The Player (film)

The Player is a 1992 film about a Hollywood film studio executive who murders an aspiring screenwriter he believes is sending him death threats. Directed by Robert Altman. Written by Michael Tolkin, based on his 1988 novel. Making movies can be murder.  (taglines) Griffin Mill I was just thinking what an interesting concept it is to eliminate the writer from the artistic process. If we could just get rid of these actors and directors, maybe we've got something here. This is a red wine glass. Can I have my water in a water glass? [after watching The Bicycle Thief] Great movie, huh? So refreshing to see something like this after all these... cop movies and, you know, things we do. Maybe we'll do a remake of this! Can we talk about something other than Hollywood for a change? We're educated people. June Gudmundsdottir I like words and letters, but I'm not crazy about complete sentences. Other Malcolm McDowell: Griffin? Griffin! Hi, how are you? Listen: the next time you want to badmouth me, have the courage to do it to my face. You guys are all the same. Dialogue June Gudmundsdottir: I don't go to movies. Griffin Mill: Why not? June Gudmundsdottir: Life is too short. Griffin Mill: It lacked certain elements that we need to market a film successfully. June Gudmundsdottir: What elements? Griffin Mill: Suspense, laughter, violence. Hope, heart, nudity, sex. Happy endings. Mainly happy endings. June Gudmundsdottir: What about reality? Larry Levy: I'll be there right after my AA meeting. Griffin Mill: Oh Larry, I didn't realize you had a drinking problem. Larry Levy: Well I don't really, but that's where all the deals are being made these days. Griffin Mill: [Asked to look at police mug shots] Um, no. I - I mean, I - You're putting me in a terrible position here. I would - I would hate to get the wrong person arrested. Detective Susan Avery: Oh, please! This is Pasadena. We do not arrest the wrong person. That's L.A.! Detective Susan Avery: Mr. Mill, have you been going to detective school? Griffin Mill: No, actually, we're doing a... a movie right now, called Lonely Room, and Scott Glenn plays a detective much like yourself. Detective Susan Avery: Is he a black woman? Griffin Mill: So, what's the story? Walter Stuckel: Twenty-five words or less? Okay. Movie exec calls writer. Writer's girlfriend says he's at the movies. Exec goes to the movies, meets writer, drinks with writer. Writer gets conked and dies in four inches of dirty water. Movie exec is in deep shit. What do you think? Griffin Mill: That's more than 25 words and it's bullshit. Tom Oakley: [Pitching Habeas Corpus] The DA Breaks into the prison, runs down death row, but he gets there too late. The gas pellets have been dropped. She's dead. I tell you, there's not a dry eye in the house. Griffin Mill: She's dead? Tom Oakley: She's dead. She's dead. Because that's the reality. The innocent die. Griffin Mill: Who's the DA? Tom Oakley: No one. Griffin Mill: No one? Tom Oakley: No stars on this project. We're going out on a limb on one. Andy Civelli: You know, like unknown stage actors or maybe somebody English like what's-his-name. Griffin Mill: Why? Tom Oakley: Why? This story is too damned important to risk being overwhelmed by personality. That's fine for action pictures, but this is special. We want real people. We don't want people coming with any preconceived notions. Griffin Mill: Let's go to Acapulco. June Gudmundsdottir: Is that the thing to do? Griffin Mill: It's a thing to do. Bonnie Sherow: [After screening Habeas Corpus with its revised cast of famous actors and new happy ending] How could you let him sell you out? What about truth? Reality? Tom Oakley: What about the way the old ending tested in Canoga Park? Everybody hated it. We reshot it. Now everybody loves it. That's reality. June Gudmundsdottir: What took you so long? Griffin Mill: Traffic was a bitch. Taglines Making movies can be murder. Now more than ever! Everything you've heard is true! In Hollywood, it's not who you know, it's who you kill. The Best Movie Ever Made!" - Griffin Mill no Cast Tim Robbins - Griffin Mill Greta Scacchi - June Gudmundsdottir Fred Ward - Walter Stuckel Whoopi Goldberg - Detective Avery Peter Gallagher - Larry Levy Brion James - Joel Levison Cynthia Stevenson - Bonnie Sherow Vincent D'Onofrio - David Kahane Dean Stockwell - Andy Civella Richard E. Grant - Tom Oakley Sydney Pollack - Dick Mellon Lyle Lovett - Detective DeLongpre Dina Merrill - Celia Gina Gershon - Whitney Gersh Jeremy Piven - Steve Reeves External links The Player (1992 film) 0105151 The Player player The Player 38437 The Player the-player The Player player The Player Category:1992 films Category:1990s American films Category:Comedy films Category:Films based on novels Category:Films set in Los Angeles Category:Satire films Category:Films directed by Robert Altman