Afterwards the screening more than a dozen members of the cast and crew assembled to talk about their memories
of working with each other 25 years ago on the movie.
Robert Altman began by acknowledging those who had passed away such as Keenan Wynn, Gwen Welles and DP Paul Lohmann and second unit director Tommy Thompson. Then he told the usual story he tells: "I wanted to make a film -- Thieves Like Us -- and they said, ‘Okay, but you have to make a country-western film for us.’ They had just bought a Country Western label and they had a script that was to star Tom Jones. I didn’t like the script so I told them I won’t do that, but I will do a musical about Nashville."
Altman noted that he read the Premiere article and was amazed how everyone remembered the shooting of the film differently. "When I read the article it seemed everyone’s memory of the events was different because they weren’t how I remembered them. I couldn’t believe the lies. They said things that I know didn’t happen that way, yet all the bad stuff I did was there. I guess it’s because everyone looks at things in their own orbit."
Next up was scriptwriter Joan Tewkesbury who said all the events in the movie really did happen. "I went down to Nashville to get a feeling for the place. I took a diary to record what I saw but I just couldn’t find the center of the city. Then I kept running into the same people again and again and then someone I know got into a car accident on the freeway and I thought this is how I can start the movie."
She added that even the odd things about the movie are true too, for instance, "they really do have beauty contests at stock car races." And that at one point: "We were sitting down to watch a concert and some guy came up to us and started talking about his criminal record." She figured all these happenings were just too good so she worked them into the script.
Ronee Blakley (Barbara Jean) talked about the difficult of playing the role but that they were exciting wonderful times they had together. She often felt that without rehearsals she would be lost and that for her tragic singing section midway through she had an idea about what to do. Altman added: "When Ronnee played that breakdown scene she came to me that morning with a piece of paper and she said: ‘I’ve got something I wrote last night’ and I said, ‘Just get up there and do it and if I don’t like it I’ll cut it.’"
Ned Beatty (Delbert Reese) was feeling in a playful mood so when he was asked if he would like to share some of his memories he said, "My favorite memory was Henry (Gibson) and I were having lunch one day and the people who were catering brought in these pies. And they were damn good. Henry Gibson and I started the religion of pie...and it was uplifting."
Karen Black (Connie White) was passed over by Champlin at first and she had a fit. When he finally acknowledged her she talked about how she had written some songs prior to the movie and during the casting sent in one of her songs. She shared a few other memories of enjoying the shoot even though she wasn’t really on the set that long. After a bit of playacting parts on the movie she began to sing a song loudly and out of tune. "Oh I wish I were in Memphis." and suddenly Altman -- playing the director again with a horrified look -- began to motion for her to stop singing.
Charles Champlin introduced Keith Carradine (Tom Frank) with a little story about the time they traveled together over twenty years ago to visit Soviet Georgia. He noted that they did a lot of drinking and toasting and late one drunken evening Keith picked up a guitar and began to play his hit single from the movie "I’m Easy." and the Georgians loved it. Carradine said at the time he felt he wasn’t made for the role, "One of the most vivid memories I have was about half way through the film I felt I’d been terrible miscast." Then he joked, "For some of us these things come a little
late." He added; "I remember gong up to Bob and saying I’m not comfortable, I don’t like what I’m doing and he said, ‘Oh, you’ll be fine’ then he walked away."
Robert DoQui (Wade) was the most eloquent of the group. "The most remarkable thing was working with actors and a director who allowed trust on the set. As actors we need to explore and fall on our face and Robert allowed us a lot of improvisation. You just don’t get that today. Being in tune with your fellow artists is a gift and a blessing and it’s something in this business you don’t see and for that I thank you Bob."
Allen Garfield (Barnett) decided to make-up whatever differences he had with Altman. "Watching the film again is so overwhelming and shattering." Then he told a story about how he got the role. "I was at the Cannes film Festival in 1974 for THE CONVERSATION and Elliot Gould and Donald Sutherland came up to me and asked if I’d like to go to a casino in Nice. I didn’t know any French so I squandered all my money on some aimless game and then some Leprechaun whispers in my ear, ‘If you’re through losing all your money will you talk with me about a movie?’ I turned around and it’s this bearded wizard Robert Altman. He introduced himself and said, ‘I have this great movie for you but you won’t do it. There’s no money and they want me to cast Stacey Keach but you won’t do it.’ So I asked if there was a script and he said he did. The I said, I’ll do it on one condition, that you lend me 5000 francs to get back to Los Angeles and I’ll pay you back." Garfield then noted his feud with Altman, "I chose for personal reasons not to do the Premiere article on the film and then I read where Altman said ‘Garfield
was difficult. Come to think about it Garfield was a bit of an asshole about everyhing.’ So I went up to Bob tonight and I said I read that article and you’re right I was an asshole about everything-- but I’m a decent fellow now."
He then talked about the scene in the end when he and Michael Murphy have a shouting match on the Parthenon steps; "I told Bob I wouldn’t do the scene with the banner because my wife and I aren’t political and Bob said I can’t take them down. This started off gingerly and we went back and forth for 15 minutes then I realize ‘I can do the scene’ but in order to do it we have to get Michael Murphy over here and I’ll give him your lines and I’ll keep my lines and we’ll do the scene. And that’s the confrontation you see between Michael and me."