The son of director Oscar Rudolph, writer-director Alan Rudolph followed in the footsteps of mentor Robert Altman, embracing a similar kind of ensemble picture while pursuing his own personal, less satiric, more human vision. Despised by mainstream Hollywood, he has managed to stay true to his idiosyncratic muse and remain in the game despite never having had a breakthrough commercial success. Rudolph's dialogue has a snappy, flirtatious quality, and his distinctive "pan-and-zoom" style allows audiences to experience performances that are not built from cut to cut. It is not unusual for a
