars into her tape recorder. Haven, Tommy Brown and their families attend the stock car races, where Winifred also attempts to sing on a small stage but cannot be heard. Bill and Mary argue in their hotel room and are interrupted by Triplette, who wants to recruit them for the Walker concert gala. Tom tries to get chauffeur Norman (David Arkin
) to score him some pills.
Day Four
Opal walks alone through a large school bus parking lot making more strange observations into her tape recorder. Barbara Jean is discharged from the hospital at the same time Mr. Green shows up to visit his sick wife. Barbara Jean asks after his wife and sends her regards. After Barbara Jean and her entourage have left, a nurse tells Mr. Green his wife died earlier that morning. Back at Mr. Green's house, Kenny gets upset when Martha tries to look at his violin case.
Barbara Jean performs at Opryland USA
. Triplette and Del attend and try to convince Barnett to have Barbara Jean play the Walker concert gala at the Parthenon
the next day, but he refuses. Barbara Jean gets through the first couple of songs all right, but then begins to tell rambling stories about her childhood instead of starting the next song. After several false starts, Barnett escorts her from the stage and tells the disappointed audience that they can come to the Parthenon tomorrow and see Barbara Jean perform for free, thus committing her to the Walker concert.
Tom calls Linnea and invites her to meet him that night at a club where he is playing. Linnea arrives but sits by herself because Martha is trying to pick Tom up. Mary and Bill are also there, and Opal sits with them and talks about how she slept with Tom, causing Mary to become upset. Wade tries unsucessfully to pick up Linnea, while Norman tries equally unsuccessfully to pick up Opal. Tom sings "I'm Easy
" and Linnea, moved, goes back to his room where they make love. When Linnea needs to leave, Tom calls another woman and has a romantic conversation within Linnea's earshot while she is getting dressed to go home.
Sueleen appears at the all-male Walker fundraiser, but is booed off the stage when she sings poorly and doesn't take off her clothes. Del and Triplette explain that the men expect her to strip and that if she does so, they will let her sing the next day at the Parthenon with Barbara Jean. Sueleen is visibly upset but strips anyway. Winifred shows up at the fundraiser hoping to get a chance to sing, but after she sees what is going on, she stays hidden behind a curtain. Del drives Sueleen home and drunkenly comes on to her, but she is rescued by Wade. After he hears what happened, Wade tells Sueleen she can't sing and asks her to go back to Detroit with him the next day. Sueleen refuses because she is determined to sing at the Parthenon with Barbara Jean.
Day Five
The performers, audience and Walker and his entourage arrive for the Parthenon
concert. In the performing lineup are Haven, Barbara Jean, Linnea and her choir, Bill, Mary and Tom, Sueleen, and Winifred who has shown up again hoping for a chance to sing. Barnett gets upset because Barbara Jean will have to perform in front of a large Walker advertisement, but has to go along with it because his wife's career will be harmed if he pulls her out of the show. Mr. Green and Kenny attend Esther Green's burial service and Mr. Green leaves angrily, vowing to find Martha (who is not at the service) and make her show some respect to her aunt. Mr. Green and Kenny go to the Parthenon to look for Martha.
The Walker gala starts and Haven and Barbara Jean perform a song together, then Barbara Jean sings a solo song. At the end of the song, Kenny takes a gun from his violin case and shoots Haven and Barbara Jean. Pfc. Kelly disarms Kenny as chaos breaks out. Barbara Jean is carried bleeding and unconscious from the stage. Haven tries to calm the crowd by exhorting them to sing. As he is led from the stage for treatment of his wounds, he hands the microphone off to Winifred, who begins to sing "It Don't Worry Me" and is joined by Linnea's gospel choir. The film ends with the audience raptly listening to Winifred's song - she has finally gotten her big break.
described it as "the funniest epic vision of America ever to reach the screen", and both Roger Ebert
and Leonard Maltin
gave the film four-star reviews and called it the best film of 1975. In his original review, Ebert wrote, "...after I saw it I felt more alive, I felt I understood more about people, I felt somehow wiser. It's that good a movie." On August 6, 2000, he included it in his Great Movies compilation. The film currently has 95% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film had 100% Fresh rating when it is rated by "Top Critics".
In 1992, Nashville was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
by the Library of Congress
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2007, the movie was ranked #59 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies - 10th Anniversary Edition list; it did not appear on the original 1998 list. The song "I'm Easy" was named the 81st Best Song of All Time by the American Film Institute (AFI).
2 million. The film was a box office success, grossing $9,984,123 domestically, well above its $2 million budget. The film's worldwide total is unknown.
(awarded to Keith Carradine for "I'm Easy
"). Ronee Blakley
and Lily Tomlin
were nominated for Best Supporting Actress
, Robert Altman was nominated for Best Director
, and the film itself was nominated for Best Picture
. It won a BAFTA Film Award for "Best Sound Track." Altman won for best director from: Cartagena Film Festival
; Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
; National Board of Review
; National Society of Film Critics Awards
; and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards
. Lily Tomlin
was awarded the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Nominations
Nominations
American Film Institute
recognition
contributed several songs, including those performed by Timothy Brown
. Karen Black
wrote the songs she performed in character as Connie White. Keith Carradine
wrote "I'm Easy
", which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song - Motion Picture
. Carradine also wrote "It Don't Worry Me", which is heard on the soundtrack throughout the film, and is the closing number performed by Barbara Harris
onstage at the Parthenon.
Film score composer Richard Baskin composed songs for Henry Gibson
to sing in character as Haven Hamilton.
Several respected Nashville session musicians took part in the music recording and in the film itself, including violinist Vassar Clements
and guitarist Harold Bradley
.
While the music was viewed in the Nashville music industry as mean-spirited satire, the songs have achieved a cult-status among alternative country
musicians. In 2002, the album, A Tribute to Robert Altman's Nashville was released, featuring interpretations of the film's songs by Canadian alt-country figures, including Carolyn Mark
, Kelly Hogan and Neko Case
.
Track listing
set twelve years later and titled Nashville 12, and most of the original players agreed to appear. In the script for the sequel, Lily Tomlin's character, Linnea, is running for political office; and Barnett now managing Connie White and obsessed with a Barbara Jean impersonator.
in 1980. In an interview on the DVD, Altman remarks that after Lennon's death, reporters questioned the director about "Nashville" and its harbinger of the assassination of a music star.
