Short Cuts Budget

What is the budget of Short Cuts?

"Short Cuts," a drama released in 1993, was directed by Robert Altman and stars Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison. The production budget was $12,000,000, placing it in the low-budget range for drama productions of the 1990s.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

• Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
• Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
• Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
• Production: According to associate producer Mike Kaplan, the screenplay was first written in 1989. Filming primarily took place in Los Angeles, California. Principal photography began on July 26, 1992, and ended on October 1, 1992.

What were the major cost factors in Short Cuts?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Short Cuts."

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does Short Cuts's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $12,000,000, Short Cuts sits in the low-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Goon (2012): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $6,985,158
• Jobs (2013): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $42,100,000
• All That Jazz (1979): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $37,823,676
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): Budget $12,000,000 , Gross $71,923,560
• Wolfwalkers (2020): Budget $12,000,000, Worldwide Gross $1,310,720

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Short Cuts Box Office Performance

"Short Cuts" earned $6,110,979 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $12,000,000, the film faced challenges in theatrical release. Home video, streaming, and ancillary revenue may have contributed to its overall performance.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Short Cuts," that break-even threshold was roughly $24,000,000. With worldwide earnings of $6,110,979, the film did not reach break-even in theatrical release.

• Production Budget: $12,000,000
• Worldwide Gross: $6,110,979
• Net Return: −$5,889,021
• ROI: approximately -49.1%

At -49.1%, "Short Cuts" did not recoup its production budget through theatrical release alone.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 17 wins & 19 nominations total

• Golden Lion
• National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Critical Reception

Short Cuts received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 95% approval rating, based on 60 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Robert Altman's ensemble drama deftly integrates its disparate characters and episodes into a funny, poignant, emotionally satisfying whole." On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 81 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".