The Film Brewster McCloud Is Remembered 41 Years Later

'Brewster McCloud' (1970)

Bud Cort, who has a small role in "Passion Play," plays the title role in Robert Altman's eccentric—and by now almost unknown—fable about a loner who lives deep below the Houston Astrodome and dreams of flying inside it with a pair of strapped-on wings. Not even the most ardent fans of this seminal American filmmaker—and I count myself among them—would represent "Brewster McCloud" as a successful film, but it's certainly an interesting one. Sally Kellerman is a woman of mystery who may be, yes, Brewster's guardian angel.

—Joe Morgenstern

Write to Joe Morgenstern at joe.morgenstern@wsj.com