DR T AND THE WOMEN

US, 2000, 122 minutes, Colour.
Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Farrah Fawcett, Laura Dern, Shelley Long, Tara Reed, Kate Hudson, Liv Tyler.
Directed by Robert Altman.

Dr T and the Women is, according to director Robert Altman, his love letter to the women of Texas. However, it would be interesting to hear a women's group discuss the film. Though written by a woman, Anne Rapp (who also wrote Altman's Cookie's Fortune) all the women in the film seem to be either stupid or self-centred. Richard Gere's Dr T seems the only rounded character and the main one with sympathy. It is his film and, in some sense, his redemption.

Altman uses his usual style of tracking characters, for example in the opening sequence in the waiting room of Dr T's surgery. There is also a wedding (reminiscent of his film The Wedding) and a cross-section of characters. Since most of them belong to a family, the film seems more compact than many of Altman's other films.

Richard Gere is believable in the central role, playing a character his age (50). Farrah Fawcett has a good role as his wife who is mentally ill. Helen Hunt is a no-nonsense gold professional. Laura Dern is a caricature of a Texas matron. Shelley Long is the long-suffering attendant at the clinic. Tara Reid and Kate Hudson (Goldie Hawn's daughter and like her in some mannerisms) are the two daughters and Liv Tyler is the family friend.

The film is very light, full of caricature of Texans, a world of glamour and women's problems, men and hunting and golf - with a tornado at the end which turns the film into something of a fable with a self-sacrificing finale for Dr T.

1. The style of Robert Altman's films? Multi-storied, multi-charactered, the camera weaving in and out of people's lives and interactions? The Altmanesque style?

2. Dallas, Texas, the city itself, the women's surgery, the malls and shops, the golf courses, hunting ranges, homes? Affluent Texas? Idiosyncratic and eccentric? The musical score and the songs by Lyle Lovett commenting on the characters and their actions?

3. Richard Gere as Dr T? His work in the surgery, the crowds, his pleasant and affirming manner? His concern about his wife and her illness, the scenes with her, his compassion and love, listening to Dr Harper and her explanations of the illness, explaining them to his sister-in-law and daughters? His desperation? His going to the hospital and wanting to see her, her claiming him as her brother? The bedroom scene and her saying that sex was not nice? His trying to cope? The relationship with his daughters? Having his sister-in-law and her children in his house? With Carolyn and her devotion? The individual patients, Dorothy and her hypochondria, the patient wanting his support for naming a freeway after a Dallas woman? His going to the meeting? His male friends and their hunting, talk, golf? The encounter with Bree, the friendship, the talk, playing golf with her, his being weary and her listening, going home with her, the beginning of the affair? His reliance on her, meals together, ringing her up, her coming to the office - and yet her breezily going off to New Orleans? The repercussions of the wedding, Connie telling him about Dee Dee and her lesbianism? His examining Marilyn? His wanting help from Bree? The wedding, the farce, his laughing, getting in the car and driving away, going to Bree and her rejection of him? His phrasing the dream future as a male chauvinist fairy tale and her rejection of it? The tornado, the gale force blowing him away, landing in the desert, the young girls, being called to deliver the baby? His exhilaration in bringing the baby to birth? A symbol of his future or not?

4. Kate and her going to the mall, not in contact with her daughters, wandering Tiffany's, wandering the mall, dropping her clothes, going into the fountain, being arrested? Sully's visit to her in prison? Dr Harper and the explanations of the Hestia complex? Her retreating to infantile stances? Sully's explanation of the illness - the woman who has everything, nothing to strive for, pampered by love? Her retreat into this world, at the institution, claiming Sully as her brother? At the wedding and the same symptoms - with the guard from the institute with her? Her forever being ill?

5. Peggy and her divorce, the Texas matron, drinking, a caricature of the respectable woman always trying to get a nip? Her three children and the playing at home, baking the cakes, the maid helping? Her relationship to Peggy, trying to help Sully? The phone calls from Connie wanting her on-side, the phone calls from Dee Dee wanting her on-side? Trying to be all things to everyone?

6. Dee Dee and Connie, their relationship with their mother, with their father? Going to the mall, the dresses, the shops? Connie and her jealousy? Dictating to Dee Dee about not having the wedding outdoors (and being justified)? Not wanting Marilyn as maid of honour? Her own work in guiding people around the Kennedy sites - and the parody of Kennedy conspiracy theories, museums? Her telling her father the truth about Dee Dee? Reassuring her father about herself? Dee Dee, the wedding (and the audience not seeing the bridegroom until the ceremony itself)? Her work as a cheerleader, on the mobile phone, being reprimanded? Her wanting Marilyn to be maid of honour, the friendship with Marilyn, the kiss? Connie and the confrontation? Marilyn and her friendship, being fitted out with the dress, going to the doctor for an examination, her perception about Dr T's reaction? The Graduate-like farce and the bride running off with the maid of honour?

7. The clinic and the staff, the busyness, the style of clients? The range of women's problems? Dorothy and her hypochondria and seductive style? Her being tripped by the old woman and going to hospital - and rejecting Sully? Joanne and her smoking, asking Sully to help her with the council, the meeting? The other women, the pandemonium? Carolyn and her devotion, managing everything, intervening, covering up - and he parody of her would-be massage and seduction sequence? Under the desk? Her finally giving her notice?

8. The golf club, the men, men's talk, hunting, shooting, golf?

9. Bree and her arrival, the young men and their reaction? Her professionalism and skills? With Sully, their friendship, the new clubs and helping him? On the golf course and the sprinklers? Taking him home, the beginning of the affair? Their meetings, his dependence on her? Problems with Kate and her sympathy? His hopes for the future? Her coming to the office, her comments on Dee Dee and the lesbianism? Matter-of-fact, jocose? Her going to New Orleans - and her seemingly cavalier attitudes? Sully finally going to her, her expecting the other man, her not being able to go with him? Her attitudes towards men and her relationships?

10. The detail of life in Dallas? Malls, women's meetings, hens' parties? The Council? Golf clubs?

11. The build-up to the wedding, the glamour, the style? The farce and the elopement? The storm and everything blown to pieces? The special effects of the tornado? The meaning of the finale and Sully and his life in helping women to be creative and give birth?

12. Themes of men and women, relationships? Men's perspective, women's perspective?