Nashville (1975)

Though Robert Altman certainly didn’t invent the idea of a large ensemble film with intersecting characters and plotlines (see: Grand Hotel), he certainly was its master. Off the top of my head there is MASH, Nashville, A Wedding, Short Cuts, Prêt-à-Porter, Gosford Park and A Prairie Home Companion. Sure some were more successful than others, but that’s to be expected with a career that spanned multiple decades and dozens of films. Yet even at their most mediocre, there was still always something special to be found there. Something rough and jagged that another filmmaker would have certainly smoothed out. Need proof? Just look at the poor facsimiles that Gary Marshall has attempted with Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve. Even the great imitations like Dazed and Confused or Magnolia miss the mark slightly by tying things up a little too nicely in the end. Altman wasn’t afraid to leave some threads dangling because - that’s life man. Life is messy and unpredictable. The good guys don’t always win, the bad guys don’t always lose and sometimes we’re not sure how we’re supposed to feel about an outcome. While this might fill some with anxiety and anger, Robert Altman calmly replied with, “It don’t worry me.”