Fat City (1972)

Director:

John Huston

Writer:

Leonard Gardner (novel)

Release Date:

26 July 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Plot:

The film tells the story of two boxers and their problems. One of them is on the decline of his career...

Plot Keywords:

Boxer | Title Fight | Money | Loneliness | Comeback

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Stacy Keach	...	Tully
Jeff Bridges	...	Ernie
Susan Tyrrell	...	Oma
Candy Clark	...	Faye
Nicholas Colasanto	...	Ruben
Art Aragon	...	Babe
Curtis Cokes	...	Earl
Sixto Rodriguez	...	Lucero
Billy Walker	...	Wes
Wayne Mahan	...	Buford
Ruben Navarro	...	Fuentes

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium, Stockton, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Margot Kidder and Jennifer Salt were interviewed for roles in this project

Goofs:

Continuity: During the bar scene, the barrette in Susan Tyrrell's hair moves all over the place from shot to shot.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Way We Were: Looking Back (1999) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Look of Love

Requiem for losers and daydreamer believers.

The down-to-earth tale of two small hall boxers -- at the opposite ends of their careers -- and the blows they take in and out of the ring.

This is one of the best American movies ever about normal working class lives where failure is common and the only thing you can do is pretend otherwise or drug it all away to nothing. I know why so many people prefer Rocky to this -- this is too real for them. Indeed it is almost too real for me!

Stacey Keach was given the role of lifetime in this. He really does look like a failing boxer turned to flab (although maybe that is nature -- not punches!) trying to find a life (of sorts) beyond the ring. Bridges really does look and sound like the daydreamer believer that makes the boxing game go round. Johnny No Talent who thinks he is Mike Tyson when his face finally clears up.

They don't make films like this anymore. The Europeans can, although they are rarely shown and end up too self indulgent. Everyone here gets what they deserve, which is sadly, very little. That is what sport is about in real life -- lots of people failing so that are very small few can succeed. The best the majority can hope for is some exercise and comradeship.

(This contrasts with most sports movies -- which are about glory. Or at least glory through struggle.)

This is the best late John Huston film and every single frame is a frame of reality and believability. Maybe that is what leads so many people to say "so what", the world outside their window has many of the same elements and there are many times you feel you are -- indeed -- looking at real life.