I think there are a few reasons this film didn't live up to my expectations. The main one is probably that I made sure to read all 10 Raymond Carver pieces that were used for the screenplay. I'm the kind of person who prefers to read a book/play/short story before I see any filmed version of it. This is usually a good idea, but not in this case. Altman is creating his own world with SHORT CUTS--there are elements of Carver, but it's not a straight adaptation of that master storyteller's work. I'm afraid knowing the stories may have cut down on my enjoyment of this movie. It's a strong film, but didn't sweep me up the way that the other 90s Altman pictures I've seen (THE PLAYER and COOKIE'S FORTUNE) were able to do. I wasn't surprised that Altman chose to focus on the darker, earlier work of Carver--it fits his filmmaking style much better than the warmer stories that Carver wrote in the final years of his life.
My advice to anyone about to watch SHORT CUTS is to hold off on reading the Carver stories (if you have any intention of reading them) until after you've seen SHORT CUTS. If you are a stranger to Carver's work, I hope that your curiosity will be piqued by this film. I'd also watch this film before MAGNOLIA if you can--I think you'll be more open to appreciating SHORT CUTS than I was.
My advice to anyone about to watch SHORT CUTS is to hold off on reading the Carver stories (if you have any intention of reading them) until after you've seen SHORT CUTS. If you are a stranger to Carver's work, I hope that your curiosity will be piqued by this film. I'd also watch this film before MAGNOLIA if you can--I think you'll be more open to appreciating SHORT CUTS than I was.