Nashville on the Silver Screen

In 1975, American moviegoers saw Keith Carradine’s Tom Frank on the Exit/In stage, plucking the melancholy ballad “I’m Easy.” During his character’s time in town, the nomadic lothario not only bedded an LA interloper (Shelley Duvall) and a grating BBC correspondent (Geraldine Chaplin), but his bandmate, Mary (Cristina Raines). As if that weren’t enough, he’s trying to make it with Linnea (Lily Tomlin), a married gospel singer.

All four of the women are in the audience tonight, and they all soak in the song they think Tom has dedicated to them. It’s the pivotal scene in Robert Altman’s Nashville, the one that’s made that nearly three-hour dramatic epic one of the most lauded films of all time. And last Sunday, Keith Carradine was at The Belcourt watching it all over again fifty years after he first saw the film at this same movie house. 

“Halfway through the production, I wasn’t comfortable playing that guy. I didn’t like him, and I was just young enough and naive enough–and probably egotistical enough–to feel like I didn’t want to play somebody that was like him,” Carradine told the audience at the sold-out screening. 

“I went to Bob and said, I don’t feel good about what I’m doing. I don't think I'm any good.” He looked at me and said, ‘You’re fine,’ and walked away. Wouldn't give me any help…What you see in the movie is an actor who doesn't like the character he’s playing. But what the audience gets is a person that doesn’t like himself. And it’s poignant. Bob got that out of me because he knew better than to tell me how to try to do that. He just knew that putting me there would bring him that result. That’s another part of his genius.”

When Altman and his frequent collaborator Joan Tewkesbury conceived Nashville, neither had much experience with the city. In the wake of his surprise 1970 blockbuster M*A*S*H, Altman turned down an offer to direct a film set in the world of country music. But after he read William Price Fox’s Nashville-set novel Ruby Red, the city’s distinct culture captured his attention. He sent Tewkesbury on a research trip during which she set out to capture the real Nashville. The diary she kept during her stint in the city served as the basis of her screenplay. 

🖋️ Edited by Megan Podsiedlik.

🥶 O’Connell’s EO Resulted In The Doxxing Of ICE Agents Mayor O’Connell says he does not know who’s directly responsible for disclosing the names of the Immigration Enforcement Agents in a report made public through Metro Nashville’s government website. But whoever it was, they were simply complying with his executive order.

“I don't know that we've identified a single individual responsible,” said O’Connell at this morning’s media roundtable. “It was primarily, ‘Hey, this happened. There was already a public record of these names. The executive order says, ‘Hey, share that.’”

In the days following immigration enforcement operations in Nashville, O’Connell amended Executive Order 30 to expedite the reporting timeline for communication between Metro departments whenever there is an interaction or request initiated by federal immigration authorities. Since then, his administration has been accused of doxxing, endangering, and impeding the work of ICE agents.

Yesterday, Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton called upon O’Connell to rescind Executive Order 30. “This order has jeopardized the safety of federal and state agents to the extent that individuals are harassing and interfering in the lawful duty of these agents,” he posted on X. “While Metro has refused to assist federal agents with ICE; they decided to escalate it by forcing all employees to act as big brother. The time is now to rescind the big brother executive order and return to normal communications with state and federal authorities."

On Wednesday, Senator Marsha Blackburn also introduced the Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act, which would make doxxing federal agents a punishable crime. “This puts them at a higher risk of being targeted by criminal gangs, including MS-13 and Tren De Aragua,” reads the senator’s press release. 

The mayor’s office promptly took down the information that doxxed ICE agents from the Metro website after his administration was called out by Congressman Andy Ogles and the Department of Homeland Security, but did not indicate whether he would rescind Executive Order 30. “I mean, right now, we believe that the transparency that is in that executive order helps everybody,” said O’Connell this morning. “It helps make sure that nobody could accuse any local, state, or federal entity of activity that did or did not occur. It also represents to the community that nobody is trying to hide anything here.”

⚖️ Casada/Cothren Sentencing Update On May 16, a federal jury found former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada and his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren guilty of several counts, including conspiracy, bribery, fraud, and money laundering. Both men face up to 20 years in prison after an investigation into a shell company scheme involving the consulting firm Phoenix Solutions. Casada and Cothren were originally scheduled for sentencing on September 12. Former Tennessee State Representative Robin Smith, who pleaded guilty to a count of honest services wire fraud for her involvement in the operation, is scheduled to be sentenced on October 24.

Casada and Cothren requested an extension to file any post-trial motions for acquittal or a new trial. According to State Affairs, the defendants are also hoping to delay their sentencing. For now, U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson agreed to extend the filing deadline to June 30. 

