The Player poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher ... see more see more... , Brion James , Cynthia Stevenson , Vincent D'Onofrio , Lyle Lovett

Griffin Mill (Tim Robbins) is a Hollywood producer with a studio executive girlfriend Bonnie Sherow (Cynthia Stevenson). Mill's job is to hear story pitches from screenwriters and decide which films h... read more read more...ave the potential to get made and which films get rejected. His job is suddenly in danger, though, when up-and-comer Larry Levi (Peter Gallagher) begins work at the studio. Rumors swirl that Griffin may be replaced soon by Levi. Griffin has also been receiving threatening postcards, presumably from a disgruntled writer whose pitch he rejected.Griffin delves through records and surmises that the disgruntled writer is David Kahane (Vincent D'Onofrio), who had previously pitched a script to him. Griffin calls Kahane's home and is told by a woman, June (Greta Scacchi), that Kahane is at a movie theatre. Griffin goes to the theatre in Pasadena and offers Kahane a scriptwriting deal, hoping this will stop the threats. However, Kahane gets intoxicated and rebuffs Griffin's offer. He denies that he sent Griffin any postcards. Kahane pushes Griffin in the parking lot and the two men scuffle. In a rage, Griffin accidentally kills Kahane. Thinking fast, Griffin makes the death look like a robbery gone wrong.The next day at work, he receives another postcard, confirming that his stalking writer is still at large. Griffin attends Kahane's funeral and connects with Kahane's girlfriend, June. Studio chief of security Walter Stuckel (Fred Ward) confronts Griffin about the murder and says that Pasadena Police know Griffin was the last one to see Kahane alive. Pasadena detectives Susan Avery (Whoopi Goldberg) and DeLongpre (Lyle Lovett) suspect that Griffin is guilty of murder. They question him and DeLongpre starts to keep an eye on Griffin. The stalking writer leaves a rattlesnake in Griffin's car, causing a near-death experience that makes Griffin realize how he has sudden and deep feelings for June. With his girlfriend Bonnie out of town, Griffin takes June to a Hollywood awards banquet and their relationship grows.Meanwhile, with Levi ever encroaching on his job, Griffin sees an opportunity to save his position. He hears a pitch idea from two writers about a film called Habeas Corpus and instantly recognizes huge problems with the downbeat story. However, he manages to convince Levi that the pitch is golden and the movie will be a guaranteed Oscar contender. Griffin plans to let Levi shepherd the film through production and have it flop miserably. Then Griffin will step in at the last moment and suggest some basic changes to salvage the film's box office potential, letting him reclaim his position at the studio. The Pasadena detectives call Griffin in for a lineup after a witness to Kahane's death comes forward. Griffin catches a big break when the witness identifies the wrong man, Detective DeLongpre, who was placed in the lineup with the other suspects.One year later, studio power players are watching the end of Habeas Corpus with its tacked-on upbeat ending. Griffin's plan to "save" the movie worked like a charm and he is now a studio executive. While driving home, he gets a pitch over the phone from a man who reveals himself as the postcard writer. The man pitches an idea about a studio executive who kills a writer and gets away with murder. Griffin recognizes the pitch as blackmail and immediately agrees to give the writer a deal. The writer's title for the film is The Player. The movie ends by showing that June is now Griffin's wife and pregnant with his child.

Flixster Users

83% liked it

17,953 ratings

Critics

98% liked it

52 critics

R, 2 hr. 4 min.

Directed by: Robert Altman

Release Date: April 10, 1992

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: July 16, 1997

Get It:

Stats: 892 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Tim Robbins in The Player Tim Robbins in The Player Cynthia Stevenson and Tim Robbins in a scene from The Player
Upload a Photo | View All The Player Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (892)

