HealtH

This was the very first film I was in as an actor. Robert Altman himself chose me as "The Carrot" after casting director Rick Sparks suggested me for the role. The total experience filming was nothing but positive. Mr. Altman was a delight to work with and watch him gleefully direct his cast of repertory actors. The film was "shelved" for a few years before it was finally released nationwide in limited release. His films are more for "groupies" who "get" his brand of humor, where today Christopher Guest's improvisational films featuring a "rep" group of actors seem to be more widely accepted and understood. Mr. Altman is a sincere passionate director and lets his ensemble of players breathe life into the improvisational scenes. Carol Burnett is a class act on and off the screen. Glenda Jackson equals her. Lauren Bacall was more aloof. James Garner would spend hours signing autographs on the beach for the gallery of fans in the hot sun following the long hours of shooting. He is the consummate pro. Many people may not "get" HEALTH, but it was way ahead of its time and today would be a hit with the world's political scene more controversial as this cast of characters is. P.S. I played "the carrot" in the opening and closing scenes! how's that for getting "roots" as an actor?

As disjointed as it is, HEALTH is still light years more clever than a lot of movies that get wide release so it's a real head scratcher why it sat on the shelf for so long...and is pretty much forgotten now. Assembling his standard large cast, director Robert Altman makes some pointed comments on the hypocrisy of many health food aficionados. Lauren Bacall and Glenda Jackson are well-used as rivals vying for president of a national health organization. Bacall is the best thing in the movie as she claims to be in her eighties --- and has a dog in his forties to boot! She's also senile and kept alive by a sex-starved nurse and a shady manager. Jackson is the clipped tongue naturalist who views herself some sort of Jesus figure for the Health conscious set. Carol Burnett is terrific as a government representative who grows more and more wary of the health movement the more she is exposed to it. Her interview scene with Dick Cavett, as himself, is priceless. James Garner plays Bacall's manager and he's appropriately caddish. Henry Gibson is a hoot as a political dirty trickster. Paul Dooley and Alfre Woodard have a few funny moments as well.

I was mesmereized by this movie when it played on 1983 summer TV, but haven't been able to see it again, even though I've been searching off and on (mostly off) for 20+ years.

Apparently, no one else in the known universe has anything good to say about HEALTH. Perhaps I won't, either, on a second watching. But on that first watching it was one of the best, funniest, quirkiest movies I'd ever seen. I've actually been recommending it to some of my friends ever since.

Contrary to what one commenter noted, I did recently see a reference to it on VHS, but I was hoping to find it on DVD. I guess a director's commentary would be too much to ask for <g>.

Having only seen two of his pictures previously, I've come to terms with Altman. Before, though, I always labeled his style of film-making "boring." You just have to be in the right mind to appreciate his crazy genius.

"HealtH" is fairly underrated, and very questionably out of print. In fact, I don't think it's ever even been issued to VHS. Why is that? When all of these crappy films get DVD releases daily, this one is left behind for no good reason? Honestly, I had no real problems with this film. It was, for the most part, consistently amusing and funny. Almost all of the scenes are mysteriously interesting for some reason, be it the wonderful dialogue or the subtle performances. There is real skill here.

And Paul Dooley's stint on the bottom of the pool halfway through is fascinating.

If you can, try to find a copy of this forgotten little gem. It's not perfect, but it's much better than most of the sludge out there getting DVD releases. Hell, I'd be happy with a nice VHS copy of this thing.

It's often on the Fox Movie Channel, though, so look out for it.

In the classic sense of the four humors (which are not specific to the concept of funny or even entertainment), Altman's "H.E.A.L.T.H." treats all of the humors, and actually in very funny, entertaining ways. There's the Phlegm, as personified by Lauren Bacall's very slow, guarded, and protective character Esther Brill, who's mission in life appears to be all about appearance, protecting the secrets of her age and beauty more than her well-being. There's Paul Dooley's Choleric Dr. Gil Gainey, who like a fish out of water (perhaps more like a seal) flops around frenetically, barking and exhorting the crowds to subscribe to his aquatic madness. The Melancholy of Glenda Jackson's Isabella Garnell smacks of Shakespeare's troubled and self-righteous Hamlet -- even proffering a soliloquy or two. And let's not forget Henry Gibson's Bile character, Bobby Hammer ("The breast that feeds the baby rules the world"). Then there's the characters Harry Wolff and Gloria Burbank (James Garner and Carol Burnett, respectively), relatively sane characters striving to find some kind of balance amongst all the companion and extreme humors who have convened for H.E.A.L.T.H. -- a kind of world trade organization specializing in H.E.A.L.T.H., which is to say anything but health. This is Altman at his classic best.