Raymond Carver’s short stories don’t just come to life in Robert Altman’s poignant adaptation of middle-class malaise: they intertwine seamlessly, so much so that it only takes a few minutes for the film’s setting to feel familiar, like you’ve been to this part of LA and seen these people in the peripheral your whole life. There are a total of twenty-two main characters in this movie; it shouldn’t have worked. A lesser director will make it feel clunky, forced, and uneven, with actors out-mugging each other for screen time. But leave it to Altman to make the characters’ struggles feel equally weighty and compelling. It helps, too, that the cast is comprised of a who’s who of top-notch performers (character actors then, a-list stars now) that include Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Jason Leigh, Julianne Moore, Jack Lemmon, Andie MacDowell, Tim Robbins, and Frances McDormand. They play everyday people plopped into moral and ethical dilemmas that range from relatable to absurd to downright dark. You never know what you’re gonna get in the next scene, but you’re sure to see someone from another slice of life.

The ensemble cast!