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
black comedy film
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
directed by Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
. A winner of many awards, selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
, Nashville is generally considered to be one of Altman's best films.
The film takes a snapshot of people involved in the country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
businesses in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. It has 24 main characters, an hour of musical numbers, and multiple storylines. The characters' efforts to succeed or hold on to their success are interwoven with the efforts of a political operative and a local businessman to stage a concert rally before the state's presidential primary for a populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
outsider running for president of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
on the Replacement Party ticket. In the film's final half-hour, most of the characters come together at the outdoor concert at the Parthenon in Nashville
Parthenon (Nashville)
The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.-Early history:...
.
The large ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
includes David Arkin
David Arkin
David G. Arkin was an American actor best known for his numerous supporting appearances in the films of Robert Altman...
, Barbara Baxley
Barbara Baxley
Barbara Baxley was an American actress of stage, film and television.-Early life:Baxley was born in Porterville, California, the daughter of Emma and Bert Baxley.-Career:...
, Ned Beatty
Ned Beatty
Ned Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
, Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
, Ronee Blakley
Ronee Blakley
Ronee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
, Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
, Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
, Robert DoQui
Robert DoQui
Robert DoQui was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He is best known for his role as King George in the 1973 film Coffy, starring Pam Grier, as Sgt. Warren Reed in the 1987 science fiction film RoboCop, the 1990 sequel RoboCop 2, and the 1993 sequel RoboCop 3...
, Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall is an American film and television actress best known for her roles in The Shining, Popeye, Thieves Like Us and 3 Women....
, Allen Garfield
Allen Garfield
Allen Garfield, born and sometimes credited as Allen Goorwitz , is an American film and television actor.-Biography:...
, Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
, Scott Glenn
Scott Glenn
Theodore Scott Glenn is an American actor. His roles have included Wes Hightower in Urban Cowboy , astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff ,Emmett in Silverado , Commander Bart Mancuso in The Hunt for Red October , Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs and The Wise Man in Sucker Punch -Early...
, Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
, Barbara Harris
Barbara Harris (actress)
Barbara Harris is an American actress who was a Broadway stage star and later became a film actress. She appeared in such films as A Thousand Clowns, Plaza Suite, Nashville, Family Plot, Freaky Friday, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Grosse Pointe Blank...
, David Hayward, Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy (actor)
Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
, Allan F. Nicholls
Allan F. Nicholls
Allan F. Nicholls born April 8, 1945 in Montreal, Quebec, is a Canadian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, composer and musician. He was nominated for both a BAFTA and WGA award for his writing on the 1978 film A Wedding. He is often credited as Allan Nicholls.Allan was lead...
, Cristina Raines
Cristina Raines
Cristina Raines is an American actress. She achieved her big break in the TV movie Sunshine, with Cliff De Young.-Biography:...
, Bert Remsen
Bert Remsen
Herbert Birchell "Bert" Remsen was an American actor.-Life and career:Remsen was born in Glen Cove, New York, on Long Island, the son of Helen and Winfred Herbert Remsen. He played character roles in numerous films directed by Robert Altman, including: Brewster McCloud , McCabe & Mrs...
, Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
, Gwen Welles
Gwen Welles
Gwen Welles was an American actress.-Biography:She was born in 1951 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as Gwen Goldberg, the daughter of Rebecca Weis Welles , also an actress. Welles appeared nude in Playboy magazine in 1975.Welles was married to actor Harris Yulin...
, and Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn was an American character actor. His bristling mustache and expressive face were his stock in trade, and though he rarely had a lead role, he got prominent billing in most of his film and TV parts....
.
Production
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
footage.
The original script was written by Joan Tewkesbury
Joan Tewkesbury
Joan Tewkesbury is an American film and television director, screenwriter, producer and actress. She had a long association with Robert Altman, writing two of his most acclaimed films, Nashville and Thieves Like Us...
, who had collaborated with Altman on several of his films, including McCabe and Mrs. Miller and Thieves Like Us
Thieves Like Us (film)
Thieves Like Us is a 1974 film directed by Robert Altman, starring Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall. The film was based on the novel Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson...
. Altman had been approached to work on a film set in Nashville which he wasn't interested in. However, he became interested in the setting and sent Tewkesbury to Nashville to observe the area and its citizenry. Tewkesbury's diary of her trip provided the basis for the film's script, with many observations making it into the finished film, such as the highway pileup. However, as with most Altman projects, much of the dialogue was improvised with the script acting as a "blueprint" dictating the actions of the characters and the plot. Other Altman trademarks prevalent in the film are the large ensemble cast and the overlapping dialogue with several characters speaking at once.
Several characters are based on real country music figures: Henry Gibson's Haven Hamilton is a composite of Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
, Hank Snow
Hank Snow
Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...
, and Porter Wagoner
Porter Wagoner
Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
; Ronee Blakely's Barbara Jean is based on Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is an American country music singer-songwriter, author and philanthropist. Born in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky to a coal miner father, Lynn married at 13 years old, was a mother soon after, and moved to Washington with her husband, Oliver Lynn. Their marriage was sometimes tumultuous; he...
; the black country singer Tommy Brown (played by Timothy Brown
Timothy Brown (actor)
Thomas Allen Brown is a former professional American football player and actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Knightstown, Indiana...
) is based on Charley Pride
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
; and the feuding folk trio is based on Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter, Paul and Mary were an American folk-singing trio whose nearly 50-year career began with their rise to become a paradigm for 1960s folk music. The trio was composed of Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey and Mary Travers...
; within the trio, the married couple of Bill and Mary were inspired by Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert, who later became Starland Vocal Band
Starland Vocal Band
Starland Vocal Band were an American pop band, known primarily for "Afternoon Delight", one of the biggest-selling singles in 1976.-Career:The group began as 'Fat City', a husband/wife duo of Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert. The band was also composed of Jon Carroll and Margot Chapman...
. Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
's character is believed to be inspired by Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
and Karen Black's Connie White strongly resembles Lynn Anderson
Lynn Anderson
Lynn Rene Anderson is an American country music singer and equestrian known for a string of hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, most notably her Grammy Award-winning, worldwide mega-hit, " Rose Garden." Helped by her regular exposure on national television, Anderson was one of the most...
.
The speeches given by candidate Hal Phillip Walker, who is never seen, were written by actor-screenwriter Thomas Hal Phillips
Thomas Hal Phillips
Thomas Hal Phillips was an American actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Born in Corinth, Mississippi, he graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Mississippi State College in 1943. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. He earned a master's degree in writing at University...
. Walker, the climactic assassination, the political theme and various associated characters (such as Haven Hamilton) do not appear in the earliest versions of the script.
Altman had enough footage to produce a four-hour film, and assistant director Alan Rudolph suggested he create an expanded version of "Nashville" to be shown in two parts, "Nashville Red" and "Nashville Blue," but the film ultimately remained intact. After a rush of critical acclaim, ABC expressed interest in a proposal for a ten-hour miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
of "Nashville", based on the footage not used in the final cut, but plans for the project were scrapped. The additional footage has not been made available on DVD releases.
However, in a 2000 interview with the AV Club, Altman disputed the claim that he had several hours worth of deleted scenes to cut another feature-length film (or two) out of. Altman claimed that there "were no deleted scenes" and that "almost everything we shot is in that film". Altman further stated the unseen, extra footage that wasn't used in the final cut of the film was mainly music and not much else.
Cast
Major characters- David ArkinDavid ArkinDavid G. Arkin was an American actor best known for his numerous supporting appearances in the films of Robert Altman...
as Norman, a nervous, self-conscious chauffeur who doesn't understand that celebrities want him to shut up and just do his job. - Spunky redhead Barbara BaxleyBarbara BaxleyBarbara Baxley was an American actress of stage, film and television.-Early life:Baxley was born in Porterville, California, the daughter of Emma and Bert Baxley.-Career:...
as Lady Pearl, Haven Hamilton's companion. She manages a bluegrass night at a downtown club. She appears to be inebriated for most of the film, and is dedicated to the late John and Bobby KennedyKennedy familyIn the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
. She is Roman Catholic. - Ned BeattyNed BeattyNed Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
as Delbert "Del" Reese is a good old boy with a struggling marriage and a wandering eye. He is Haven Hamilton's lawyer and the local organizer for the Hal Philip Walker campaign. - Karen BlackKaren BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
as Connie White, a glamorous country singer of mediocre talent and rival of Barbara Jean. - In her first film role, songwriter Ronee BlakleyRonee BlakleyRonee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
is Barbara Jean, a hyper-feminine, emotionally fragile country singer who is the sweetheart of Nashville. - Timothy BrownTimothy Brown (actor)Thomas Allen Brown is a former professional American football player and actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Knightstown, Indiana...
as Tommy Brown, an African American singer who performs at the Grand Ole Opry. - Keith CarradineKeith CarradineKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
as Tom Frank, a member of the folk rockFolk rockFolk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
trio Bill, Mary and Tom. He is attempting to create a career as a solo artist. Lean, handsome and dashing, he is also rude and insolent; his successful womanizing leaves him empty and irritable. - Geraldine ChaplinGeraldine ChaplinGeraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
as Opal, a wacky, celebrity-obsessed, self-absorbed BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio reporter. As a surrogate for the audience, she provides an outsider's perspective on the business of music. She is never seen with a film crew, she never shows anyone any official credentials and complains at one point that her cameraman is never around when she needs him. She also erroneously refers to her employer as the 'British Broadcasting Company' (the C in BBC actually standing for 'Corporation'). Film critic Roger Ebert suggests, in his "Great Movies" article, that she may not even be a filmmaker but just a groupie who uses fake credentials to gain access to famous people. - Robert DoQuiRobert DoQuiRobert DoQui was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He is best known for his role as King George in the 1973 film Coffy, starring Pam Grier, as Sgt. Warren Reed in the 1987 science fiction film RoboCop, the 1990 sequel RoboCop 2, and the 1993 sequel RoboCop 3...
as Wade Cooley, a cook at the airport restaurant and protector of Sueleen Gay. - Shelley DuvallShelley DuvallShelley Alexis Duvall is an American film and television actress best known for her roles in The Shining, Popeye, Thieves Like Us and 3 Women....
as Martha, the niece of Mr. Green. Martha, who has changed her name to L.A. Joan, has come to Nashville ostensibly to visit Mrs. Green, but spends all her time changing her clothes and wigs, and chasing men. - Allen GarfieldAllen GarfieldAllen Garfield, born and sometimes credited as Allen Goorwitz , is an American film and television actor.-Biography:...
as Barnett, Barbara Jean's husband and manager. Barnett strenuously protects Barbara Jean's career, but when they are together their relationship is strained and he privately bullies her into a nervous wreck. - Henry GibsonHenry GibsonHenry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
as Haven Hamilton, a NudieNudie CohnNudie Cohn was a Russian-born American tailor who designed decorative rhinestone-covered suits, known popularly as "Nudie Suits", and other elaborate outfits for some of the most famous celebrities of his era. He also became famous for his outrageous customized automobiles.-Early life:Cohn was...
-suit-wearing star of the Grand Ole Opry. His political ambitions play a pivotal role in the film's plot. - Scott GlennScott GlennTheodore Scott Glenn is an American actor. His roles have included Wes Hightower in Urban Cowboy , astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff ,Emmett in Silverado , Commander Bart Mancuso in The Hunt for Red October , Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs and The Wise Man in Sucker Punch -Early...
as Pfc. Glenn Kelly, a Vietnam War veteran who has come to Nashville to see Barbara Jean perform. It is unclear whether or not he is stalking her. - Jeff GoldblumJeff GoldblumJeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
as the silent Tricycle Man. He rides his long, low-slung three-wheel motorcycle everywhere, and serves as a structural connector for scenes in the film. - Barbara HarrisBarbara Harris (actress)Barbara Harris is an American actress who was a Broadway stage star and later became a film actress. She appeared in such films as A Thousand Clowns, Plaza Suite, Nashville, Family Plot, Freaky Friday, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Grosse Pointe Blank...
as Winifred, an aspiring singer-songwriter who runs away from her irascible husband, Star. Despite her straggly appearance and repeated failures to get a break, she understands that the music business is a business, and when her opportunity comes, she is ready. - David Hayward as Kenny Frasier, a loner who "looks like Howdy Doody", carries a violin case and rents a room from Mr. Green.
