I'm out of sync with the world on some of the later Altman films. While I liked 'Cookie's Fortune' less than most folks, I liked this more. I found it funny, sweet, and it contains one of Richard Gere's very best performances. The much maligned last 20 minutes are indeed a mixed bag. However, personally I liked the symbolic, surreal conclusion, even if some of the plot twists leading up to it felt clunky, and didn't make a lot of sense.The bottom line is, this is certainly more original and thought-provoking than most modern movies. And that's enough to win a lot of brownie points from me

Robert Altman's "Dr. T and the Women" (2002) is an ensemble dramedy with some romance detailing an overworked, socially-in-demand gynecologist (Richard Gere) in Dallas who faces problems with an assortment of women beyond his practice. His daughter, Dee Dee (Kate Hudson) – a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader – is getting married, but his younger daughter (Tara Reid) drops the ball that Dee Dee's a lesbian having a relationship with a former co-ed (Liv Tyler). Worse, his wife (Farrah Fawcett) reverts to a child-like state and is, consequently, placed in a mental institution. Desperate for love, the doctor turns to an independent golf pro for succor (Helen Hunt). Meanwhile, his sister-in-law is an alcoholic (Laura Dern) and his office manager is in lust with him (Shelly Long).This movie has a horrible reputation, but it's actually not bad as long as you're in the mood for a drama with amusing touches. It's far from great, but it's certainly not bad. Gere is very likable in the title role and bends over backwards to help all the women in his life. The women are likable too, although many of the peripheral ones are somewhat annoying.I find the criticism that the film is "misogynistic" funny in light of the fact that the screenplay was written by a woman, Anne Rapp. Others argue that the story's pointless and the ending is ridiculously unbelievable. While the latter point is true, this IS a dramedy/satire and not everything is SUPPOSED to be strictly realistic. As to the former criticism, just enjoy the ride and reflect on the plot and subplots. You may not agree with its points, and they may be elusive, but it's not pointless.While I like the film and it contains scores of beautiful women, I'm only giving it a marginal "thumbs up" because they could've done better on this front considering the wealth of resources they had to work with, not to mention the opening credits sequence is noticeably overlong and dull. Interestingly, the ending graphically details the birth of a baby -- a male.The film runs 122 minutes and was shot in the Dallas area.GRADE: B-

If you showed this movie to the survivors of the Rwandan genocide and asked them which was worse, seeing their families hacked to death with machetes or watching Dr. T and the Women…only some of them would choose the machetes.Dr. T (Richard Gere) is a gynecologist in Dallas, Texas. He has a wife (Farrah Fawcett) who's gone crazy, a daughter (Kate Hudson) who's getting married, another daughter (Tara Reid) who is half plot-device and half lame joke about the Kennedy assassination, a sister-in-law (Laura Dern)who is a lush and a horde of yapping women who jam his waiting room like it's an overstuffed hothouse of demanding Southern Belles. Though he's drowning in a stormy sea of estrogen, Dr. T is an insanely, sickeningly perfect man who is totally understanding of all of the crazy feminine behavior that buffets him every day. His only respite from it all are hunting trips with his buddies and an affair with the new golf pro at his country club, Bree (Helen Hunt).Like many Robert Altman films, the plot of this movie just sort of slowly spreads out in all directions like vomit on a bare floor. There's also enough trademarked Altman-babble in this thing to choke even his most devoted fans. Dr. T and the Woman is morally confused, emotionally phony, head-slappingly contrived and has an ending so stupid and bizarre that it would take an entire team of mental health professionals to figure out what the hell Altman was thinking. If there was ever a film that could be introduced at a competency hearing as evidence of senile dementia, it's this one.In fairness, most of the acting here is very mannered but relatively okay. The best performance actually comes from Shelley Long as Dr. T's long-suffering head nurse. She's funny and lively and the most enjoyable person on screen, until her character is brutally sacrificed on the altar of Altman's barnacle encrusted sense of humor. Helen Hunt might have been just as good as the independent Bree, but after creating the character it's really damn clear Altman didn't have the slightest idea what to do with her.If you're still not clear on how awesomely bad Dr. T and the Women is, Helen Hunt gets briefly but clearly naked in it and it's still unwatchable. That's right. It makes naked Helen Hunt unappealing. That's a magical feat on the order of turning lead into gold, which would make Robert Altman the master alchemist of cinematic suck.Now, if some Altman fans happen to stumble upon this review, I can already hear their excuses about how his films aren't meant to be conventionally entertaining and you have to appreciate his creative vision and I just don't "get it" and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The fact that several decades ago he injected some juice into American movies should not give Altman a get-out-of-jail-free card for the rest of his career. The fact that he keeps recycling the same old bag of tricks is not creative vision. It's a guy who doesn't have anything new to say as a storyteller.This movie is terrible. Even if you've liked some of Altman's other work, do not watch it.

Robert Altman is in the to five directors of all time, he is absolutely brilliant, but well a guess every genius must fall at some point, even if it is only for a short time as in Altmans case because his next film is his best in Gosford Park. Dr. T and the Women is by far Altmans worst. I never thought he could get any worse than he did twenty years ago with Popeye, but of course he did. The plot sort of works as bad satire up until the final act in which point we run into a tornado and everything goes badly wrong for the plot and farther into implausibility than Altman or pretty much anybody has gone before. The performances arn't bad, particularly Laura Dern is good as the annoying depressed alcoholic sister in law, Richard Gere is also decent in the lead as are Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler as Geres daughter and her secret lesbian lover. The direction hardly seems like Altman, its horrible. Altman has never been horrible before. Not to mention the special effects in the end look horrible and fake. Altmans worst film by several miles, avoid.