You may also recall that country star John Rich came to Cothren’s defense on social media. “I have personally advocated to [President Donald Trump] to pardon [Cade Cothren] who was targeted by Biden's DOJ, persecuted by the FBI and other agencies, and is now facing 20 years in prison for what amounts to a false, TN State, minor infraction,” he posted on X.

🗣️ Governor’s Trusted Advisor Steps Down This morning, Governor Bill Lee announced that Deputy Governor and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Butch Eley, will be stepping down from his role later this year. Eley has served in the governor’s cabinet for seven years.  

“Since I decided to run for Governor, Deputy Governor Eley has served as one of my most trusted advisors,” said Lee in a press release. “I’ve entrusted him with some of the most difficult challenges facing our state, and he has consistently overachieved. Butch has served the people of Tennessee with the highest level of excellence, and God has blessed Maria and me with a lifelong friend. I thank him for his unwavering leadership.”

Before becoming Lee’s campaign adviser and eventually serving in the governor’s administration, Eley was an aide for former Democratic Congressman Bill Boner. When Boner became Mayor of Nashville in 1987, Eley took the role of Director of Economic and Community Development in his administration. According to the Tennessean, he also founded the Infrastructure Corporation of America and served as partner and president of the Ingram Group.

DEVELOPMENT

• Green Hills mall lands Kardashian co-founded boutique retailer (Post)
• Midtown property listed for sale (Post)
• Music Row property listed for sale (Post)

✹ WEEKLY FILM RUNDOWN: June 6-12

The latest releases and special screenings hitting Music City this week. For a complete list of upcoming titles, check out the 2025 Film Guide.

The Phonecian Scheme (Dir. Wes Anderson) American’ favorite eccentric premiered his foray into comedic espionage featuring a fractured family and an always unrivaled profundity last month at Cannes to rave reviews. This time, the proceedings focus on Zsa Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) as a global industry titan hoping to raise money for the project that will define his legacy. Of course, the cast is stacked with Anderson regulars and newcomers alike, including Michael Cera, Bill Murray, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Rupert Friend, Willem Dafoe, Bryan Cranston. Now playing in theaters.

Ballerina (Dir. Len Wiseman) Ana de Armas reprises her character from John Wick 3 as she learns to become her own assassin with a cameo from Keanu. Reviews are good, but not quite Wick good. Now playing in theaters.

Nashville:A City on Film/Altman at 100 The Belcourt turned 100 this year. So did the late Robert Altman. To celebrate, Nashville’s arthouse has curated a selection of films shot in Nashville from Harmony Korine’s Gummo to the little-seen Girl from Tobacco Row to Ernest Scared Stupid. The tribute to the 70s film icon features a lineup including Thieves Like Us, The Player, and California Split. Fittingly, both festivities kicked off last weekend with a screening of Altman’s Nashville hosted by special guest Keith Carradine. Through June.

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.

TONIGHT

🎸 Pallbearer @ The End, 7p, $32.64, Info

🎸 Musicians Corner @ Centennial Park, 5p, Free, Info
+ feat. Nashville Symphony, Gabe Lee, Abigail Osborn and more...

🎸 CMA Fest @ Various Venues, Info

🪕 The Cowpokes @ Acme Feed & Seed, 12p, Free, Info

🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info

🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.

Local politics without locals

💸 Who funds the Southern Movement Committee · How Metro assesses local NGOs · Invasion is Nigh · Blackburn against doxxing · Government Gangsters · Much more!

The PamphleteerThe Pamphleteer

The Activist Community Speaks

🏛️ Last night at the Metro Council · Council shrinkage · Will Schwinn Get Confirmed? · O’Connell Burning Bridges · Egyptomania in Old Nashville · Much more!

The PamphleteerThe Pamphleteer

O’Connell’s gangplank walk

🚨 A timeline of the city’s response to ICE operation · Old Tent City Closes · Alternative budgets · Bridgestone closes factory · Airport rideshare drop-off changes · Week in streaming · Much more!

The PamphleteerThe Pamphleteer

A little derring-do

🧠 Taking risks makes you human · Will Freddie Get Indicted By The Feddie? · Blackburn Polled Well, O’Connell Didn’t · The Dragon · Repeat offender all-star · The Code review · Much more!

The PamphleteerThe Pamphleteer

Today's newsletter is brought to you by Megan Podsiedlik (Nashville), Jerod Hollyfield (Crowd Corner), Camelia Brennan (Local Noise), and Davis Hunt (everything else).