Robert Altman: Jumping Off the Cliff: A Biography of the Great American Director

Patrick McGilligan's thoroughly detailed biography of Robert Atlman is nothing short of one of the greatest film books of all time. McGilligan's style is exhaustive, yet easy to read, covering all the bases of Altman the man, his life and his films. Even though it is apparent that McGilligan is a huge fan of Altman's work, he never writes with a bias. His analysis is totally fair and balanced, pointing out the both the failures and successes of both Altman the person and his films. By the end of the book, you really feel you have gotten to know the great filmmaker and have been along for the ride on all of his many exploits. The only problem with the book is that it was published in 1989, and hasn't been updated since. While Altman's first golden period (the 1970s) is obviously well covered, we are deprived on McGilligan's analysis of Altman's second golden age (1992's "The Player" up to the present). After re-reading this book recently, I was left with a nagging desire to read McGilligan's take on Altman's career in the last 15 years. His thoughts on the twin triumphs of "The Player" and "Short Cuts," or on "Pret a Porter" (which is hinted at in the last chapter), or Altman's very personal "Kansas City" (the book has a heavy emphasis on Altman's KC upbringing), or Altman's ordeal over "The Gingerbread Man," and especially "Gosford Park" are needed. Please, Mr. McGilligan, update this fantastic book!