FRANCE: FILM DIRECTOR ROBERT ALTMAN TALKS ABOUT HIS LATEST MOVIE "DR T AND THE WOMEN" SCREENED AT THE DEAUVILLE FILM FESTIVAL

Record ID: 390117

  • Title: FRANCE: FILM DIRECTOR ROBERT ALTMAN TALKS ABOUT HIS LATEST MOVIE "DR T AND THE WOMEN" SCREENED AT THE DEAUVILLE FILM FESTIVAL
  • Date: 5th September 2000
  • Summary: DEAUVILLE, NORMANDY, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 5, 2000) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALTMAN SAYING "When we developed the script I said this is the guy. The idea of Richard Gere, to play a gynecologist was irresistible to me. Imagine a woman going to a gynaecologist and on the table with their legs in the air, She looks up between her legs and sees Richard Gere
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2000 13:00
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  • Location: DEAUVILLE, NORMANDY, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA1J2PZ9RV4BTN43PFWNNFRD5JU
  • Story Text: Hot on the heels of the screening debut of his latest film, "Dr T and the Women", at the Venice Film Festival, American film director Robert Altman arrived in Deauville, France to show his work to French audiences.
    Altman spoke to Reuters about the film's qualities.
    Altman's "Dr T and the Women is set in Dallas, Texas and is based on a gynecologist, Dr Sullivan Travis a man who at work and home is surrounded by hoards of women.
    One of the city's elite doctors, Travis's (Richard Gere) practice is permanently overbooked and behind schedule despite the efforts of his staff. Glamourous women flock to his surgery daily - to be given the 'once over' by Dallas's most gorgeous doctor.
    Unfortunately, home life is boiling over for Travis too.
    His wife of many years has regressed into a childlike state just as plans for the forthcoming wedding of their elder, cheerleading daughter come to a head. To add to that stress, his divorced sister-in-law moves in with her three little girls.
    As tension mounts in the Travis household, when Dr T's second daughter begins to question the sexuality of the bride to be, the good doctor turns to the arms of a new woman, the local golf pro at his club.
    The film was written by Anne Rapp and is a true reflection of life for many women in Dallas, Texas says Altman.
    "Actually it's a kind of accurate look at that class or level of women in Texas. In Dallas, there is no sea, no mountains, there is no reason for that city to be there. There are a lot of rich women there because Dallas is the headquarters for a lot of big companies and they don't have anything to do but go shopping. They dress like that, they dress to go shopping, dress to go out I think they are probably bored because there is not much to do," he said.
    The role of the doctor is paramount to the mood of the movie and Altman who surprised critics with his choice, believes his casting of Gere as the lead, was vital for the film's comedic content.
    "When we developed the script I said this is the guy. The idea of Richard Gere, to play a gynecologist was irresistible to me. Imagine a woman going to a gynecologist and on the table with their legs in the air ..She looks up between her legs and sees Richard Gere, I thinks that's very funny, drole to me," he said.
    "Dr T and the Women" which also stars Helen Hunt as the golf pro, Farraw Fawcett as his wife and Laura Dern as his alcoholic sister-in-law is expected to be released in the United States within the next two months. Although the storyline could be and will be deemed by some women to be anti-women says Altman, it will be understood and appreciated by most.
    "I don't think there will be a controversy. A lot of women journalists who have to write about it, have to say what they feel about it will take a politically correct thing (stance) and say this is against women. Au, contraire (in French), I think it 's a love letter to women. it was written by a woman, it's about women. What I found out is that women get the picture just like that, they understand the picture much better than the men. The men first look at it at the dirty joke level, as it developed that changed but the women get it right away," he said.
    "Dr T and the Women" will go on general release in Europe in late autumn.
    Altman, from Kansas City in the United States is known for his prolific career in cinema. He's previously directed "M.A.S.H.", "Nashville", "The Player" and "Cookie's Fortune"
    among many others.
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