Changes

After struggling in television for many years, he finally was offered the script for M*A*S*H*, which would change his luck forever. Altman directed the film, and it was a huge success, both with critics and at the box office. It was Altman's highest grossing film.  

After struggling in television for many years, he finally was offered the script for M*A*S*H*, which would change his luck forever. Altman directed the film, and it was a huge success, both with critics and at the box office. It was Altman's highest grossing film.  

He followed it with other critical breakthroughs such as '''McCabe & Mrs. Miller''' (1971), '''The Long Goodbye''' (1974), and '''Nashville''' (1975), which made the distinctive, experimental "Altman style" well known for using overlaping dialogue.

He followed it with other critical breakthroughs such as '''McCabe & Mrs. Miller''' (1971), '''The Long Goodbye''' (1974), and '''Nashville''' (1975), which made the distinctive, experimental "Altman style" well known for using overlapping dialogue.

As a director, Altman favored stories showing the interrelationships between several characters; he stated that he was more interested in character motivation than in intricate plots. As such, he tended to sketch out only a basic plot for the film, referring to the screenplay as a "blueprint" for action, and allowed his actors to improvise dialogue. This is one of the reasons Altman was known as an "actor's director," a reputation that helped him work with large casts of well-known actors, as seen in films like '''The Player''' (1992), '''Short Cuts''' (1993) and '''Gosford Park''' (2001).

As a director, Altman favored stories showing the interrelationships between several characters; he stated that he was more interested in character motivation than in intricate plots. As such, he tended to sketch out only a basic plot for the film, referring to the screenplay as a "blueprint" for action, and allowed his actors to improvise dialogue. This is one of the reasons Altman was known as an "actor's director," a reputation that helped him work with large casts of well-known actors, as seen in films like '''The Player''' (1992), '''Short Cuts''' (1993) and '''Gosford Park''' (2001).