Reporting for the New York Times, David Carr is the latest journalist to visit the St. Paul, Minnesota, set of Robert Altman’s Prairie Home Companion. He differs, however, with reports about Paul Thomas Anderson acting as some kind of de facto co-director. [See below] Referring to Anderson as “a thin young man [who] kept popping up on Mr. Altman’s shoulder during shooting recently,” Carr says Anderson “is ostensibly on the set for insurance purposes; Mr. Altman is 80, so a backup director is part of the package.” He also quotes Anderson as saying, “Whatever chef is going to take credit for it, it is going to be a very spicy dish that I will be more than happy to dine on.”
