What's the big deal?

I watched this and had trouble sticking with it. Not as good as Prarie Home Companion to me. Elaine May was the best part.

You're not alone. Many people just don't care for Nashville or understand its appeal.

I like it. It's such a big, fascinating movie in many ways. But I'm not the type to try to convince others at how good it is. I can only express why I enjoy it.
I know people have labeled it as mean spirited, even pretentious. I like it a lot because it's over the top. It's big and brassy, but it also has many moments of real humanity peppered throughout. It looks and feels like a documentary. Nashville might just be an acquired taste. It has its fans/admirers, and also people who are left totally nonplussed by it. Some people think it is a nasty satire which mocks the country and its people. Other folks think it's a cinematic gem. For me it's a panorama or a tapestry of Americana. It's sad, funny, and scathing.
And it's larger than life (well, sometimes I'm not so sure; life is often that large).

I'm partial to ensemble movies with big casts. So for me this is great.

I can see why it was nominated for Director, Picture, Supporting Actress (Lily Tomlin and Ronee Blakely)... and won for Best Song (I'm Easy).

Also, consider that it's about more than twenty characters. That's a lot. Also, several of the actors in it wrote lyrics and music for the songs they performed (Karen Black, Ronee Blakely, etc). I just think that's cool.
Nashville feels like a magnifying glass that shows both the beauty and the ugliness in us, and especially our flaws and faults. I know that must sound really cheesy, but so be it, lol.

What I enjoy most about Robert Altman's films is that I feel like a fly on the wall. I feel like I am in the midst of things. Conversations overlap, and things feel natural.

This movie is somewhat like a time capsule... like American Graffiti (1973) and The Last Picture Show (1971). It captures a period in our history, although possibly skewed to a degree. It's a social commentary about celebrity, showbiz, fame, politics, and dysfunction. And there's so much irony in it, like when the clueless and idiotic British journalist happens to miss the big tragedy because she stepped away for a moment.

I suppose a person might love Nashville or hate it. There isn't much middle ground from what I have experienced. I do suggest to people to try to get through it; its climax is worthwhile. Plus, sometimes a thing that we don't care for tends to grow on us over time.

Yes, it has fans and non-fans; Some movies are like that. Look at Citizen Kane. It's been praised to the heavens and also bashed into the dirt. People call it a dull dud or a brilliant masterpiece. I'm in the middle on that one. But Nashville is always a pleasant experience for me.

I'm a die hard fan of Altman myself, and i didn't liked this movie. As a matter of fact, it's the first Altman's movie i didn't loved. I think it just tries to hard to go in so many directions. Between the music, the politic aspect and all the characters. There's just no time left for a bit of development of some kind. I also think the subject is treated in too many different ways. As a satyr and a study of morals about a particular middle, it tries to be both The Player and Short Cuts and it just doesn't works for me.