- Michael MurphyMichael Murphy (actor)Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
as the smooth-talking, duplicitous John Triplette, an organizer for Hal Philip Walker's presidential campaign. - Allan F. NichollsAllan F. NichollsAllan F. Nicholls born April 8, 1945 in Montreal, Quebec, is a Canadian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, composer and musician. He was nominated for both a BAFTA and WGA award for his writing on the 1978 film A Wedding. He is often credited as Allan Nicholls.Allan was lead...
as Bill, one of the folk trio, Bill, Mary and Tom. He is married to Mary. During the film his marriage is tested. - Dave Peel as Bud Hamilton, the sweet-natured son of Haven Hamilton. Bud, who went to Harvard, speaks without an accent. He handles his father's business affairs.
- Cristina RainesCristina RainesCristina Raines is an American actress. She achieved her big break in the TV movie Sunshine, with Cliff De Young.-Biography:...
as Mary, one of the folk trio, Bill, Mary and Tom. She is married to Bill, but is in love with Tom Franks. - Bert RemsenBert RemsenHerbert Birchell "Bert" Remsen was an American actor.-Life and career:Remsen was born in Glen Cove, New York, on Long Island, the son of Helen and Winfred Herbert Remsen. He played character roles in numerous films directed by Robert Altman, including: Brewster McCloud , McCabe & Mrs...
as Star, who appears in the film only to chase after his runaway wife Winifred. - Lily TomlinLily TomlinMary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
as Linnea Reese, one of the major characters. Linnea is a gospel singer, wife of Delbert Reese and loving mother of two deaf children. - Gwen WellesGwen WellesGwen Welles was an American actress.-Biography:She was born in 1951 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as Gwen Goldberg, the daughter of Rebecca Weis Welles , also an actress. Welles appeared nude in Playboy magazine in 1975.Welles was married to actor Harris Yulin...
as Sueleen Gay, a pretty young waitress at the airport lunch counter and a talentless, aspiring country singer. Her refusal to recognize her limitations and face reality gets her in trouble. - Keenan WynnKeenan WynnKeenan Wynn was an American character actor. His bristling mustache and expressive face were his stock in trade, and though he rarely had a lead role, he got prominent billing in most of his film and TV parts....
as Mr. Green, the aging uncle of Martha. His wife is sick and he spends the film trying to get Martha to visit her.
Minor characters
- Richard BaskinRichard BaskinRichard Baskin is a film composer, and producer.best known as the writer of several songs from the Robert Altman film Nashville, and other creative film scores in the 1970's and 1980's...
, the film's musical supervisor, wrote several of the songs performed in the film. He has a cameo as Frog, a session musicianSession musicianSession musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
, appearing in several scenes. - Merle KilgoreMerle KilgoreWyatt Merle Kilgore was an American singer, songwriter, and manager.-Early life:Although born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Merle Kilgore was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the son of Wyatt and Gladys B. Kilgore...
as Trout, the owner of a club that has an open-mic talent night that gives Sueleen Gay what she believes is her big break as a singer.
There are cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould
Elliott Gould is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s, and has remained prolific ever since. Some of his most notable films include M*A*S*H and Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, for which he received an Oscar nomination...
, Julie Christie
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
, and Howard K. Smith
Howard K. Smith
Howard Kingsbury Smith was an American journalist, radio reporter, television anchorman, political commentator, and film actor. He was one of the original Edward R. Murrow boys.-Early life:...
, all playing themselves. Gould and Christie were passing through Nashville when Altman added them. Altman himself plays Bob an unseen producer who in the beginning of the film is producing Haven Hamilton's song 200 Years. He can be heard on a speaker when Hamilton gets agitated by Frog's inept piano playing.
Plot
The overarching plot takes place over five days leading up to a political rally for Replacement Party candidate Hal Phillip Walker, who is never seen throughout the entire movie. The story follows 25 characters roaming around Nashville, in search of some sort of goal through their own (often overlapping) story arcs.Warning: This plot summary may contain spoilers.
Day One
The film opens with a campaign van for presidential candidate Hal Phillip Walker driving around Nashville as an external loudspeaker blares Walker's folksy political aphorisms, juxtaposed with country superstar Haven Hamilton (Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
) recording an overblown patriotic song intended to commemorate the upcoming Bicentennial
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
, and growing irritated with the accompanying musicians in the studio. An Englishwoman named Opal (Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Chaplin
Geraldine Leigh Chaplin is an English-American actress and the daughter of Charlie Chaplin.Chaplin first came to prominence for her Golden Globe-nominated role of Tonya in David Lean's Doctor Zhivago . She received her second Golden Globe nomination for Robert Altman's Nashville...
) who claims to be working on a documentary for the BBC appears in the studio but is told to leave by Haven. Down the hall from Haven's session is Linnea Reese (Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
), a white gospel singer recording a song with a black choir.
Later that day, popular country singer Barbara Jean (Ronee Blakley
Ronee Blakley
Ronee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
) is returning to Nashville, having recovered from a burn accident, and the elite of Nashville's music scene - including Haven Hamilton and his companion Lady Pearl (Barbara Baxley
Barbara Baxley
Barbara Baxley was an American actress of stage, film and television.-Early life:Baxley was born in Porterville, California, the daughter of Emma and Bert Baxley.-Career:...
) have converged on Berry Field
Nashville International Airport
Nashville International Airport is a joint civil-military airport in southeastern Nashville, Tennessee. The IATA Airport Code BNA is derived from the early name of the facility—Berry Field, NAshville. Berry Field was the name of the airport until 1988, when the name was changed to reflect...
to greet her plane as it arrives. Also present are Pfc. Glenn Kelly (Scott Glenn
Scott Glenn
Theodore Scott Glenn is an American actor. His roles have included Wes Hightower in Urban Cowboy , astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff ,Emmett in Silverado , Commander Bart Mancuso in The Hunt for Red October , Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs and The Wise Man in Sucker Punch -Early...
