Gender and other natural disasters

>> Robert Altman on Richard Gere, Farrah and Dr. T and the Women

by MATTHEW HAYS

Robert Altman fans will recognize the territory. A vast, sprawling and rather bizarre cast, this time including Richard Gere, Farrah Fawcett, Shelley Long, Laura Dern, Kate Hudson, Liv Tyler, Lee Grant and Andy Richter. Scenes that unravel in complex, unexpected ways, yet still feel decidedly natural. And a final act of nature brings the film to a crashing halt.

The Altman we remember from Nashville, Short Cuts and The Player is back, this time rearing his head through the office of gynecologist Dr. T, played by Gere. He's been very faithful (yes, Altman is casting against type), but his fidelity is challenged when his wife (played with unnerving precision by Fawcett) loses her sanity in the local mall, stripping herself of her clothes and frolicking in the shopping centre's fountain. She's then institutionalized for the remainder of the film. Gere's daughter (Hudson), meanwhile, is planning her wedding, but is romantically preoccupied with her bridesmaid (Tyler).

What's perhaps most surprising about Dr. T is the way in which Altman holds his disparate ensemble together. These folks work as a team, despite differences in style. "Richard is a fine actor," says Altman. "He was definitely our first choice. I felt lucky to get him."

Whoa, lucky to have Gere in an Altman film? Isn't Altman, like Woody Allen or Martin Scorsese, one of those directors who gets whomever he wants? "Oh no, there have been movie stars who've turned me down," he says, claiming he can't recall any specific names. "Most of my films are ensemble pieces anyway, so it's not necessarily that glorious for the actors. But actors usually want to work with me. It's the agents who are adverse, because I don't really pay that much."

Flap over Farrah

Altman is still answering questions about another of Dr. T's casting calls. Fawcett's onscreen breakdown in Dr. T struck a major chord with audiences and critics at the Toronto International Film Festival last month, where the film premiered. Some charged that it was exploitative, after her ultra-public meltdown on Late Night with David Letterman over a year ago.

"That's stupid and absolutely insane," says Altman. "She didn't actually have a breakdown on that show. That Letterman fellow totally confused her. She's very shy. He's the one who exploited her. You talk as though she's a crazy person--she's one of the most prepared and careful actors. But I guess they get you in the barrel and everybody shoots at you. That role was written long before she took it. In fact, it was originally offered to Goldie Hawn."

Again, as the director did with films like Nashville (which closes with a Kennedy-esque shooting) and Short Cuts (an earthquake), Dr. T is brought to closure with a vicious and contrived act. "A story can certainly be enhanced by elemental things which change the course of our lives," he explains. "Every time a volcano erupts and there are 8,000 people dead, you find people building houses there within a year. The force of nature is a great element within the dramatic process."

Confounding critical consensus

Reaction to Altman's films--from M.A.S.H to Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean to McCabe and Mrs. Miller--have always proven varied. Dr. T is no exception, with critics at the TO Fest either loving or hating it. Don't rely on Altman to predict the reaction. "When I finish a film, I always think everyone is going to want to see it. Then I'm hit in the face with either a baseball bat or a fly swatter," Altman says in his thick Missouri accent. "That kind of arrogance goes with being an artist. Naturally I like it, because I'm doing it. I'm shocked when people aren't agreeing."

Altman made headlines outside of entertainment sections of newspapers last month when he stated bluntly that if George W. Bush should win the U.S. presidential race, Altman would leave the country. "I was saying that a bit jokingly. Actually, I said that I would move to Paris, Texas, because then he wouldn't be in that state. But really, Bush and Cheney would be a disaster--daddy and his daddy's cronies taking over.

"I like Ralph Nader, but a vote for him would be a protest vote that would be pointless. I think Gore is terrific. No, he's not a great actor, but he's a terrific person." :

Dr. T and the Women opens Friday, Oct. 13