Nashville

In 1975, Paul Reubens was a struggling actor living in Los Angeles before joining the seminal improvisation troupe The Groundlings. That year, Robert Altman released Nashville, one of his most revered films and a masterwork of the American New Wave. A huge, eclectic cast (“With 24—count ‘em, 24!—of your very favorite stars!”) ad-libbed the lion’s share of their dialogue, while writing and singing their own songs. With cinematographer Paul Lohmann’s camera continuously zooming in, out, and across numerous Music City locations, Nashville is a complexly textured portrayal and critique of American obsessions with celebrity and power.