) and the popular folk trio "Bill, Mary, and Tom" who are in town to record an album. Bill (Allan F. Nicholls
Allan F. Nicholls
Allan F. Nicholls born April 8, 1945 in Montreal, Quebec, is a Canadian actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, composer and musician. He was nominated for both a BAFTA and WGA award for his writing on the 1978 film A Wedding. He is often credited as Allan Nicholls.Allan was lead...
) and Mary (Cristina Raines
Cristina Raines
Cristina Raines is an American actress. She achieved her big break in the TV movie Sunshine, with Cliff De Young.-Biography:...
) are married, but largely unhappy, partly due to the fact that she is in love with womanizer Tom (Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
). Meanwhile, Mr. Green (Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn
Keenan Wynn was an American character actor. His bristling mustache and expressive face were his stock in trade, and though he rarely had a lead role, he got prominent billing in most of his film and TV parts....
) arrives at the airport to pick up his niece Martha (Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall is an American film and television actress best known for her roles in The Shining, Popeye, Thieves Like Us and 3 Women....
), aka "L.A. Joan", a teenage groupie who has come to Nashville ostensibly to visit her aunt Esther Green who is sick in the hospital. However, Martha repeatedly puts off visiting her aunt in favor of chasing after male musicians. Working at the airport restaurant are African-American cook Wade Cooley (Robert DoQui
Robert DoQui
Robert DoQui was an American actor who starred in film and on television. He is best known for his role as King George in the 1973 film Coffy, starring Pam Grier, as Sgt. Warren Reed in the 1987 science fiction film RoboCop, the 1990 sequel RoboCop 2, and the 1993 sequel RoboCop 3...
), and his pretty waitress friend, Sueleen Gay (Gwen Welles
Gwen Welles
Gwen Welles was an American actress.-Biography:She was born in 1951 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as Gwen Goldberg, the daughter of Rebecca Weis Welles , also an actress. Welles appeared nude in Playboy magazine in 1975.Welles was married to actor Harris Yulin...
), an aspiring country singer who refuses to recognize that she can't carry a tune.
After greeting the crowds on the tarmac, Barbara Jean faints due to the heat, and her handlers, headed by her domineering husband-manager Barnett (Allen Garfield
Allen Garfield
Allen Garfield, born and sometimes credited as Allen Goorwitz , is an American film and television actor.-Biography:...
), rush her to the hospital. Barbara Jean's appearance having been cut short, those in attendance depart the airport and wind up stranded on the highway after a pile-up
Multiple-vehicle collision
A multi-vehicle collision is a road traffic accident involving many vehicles. Generally occurring on high capacity and high speed routes such as freeways, they are one of the deadliest forms of traffic accidents...
occurs. During the commotion, Winifred (Barbara Harris
Barbara Harris (actress)
Barbara Harris is an American actress who was a Broadway stage star and later became a film actress. She appeared in such films as A Thousand Clowns, Plaza Suite, Nashville, Family Plot, Freaky Friday, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Grosse Pointe Blank...
), an aspiring country singer, runs away from her husband, Star (Bert Remsen
Bert Remsen
Herbert Birchell "Bert" Remsen was an American actor.-Life and career:Remsen was born in Glen Cove, New York, on Long Island, the son of Helen and Winfred Herbert Remsen. He played character roles in numerous films directed by Robert Altman, including: Brewster McCloud , McCabe & Mrs...
), after he refuses to take her to the Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
. Star gives a ride to Kenny Frasier (David Hayward), who has just arrived in town carrying a violin case. Opal takes advantage of the traffic jam to interview first Linnea and then Tommy Brown (Timmy Brown), an African-American country singer who is performing at the Opry. Tommy and his entourage go to Lady Pearl's club but Wade, who is drinking and trying to pick up white girls at the bar, insults Tommy for being too "white" and starts a fight.
Linnea's husband Del Reese (Ned Beatty
Ned Beatty
Ned Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
) is working with political organizer John Triplette (Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy (actor)
Michael George Murphy is an American film and television actor.-Career:Murphy played Woody Allen's duplicitous friend Yale in the film Manhattan...
) to plan a small fundraiser and a large outdoor concert gala for the Walker campaign. Sueleen appears at a local club's open mike night in a provocative outfit, and despite her lack of singing ability, club manager Trout (Merle Kilgore
Merle Kilgore
Wyatt Merle Kilgore was an American singer, songwriter, and manager.-Early life:Although born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Merle Kilgore was raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was the son of Wyatt and Gladys B. Kilgore...
) recommends her to Triplette for the fundraiser based on her appearance. Winifred shows up at Trout's club trying to recruit musicians to record a demo with her, but Star sees her and chases her out. Del invites Triplette for family dinner with Linnea and their two deaf children. Linnea and Del are having communications problems and she focuses on the children rather than on him. In the middle of dinner, Tom calls trying to make a date with Linnea, but she puts him off, so he takes Opal back to his room instead. Pfc. Kelly sneaks into Barbara Jean's hospital room and sits in the chair by her bed all night, watching her sleep.
Day Two
Tom calls Linnea again but, with Del listening on the other line, Linnea yells at Tom and tells him not to call her any more. Kenny rents a room from Mr. Green. Haven Hamilton throws a pre-show party at his house before the evening's Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
performance. At the party, Triplette tries to persuade Haven to perform at the Walker gala by telling him that if Walker is elected, Walker would back Haven for state governor. Haven says he'll give Triplette his decision after the Opry show that night.
Later, Tommy Brown, Haven, and Connie White (Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
) all perform at the Opry. Connie is substituting for the hospitalized Barbara Jean. Winifred tries unsuccessfully to get backstage. At the hospital, Barbara Jean and Barnett have an argument because he is going to the after-show gathering to thank Connie for substituting at the last minute. Barbara Jean doesn't want him to go and he accuses her of having another nervous breakdown like she did previously. Barnett finally subdues Barbara Jean and leaves, but Connie doesn't seem happy to see him. Haven tells Triplette that Barbara Jean and Connie never appear on the same stage, and that he (Haven) will appear anyplace Barbara Jean also appears. Bill gets upset when his wife Mary doesn't show up all evening; she is sleeping with Tom.
