Tanner on Tanner

Watch Tanner on Tanner

  • 2004
  • 1 hr 49 min

Tanner on Tanner is a made-for-television mockumentary film co-written and directed by Robert Altman. It is a follow-up to his 1988 miniseries, Tanner '88, and was broadcast on the Sundance Channel in 2004. The film stars Cynthia Nixon, who plays Alex Tanner, the daughter of the titular character, Jack Tanner (played by Michael Murphy), who ran for President in the 1988 election as a fictional candidate.

The film is set in 2004, during the United States Presidential election, and follows Alex Tanner as she attempts to make her own documentary about her father's failed campaign, in which he lost the Democratic nomination to Gary Hart. The film explores themes of family, politics, media, and the role of documentary-making in modern society.

Alex, now a filmmaker herself, sets out to find the people who worked on her father's campaign, to interview them and get their perspective on the events of 1988. She is joined by a crew of young filmmakers, including her assistant, Emma (played by Ilana Levine), and her cameraman, Jay (played by Matt Malloy).

Throughout the film, Alex struggles to balance her personal life with her work, as she deals with relationship problems and her difficult relationship with her father. Meanwhile, her crew become increasingly disillusioned with her project, as they feel that she is not pushing hard enough to get the real story and is too concerned with portraying her father in a positive light.

The film is shot in a naturalistic style, with the camera often lingering on the faces of the characters as they talk. Altman uses a mix of handheld and tripod shots, creating a sense of intimacy and immediacy, and the film is edited together in a loose, improvisational way, with overlapping dialogue and scenes blending into each other.

The film's cast is excellent, with Nixon giving a nuanced and subtle performance as Alex, and Murphy reprising his role as Jack with just the right balance of charisma and pomposity. The supporting cast, including Pamela Reed as Alex's mother, and a host of real-life political figures playing themselves, also give strong performances.

One of the film's standout moments is a sequence in which Alex interviews real-life documentarian Michael Moore, who delivers a scathing critique of the state of politics and the media in America. The scene is masterfully shot and edited, with Altman intercutting footage from Moore's documentaries to emphasize his points.

Overall, Tanner on Tanner is a smart, engaging film that manages to be both funny and insightful. Altman's direction is as sharp as ever, and the film is a fascinating exploration of the intersection between politics and media. While it may not have the same impact as Tanner '88, it is a worthy follow-up and a must-see for anyone interested in political documentaries.

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Description
  • Release Date
    2004
  • Runtime
    1 hr 49 min
  • Language
    English