Trivia / Brewster McCloud

• Creator Backlash: Robert Altman substantially changed screenwriter Doran William Cannon's script which displeased the author greatly. Cannon wrote a fiery editorial in the New York Times, calling the film "shit".
• Creator's Favorite Episode: Robert Altman regarded this as his boldest work, comparing his attitude toward it to a parent who holds special affection for a quirky, eccentric child.
• Descended Creator: Casting director Gary Chason couldn't find anyone to play the Camera Store Clerk, so decided to play the part himself.
• Troubled Production: Not so much troubled as hectic and chaotic, which set the stage for most of Robert Altman's future film shoots. The major crisis was when cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth (who later did the celebrated photography for Blade Runner) got fired halfway through filming for being too much of a perfectionist. Lamar Boren quickly flew in to replace him. A fascinating but hard-to-find book (On Making a Movie: Brewster McCloud) written by a production assistant spells out all the little issues Altman ran into with the film.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Doran William Cannon's script was in existence for some years before the film was finally made. At one point, Bob Dylan had an option on the script and considered making the film with himself in the title role. Bob Balaban was also considered.
  • According to Robert Altman, the original setting was a New York airport.
• Working Title: Brewster McCloud's Amazing, Sexy Flying Machine.
• Writing by the Seat of Your Pants: Altman and his occasional collaborator Brian McKay rewrote the screenplay from scratch during filming.

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