Day Three
It is Sunday morning and the characters are shown attending various Catholic and Protestant church services. At the hospital chapel, Barbara Jean sings a hymn from her wheelchair while Mr. Green and Pfc. Kelly, among others, watch. Mr. Green tells Kelly how he and his wife lost their son in WWII. Opal wanders alone through a huge auto scrapyard making free-form poetic speeches about the cars into her tape recorder. Haven, Tommy Brown and their families attend the stock car races, where Winifred also attempts to sing on a small stage but cannot be heard. Bill and Mary argue in their hotel room and are interrupted by Triplette, who wants to recruit them for the Walker concert gala. Tom tries to get chauffeur Norman (David Arkin
David Arkin
David G. Arkin was an American actor best known for his numerous supporting appearances in the films of Robert Altman...
) to score him some pills.
Day Four
Opal walks alone through a large school bus parking lot making more strange observations into her tape recorder. Barbara Jean is discharged from the hospital at the same time Mr. Green shows up to visit his sick wife. Barbara Jean asks after his wife and sends her regards. After Barbara Jean and her entourage have left, a nurse tells Mr. Green his wife died earlier that morning. Back at Mr. Green's house, Kenny gets upset when Martha tries to look at his violin case.
Barbara Jean performs at Opryland USA
Opryland USA
Opryland USA was an amusement park located in suburban Nashville, Tennessee. It operated seasonally from 1972 until 1997...
. Triplette and Del attend and try to convince Barnett to have Barbara Jean play the Walker concert gala at the Parthenon
Parthenon (Nashville)
The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.-Early history:...
the next day, but he refuses. Barbara Jean gets through the first couple of songs all right, but then begins to tell rambling stories about her childhood instead of starting the next song. After several false starts, Barnett escorts her from the stage and tells the disappointed audience that they can come to the Parthenon tomorrow and see Barbara Jean perform for free, thus committing her to the Walker concert.
Tom calls Linnea and invites her to meet him that night at a club where he is playing. Linnea arrives but sits by herself because Martha is trying to pick Tom up. Mary and Bill are also there, and Opal sits with them and talks about how she slept with Tom, causing Mary to become upset. Wade tries unsucessfully to pick up Linnea, while Norman tries equally unsuccessfully to pick up Opal. Tom sings "I'm Easy
I'm Easy (song)
"I'm Easy" was a popular music hit in 1976 in the United States. The song was featured in the movie Nashville, written and performed by Keith Carradine....
" and Linnea, moved, goes back to his room where they make love. When Linnea needs to leave, Tom calls another woman and has a romantic conversation within Linnea's earshot while she is getting dressed to go home.
Sueleen appears at the all-male Walker fundraiser, but is booed off the stage when she sings poorly and doesn't take off her clothes. Del and Triplette explain that the men expect her to strip and that if she does so, they will let her sing the next day at the Parthenon with Barbara Jean. Sueleen is visibly upset but strips anyway. Winifred shows up at the fundraiser hoping to get a chance to sing, but after she sees what is going on, she stays hidden behind a curtain. Del drives Sueleen home and drunkenly comes on to her, but she is rescued by Wade. After he hears what happened, Wade tells Sueleen she can't sing and asks her to go back to Detroit with him the next day. Sueleen refuses because she is determined to sing at the Parthenon with Barbara Jean.
Day Five
The performers, audience and Walker and his entourage arrive for the Parthenon
Parthenon (Nashville)
The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.-Early history:...
concert. In the performing lineup are Haven, Barbara Jean, Linnea and her choir, Bill, Mary and Tom, Sueleen, and Winifred who has shown up again hoping for a chance to sing. Barnett gets upset because Barbara Jean will have to perform in front of a large Walker advertisement, but has to go along with it because his wife's career will be harmed if he pulls her out of the show. Mr. Green and Kenny attend Esther Green's burial service and Mr. Green leaves angrily, vowing to find Martha (who is not at the service) and make her show some respect to her aunt. Mr. Green and Kenny go to the Parthenon to look for Martha.
The Walker gala starts and Haven and Barbara Jean perform a song together, then Barbara Jean sings a solo song. At the end of the song, Kenny takes a gun from his violin case and shoots Haven and Barbara Jean. Pfc. Kelly disarms Kenny as chaos breaks out. Barbara Jean is carried bleeding and unconscious from the stage. Haven tries to calm the crowd by exhorting them to sing. As he is led from the stage for treatment of his wounds, he hands the microphone off to Winifred, who begins to sing "It Don't Worry Me" and is joined by Linnea's gospel choir. The film ends with the audience raptly listening to Winifred's song - she has finally gotten her big break.
Critical response
Nashville was lauded by major film critics. Pauline KaelPauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
described it as "the funniest epic vision of America ever to reach the screen", and both Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
and Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
gave the film four-star reviews and called it the best film of 1975. In his original review, Ebert wrote, "...after I saw it I felt more alive, I felt I understood more about people, I felt somehow wiser. It's that good a movie." On August 6, 2000, he included it in his Great Movies compilation. The film currently has 95% Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film had 100% Fresh rating when it is rated by "Top Critics".
In 1992, Nashville was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry is the United States National Film Preservation Board's selection of films for preservation in the Library of Congress. The Board, established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, was reauthorized by acts of Congress in 1992, 1996, 2005, and again in October 2008...
by the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2007, the movie was ranked #59 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies - 10th Anniversary Edition list; it did not appear on the original 1998 list. The song "I'm Easy" was named the 81st Best Song of All Time by the American Film Institute (AFI).
Box office
The film had an estimated budget of $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
2 million. The film was a box office success, grossing $9,984,123 domestically, well above its $2 million budget. The film's worldwide total is unknown.
Response in Nashville
The movie was widely despised by the mainstream country-music community at the time of its release; many artists believed it ridiculed their talent and sincerity.Awards
The film won an Oscar for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song - Motion PictureGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
(awarded to Keith Carradine for "I'm Easy
I'm Easy (song)
"I'm Easy" was a popular music hit in 1976 in the United States. The song was featured in the movie Nashville, written and performed by Keith Carradine....
"). Ronee Blakley
Ronee Blakley
Ronee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
and Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
were nominated for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
, Robert Altman was nominated for Best Director
Academy Award for Directing
The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry...
