Secrets of the City

C.J. may have all the Lindsay gossip to whet your whistle, but we’ve got juicier tidbits for those interested in the cinematic aspects of the Prairie Home Companion production. First off, there’s the matter of the mysterious rumor of the director who has been tailing Robert Altman on the set — and, some say, basically running daily production of the film. That mystery proxy director is none other than Paul Thomas Anderson (director of Boogie Nights and Magnolia), who will be officially credited later this week as “Executive Producer” on the film. A couple of theories are floating around the set to explain this unusual duo-director scenario. First, the producers of the film probably insisted that Altman commit to a “backup” director because of his age (he’s 80). Anderson and Altman are natural aesthetic fits for one another because of their improvisational techniques, extremely long takes (compare Boogie Nights and The Player), kinetic camera work, and ensemble casts. Also, one cannot deny the huge similarities between Altman’s Shortcuts and Anderson’s Magnolia. Several people have speculated that Robert and PT have gotten close in recent years, and their friendship is what the producers hoped for. Others have speculated that PT came to the set strictly through Maya Rudolph, who plays the role of “The Stage Manager.” Rudolph and Anderson have been an item for three years, and she is expecting her first child. On the set, Anderson works much more directly with the actors, simply because Altman can’t travel the distance of the theater (from monitors to stage). Between cuts, Robert belts directions over a mic while PT runs up to stage and speaks with the actors directly.