Bruce Davison

In Short Cuts (1993), Bruce Davison’s Howard Finnigan takes his place among the other characters without demanding special attention. That understated presence is a strength in Robert Altman’s ensemble, whose interconnected stories need actors who can establish themselves without taking over. We like Davison best in this company: he gives a supporting part its due and leaves space for the people beside him. A crowded film soon becomes exhausting when everyone insists on being noticed.

The early breakthrough was a lead, Willard Stiles in Willard (1971), before a career increasingly built from supporting film roles and television. The more revealing performance is David, a caregiver in Longtime Companion (1989), where his quiet emotional depth has a clear purpose. We were moved by his resilience in that part, because the performance keeps our attention on the person doing the caring. It is the performance to seek out if stern authority figures are all that come to mind when his name appears.

His later parts often put him in authority: Reverend Samuel Parris in The Crucible (1996), Senator Robert Kelly in X-Men (2000). Kelly draws on his ability to give an antagonistic figure some complexity. There is useful work for an actor there, though we prefer the parts that let us see more than the office the man holds.

That is one reason to return to Short Cuts, though our enthusiasm for it comes with a reservation. Altman’s film is funny and absorbing, and its actors justify the long running time, but the writing can be too quick to judge the people it has assembled. Davison’s ability to fit into that cast is worth noticing; restraint should not be confused with having nothing to contribute. Start there for Davison in company, then try Longtime Companion for the quieter business of caring for another person.