, and the film itself was nominated for Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
. It won a BAFTA Film Award for "Best Sound Track." Altman won for best director from: Cartagena Film Festival
Cartagena Film Festival
The Cartagena Film Festival, or Festival Internacional de Cine y T.V. de Cartagena de Indias. is a Colombian film festival which focuses on the promotion of Colombian television programs, Latin American films, and videos...
; Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director
Steven Spielberg holds the record for most wins: 6 . Peter Jackson won an award for each and every film of The Lord of the Rings-trilogy.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:*...
; National Board of Review
National Board of Review Award for Best Director
An incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review Award for Best Director made by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures:-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:...
; National Society of Film Critics Awards
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director
The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director is an annual award given by National Society of Film Critics to honor the best film director of the year....
; and the New York Film Critics Circle Awards
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director
The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director is one of the awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle to honour the finest achievements in filmmaking....
. Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
was awarded the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Academy Awards
Wins- Best Original Song - awarded to Keith Carradine for "I'm EasyI'm Easy (song)"I'm Easy" was a popular music hit in 1976 in the United States. The song was featured in the movie Nashville, written and performed by Keith Carradine....
".
Nominations
- Best PictureAcademy Award for Best PictureThe Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
- Best DirectorAcademy Award for DirectingThe Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry...
- Robert Altman - Best Supporting ActressAcademy Award for Best Supporting ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
- Ronee Blakley - Best Supporting ActressAcademy Award for Best Supporting ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
- Lily Tomlin
Golden Globes
Wins- Best Original Song - Motion PictureGolden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
- "I'm EasyI'm Easy (song)"I'm Easy" was a popular music hit in 1976 in the United States. The song was featured in the movie Nashville, written and performed by Keith Carradine....
"
Nominations
- Best Motion Picture - DramaGolden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - DramaThis page lists the winners and nominees for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, since its institution in 1951. The organizer, Hollywood Foreign Press Association , is an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications...
- Best Director - Robert Altman
- Best Supporting ActorGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion PictureThe Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year....
- Henry Gibson - Best Supporting ActressGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureThe Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year....
- Ronee Blakley - Best Supporting ActressGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureThe Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year....
- Geraldine Chaplin - Best Supporting ActressGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureThe Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year....
- Barbara Harris - Best Supporting ActressGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion PictureThe Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year....
- Lily Tomlin
American Film Institute
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
recognition
- 2007 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) #59
- 2004 AFI's 100 Years... 100 SongsAFI's 100 Years... 100 SongsPart of the AFI 100 Years… series, AFI's 100 Years…100 Songs is a list of the top 100 songs in American cinema. The list was unveiled by the American Film Institute June 22, 2004 in a CBS special hosted by John Travolta, who appeared in two films honored by the list, Saturday Night Fever and...
:- "I'm Easy" #81
Soundtrack
The actors and actresses composed some of the songs they performed in the film. Ronee BlakleyRonee Blakley
Ronee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
contributed several songs, including those performed by Timothy Brown
Timothy Brown (actor)
Thomas Allen Brown is a former professional American football player and actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Knightstown, Indiana...
. Karen Black
Karen Black
Karen Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
wrote the songs she performed in character as Connie White. Keith Carradine
Keith Carradine
Keith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
wrote "I'm Easy
I'm Easy (song)
"I'm Easy" was a popular music hit in 1976 in the United States. The song was featured in the movie Nashville, written and performed by Keith Carradine....
", which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
. Carradine also wrote "It Don't Worry Me", which is heard on the soundtrack throughout the film, and is the closing number performed by Barbara Harris
Barbara Harris (actress)
Barbara Harris is an American actress who was a Broadway stage star and later became a film actress. She appeared in such films as A Thousand Clowns, Plaza Suite, Nashville, Family Plot, Freaky Friday, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Grosse Pointe Blank...
onstage at the Parthenon.
Film score composer Richard Baskin composed songs for Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson
Henry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
to sing in character as Haven Hamilton.
Several respected Nashville session musicians took part in the music recording and in the film itself, including violinist Vassar Clements
Vassar Clements
Vassar Clements was a Grammy Award- winning American jazz, swing, and bluegrass fiddler. Clements has been dubbed the Father of Hillbilly Jazz, an improvisational style that blends and borrows from swing, hot jazz, and bluegrass along with roots also in country and other musical...
and guitarist Harold Bradley
Harold Bradley
Harold Bradley is a pop guitarist and an American country guitarist.Harold played banjo as a child but switched to guitar on the advice of his elder brother, Owen Bradley. Owen arranged for Harold to tour with Ernest Tubb while Harold was still in high school. After graduation, Harold joined the...
.
While the music was viewed in the Nashville music industry as mean-spirited satire, the songs have achieved a cult-status among alternative country
Alternative country
Alternative country is a loosely defined sub-genre of country music, which includes acts that differ significantly in style from mainstream or pop country music...
musicians. In 2002, the album, A Tribute to Robert Altman's Nashville was released, featuring interpretations of the film's songs by Canadian alt-country figures, including Carolyn Mark
Carolyn Mark
Carolyn Mark is a Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter. She has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of the duo The Corn Sisters with American colleague Neko Case, as well as with the bands the Vinaigrettes, Jr. Gone Wild, Showbusiness Giants, the Fixin's and the Metronome Cowboys...
, Kelly Hogan and Neko Case
Neko Case
Neko Case is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and her contributions as a member of the Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers....
.
Track listing
- "It Don't Worry Me" (written and performed by Keith CarradineKeith CarradineKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
) – 2:47 - "Bluebird" (written by Ronee BlakleyRonee BlakleyRonee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
; performed by Timothy BrownTimothy Brown (actor)Thomas Allen Brown is a former professional American football player and actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Knightstown, Indiana...
) – 3:35 - "For the Sake of the Children" (written by Richard BaskinRichard BaskinRichard Baskin is a film composer, and producer.best known as the writer of several songs from the Robert Altman film Nashville, and other creative film scores in the 1970's and 1980's...