  • fb1664868775
    October 28, 2011
    fb1664868775
    A masterpiece only overshadowed by his next film (Short Cuts), Altman's Hollywood satire is a hilarious and disturbing look at Hollywood.
  • CloudStrife84
    August 10, 2011
    CloudStrife84
    Kind of like a 2-hour episode of HBO's Entourage, only with less sex and more seriously-toned drama. The writing and directing is really quite impressive, but what will surely get your attention is the sparkling cast. Besides the main ensemble with Tim Robbins in the lead,... read more cameos include names like Cher, John Cusack, Angelica Houston, Burt Reynolds and Jeff Goldblum. And that's just to mention a few. It even stars Jeremy "Ari Gold" Piven in a minor role, which really underlined the whole "Entourage feel". So if you happen to be a film buff (which I assume most of you are) or a fan of said show, you should definitely take the time to give this one a go.
  • fb619846742
    May 10, 2011
    fb619846742
    A beautiful slice of satire that only a true auteur like Robert Altman could craft so well, dealing with a Hollywood exec (Tim Robbins), who deals with stars on a daily basis, and how his life changes when he gets embroiled in an accidental murder case, in which he is clearly gui... read morelty. While it has the typical Altman traits (muddled talking, a detached feeling from the characters), this thing really comes together in striking fashion near its conclusion, when the laughs really start to take off and the brilliance of the film as a whole can no longer be denied. It does have some slow stretches (and one could argue it goes on a little too long), however, this is still a fine, fine piece of cinema that should definitely be seen by those who loves movies just as much as this film does.
  • stevenecarrier
    April 11, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    Robert Altman's "The Player" is, to me, the cream of the crop. 1990s films don't get much better. This is a biting Hollywood satire that completely shines when dipping into meta-narrative. The performances are nuanced, fun and effective. The humor is scathing and the dialogue is ... read morewitty and memorable. The cinematography is typically Altman-eque; the man knew how to move a camera. Also, "The Player" vibrates with characters, always adding that immediacy Altman works best with. "The Player" is nothing but engrossing fun with a wicked black heart.
  • jennifxu
    July 9, 2009
    jennifxu
    This is one of the few movies that Altman directed that doesn't overuse the overlapping dialogue, and for that I thank him. I love how this movie is so hilarious in the weirdest places, and how it crosses genre into the venues of thriller and crime (sometimes it even reminded me ... read moreof Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors), and how the masses of cameo talent just breeze in and out without a thought. I enjoy this film not only as a satire, but as an actual movie.
  • kiriyamakazou
    August 8, 2008
    kiriyamakazou
    Fantastically intelligent satire on the Hollywood system without ever disappearing up its own arse. The opening shot alone pretty much sums up the irony of the film which extends to the overall thriller narrative. All the stars excel in their cameos and the ones who are acting su... read morech as Robbins, Ward and Goldberg really are sensational. The scenes at the police station are unlike those from any other film and the "Hollywood" ending of both the film and the film within a film are hilariously spectacular. Robbins is always likable despite mostly being a little shit, it's the sympathy he brings with the roll that works so well. It's witty, smart and best of all accessible.
  • YosemiteSamFan
    July 30, 2007
    YosemiteSamFan
    A novel approach to behind-the-scenes Hollywood scriptwriting society. It's black comedy with a lot of cool cameo appearances by the contemporary stars of the time. It has some nice commentary on the film industry. I wouldn't call it brilliant however.
  • DrZeek
    June 1, 2007
    DrZeek
    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.

    A very good Hollywood satire portraying the early 90s movie cultu... read morere. This is a movie that goes right along as a companion piece with American Psycho, another satire focused on 80s culture. Both of these films are darkly hilarious.

    Tim Robbins stars as a studio executive who's job is to say yes or no to movie pitches. He starts to receive death letters from a screenwriter he has rejected and attempts to take matters into his own hand. What follows is a mix of Hitchcock thriller and satirical plays the life of someone involved in Hollywood.

    Hitchcock isn't the only clear reference hear, director Robert Altman takes cues from all sorts of movies. First example comes in the opening shot of the movie, which is a very long and has actors coming in and out discussing other films with long, continuous shots.

    The supporting cast, which includes Fred Ward, Peter Gallagher, and Whoopi Goldberg among others are all very good as well. This movie is also a who's who of early 90s popularity, as it features over 50 celebrity cameos, all of whom improv their presence on screen.

    A lot of the dialogue throughout the movie is improvised, and a lot of it is very funny. Though some of the humor is very subtle, it is easily a movie that I can watch again soon because it is very enjoyable.

    Andy Civelli: Griffin, you move in mysterious ways, but I like it! I like it!
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    April 2, 2007
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    One of Altman's very best.
  • deano
    December 18, 2006
    deano
    This wickedly delicious satire on Hollywood tells us more about the industry than any documentary ever could.

View All The Player Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
April 28, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

[It's] supposed to be scathing, but the pleasure it affords is like what you get from watching the Oscars: celebrity spotting and in-jokes. Full Review

Variety Staff
April 28, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

Mercilessly satiric yet good-natured, this enormously entertaining slam dunk quite possibly is the most resonant Hollywood saga since the days of Sunset Blvd. and The Bad and the Beautiful. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 23, 2004
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

A movie about today's Hollywood -- hilarious and heartless in about equal measure, and often at the same time. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

Mr. Altman's most subversive message here is not that it's possible to get away with murder in Hollywood, but that the most grievous sin, in Hollywood terms anyway, is to make a film that flops.

Peter Travers
June 6, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

[Altman] sticks it to every target, himself and us included, with a wicked zest that hurts only when you laugh.

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

The Player is a rare commodity. It's brilliant and a guilty pleasure. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Altman loves practical jokes, and The Player is his craftiest prank, his jolly last laugh. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
February 13, 2011
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Amusing black comedy on Tinseltown. Full Review

Mike McGranaghan
September 11, 2010
Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat

The Player can be admired even more now than it was at the time, because it so succinctly diagnosed the sickness that still causes Hollywood to churn out too much soulless "product." Full Review

John J. Puccio
August 30, 2010
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

Altman performs a bit of legerdemain, poking fun at the film industry while simultaneously paying tribute to it. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Ed Wood
    Ed Wood (40%)
  • For Your Consideration
    For Your Consideration (80%)
  • What Just Happened?
    What Just Happened? (100%)
  • The Wizard of Speed and Time
    The Wizard of Speed and Time (100%)

More Movies like The Player

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Player : Watch Free on TV

The Player Trivia

  • This movie is a satire of Hollywood establishment, concerning the consequences of blind ambition.  Answer »
  • In which movie does adam sandler play an imprisoned NFL player and is forced to create a team to beat the prison guards?  Answer »
  • In the movie, "A Few Good Men". What did Tom Cruise tell Kevin Bacon in the bar when he got mad at him?  Answer »
  • which actress played a young tennis player in the movie WIMBLEDON?   Answer »
More The Player Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The Player. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Player to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?