''I look at all of Carver''s work as just one story, for his stories are all occurences, all about things that just happen to people and cause their lives to take a turn... In formulating the mosaic of the film Short Cuts, which is based on these nine stories and a poem, ''Lemonade'', I''ve tried to do the same thing- to give the audience one look... But it all began here. I was a reader turning these pages. Trying on these lives'' - Robert Altman in his introduction.