; performed by Henry GibsonHenry GibsonHenry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
) – 3:18 - "Keep A-Goin'" (written by Richard Baskin; performed by Henry GibsonHenry GibsonHenry Gibson was an American actor and songwriter, best known as a cast member of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and for his recurring role as Judge Clark Brown on Boston Legal.-Early life:...
) – 2:49 - "Memphis" (written and performed by Karen BlackKaren BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
) – 2:07 - "Rolling Stone" (written and performed by Karen BlackKaren BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
) – 3:57 - "200 Years" (written by Richard Baskin and Henry Gibson, performed by Henry Gibson) – 3:04
- "Tapedeck in His Tractor" (written and performed by Ronee Blakley) – 2:20
- "Dues" (written and performed by Ronee Blakley) – 3:40
- "I'm EasyI'm Easy (song)"I'm Easy" was a popular music hit in 1976 in the United States. The song was featured in the movie Nashville, written and performed by Keith Carradine....
" (written and performed by Keith CarradineKeith CarradineKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
) – 3:02 - "One, I Love You" (written by Richard Baskin; performed by Henry Gibson and Ronee Blakley)– 2:37
- "My Idaho Home" (written and performed by Ronee Blakley) – 3:06
- "It Don't Worry Me (Reprise)" (written by Keith Carradine and performed by Barbara HarrisBarbara Harris (actress)Barbara Harris is an American actress who was a Broadway stage star and later became a film actress. She appeared in such films as A Thousand Clowns, Plaza Suite, Nashville, Family Plot, Freaky Friday, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Grosse Pointe Blank...
) – 3:57
Other songs in the film
Songs on the film's soundtrack, but not on the soundtrack album:- "Yes, I Do", composed by Richard Baskin and Lily TomlinLily TomlinMary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
; performed by Lily Tomlin - "Down to the River", written and performed by Ronee BlakleyRonee BlakleyRonee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
- "Let Me Be the One", written by Richard Baskin; performed by Gwen WellesGwen WellesGwen Welles was an American actress.-Biography:She was born in 1951 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, as Gwen Goldberg, the daughter of Rebecca Weis Welles , also an actress. Welles appeared nude in Playboy magazine in 1975.Welles was married to actor Harris Yulin...
- "Sing a Song", written by Joe RaposoJoe RaposoJoseph Guilherme Raposo, OIH was a Portuguese-American composer, songwriter, pianist, television writer and lyricist, best known for his work on the children's television series Sesame Street, for which he wrote the theme song, as well as classic songs such as "Bein' Green" and "C is for Cookie"...
- "The Heart of a Gentle Woman", written and performed by Dave Peel
- "The Day I Looked Jesus in the Eye", written by Richard Baskin and Robert AltmanRobert AltmanRobert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
- "I Don't Know If I Found It in You", written and performed by Karen BlackKaren BlackKaren Black is an American actress, screenwriter, singer, and songwriter. She is noted for appearing in such films as Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, The Great Gatsby, Rhinoceros, The Day of the Locust, Nashville, Airport 1975, and Alfred Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot...
- "Swing Low, Sweet ChariotSwing Low, Sweet Chariot"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" is a historic African-American spiritual. The first recording was in 1909, by the Fisk Jubilee Singers of Fisk University....
", traditional - "Honey", written and performed by Keith CarradineKeith CarradineKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith...
- "I Never Get Enough", written by Richard Baskin and Ben Raleigh; performed by Gwen Welles
- "Rose's Cafe", written and performed by Allan F. Nicholls
- "Old Man Mississippi", written by Juan Grizzle
- "My Baby's Cookin' in Another Man's Pan", written and performed by Jonnie BarnettJonnie BarnettJonathan Barnett Kaye , known professionally as Jonnie Barnett, was an American musician. In the 1970s, he performed as an opening act for several acts such as Tom Waits, Cheech and Chong, and Frank Zappa...
- "Since You've Gone", written by Gary BuseyGary BuseyWilliam Gary Busey , best known as Gary Busey, is an American film and stage actor and artist. He has appeared in a large variety of films, as well as making regular appearances on Gunsmoke, Walker, Texas Ranger, Law & Order, and Entourage...
, performed by Allan F. Nicholls, Cristina RainesCristina RainesCristina Raines is an American actress. She achieved her big break in the TV movie Sunshine, with Cliff De Young.-Biography:...
and Keith CarradineKeith CarradineKeith Ian Carradine is an American actor who has had success on stage, film and television. In addition, he is a Golden Globe and Oscar winning songwriter. As a member of the Carradine family, he is part of an acting "dynasty" that began with his father, John Carradine.-Early life:Keith... - "Trouble in the U.S.A.", written by Arlene Barnett
- "In the Garden", written by C. Austin Miles, performed by Ronee BlakleyRonee BlakleyRonee Blakley is an American entertainer. Though an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer, producer and director, she is perhaps best known as an actress...
Sequel
Plans were discussed for a sequelSequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
set twelve years later and titled Nashville 12, and most of the original players agreed to appear. In the script for the sequel, Lily Tomlin's character, Linnea, is running for political office; and Barnett now managing Connie White and obsessed with a Barbara Jean impersonator.
Climax
The shooting of Barbara Jean in the climactic scene predated, but eerily mirrored, what would be the murder of John LennonJohn Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
in 1980. In an interview on the DVD, Altman remarks that after Lennon's death, reporters questioned the director about "Nashville" and its harbinger of the assassination of a music star.
- Robert Altman: "When John Lennon got assassinated, I get a call immediately from the Washington Post and they said 'do you feel responsible for this?' and I said 'what do you mean responsible?' 'Well I mean you're the one that predicted there would be a political assassination of a star'. 'And I said 'well I don't feel responsible', but I said, 'but don't you feel responsible for not heeding my warning?' The statement here is, these people are not assassinated because of their ideas or what they do. They're assassinated to draw attention to the assassin. And in political assassinations, in their sort of warped minds, they know that they are going to have a certain amount of people who said 'That son of a bitch [the politician] should have been shot,' because there's such heat about it. But actually what they are doing is killing somebody who's in the public eye and is some sort of an icon. Because this feeling that by, doing that, committing that assassination they draw the attention to themself, and they make themselves consequently important. Ah, and it's no surprise to me, the Lennon assassination, because this is what all that is, and I don't think we have seen the end of it either."