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Fat City (film)
Encyclopedia
Fat City is an American
neo-noir
boxing
drama film
directed by John Huston
. The picture stars Stacy Keach
, Jeff Bridges
, and Susan Tyrrell
.
The movie, one of John Huston's later films, is based on the boxing novel Fat City
(1969
) by Leonard Gardner
, who also wrote the screenplay.
Tyrrell received an Oscar nomination as the alcoholic, world weary Oma.
Billy Tully (Keach), a boxer past his prime, goes to a Stockton, California
gym to get back into shape and spars with Ernie Munger (Bridges), an eighteen-year-old he meets there. Seeing potential in the youngster, Tully suggests Munger look up his former manager and trainer, Ruben (Nicholas Colasanto
). Munger takes his advice. Later, Tully tells combative white barfly Oma (Tyrrell) and her easygoing black boyfriend Earl (Curtis Cokes
) how impressed he is with Munger. Inspired, Tully decides to get back into boxing himself.
Tully's life has been a mess ever since his wife left him. He drinks too much, cannot hold down a job, and has to pick crops to make ends meet. He moves in with Oma after Earl is sent to prison for a few months. Their relationship is rocky and Tully eventually breaks it off.
Munger loses his first fight, but perseveres. Unlike Tully, he does not let setbacks get the better of him. The young man gets pressured into marriage by Faye (Candy Clark
) and soon has a baby on the way.
In his first bout back, Tully narrowly defeats tough, well-respected Mexican boxer Lucero (Sixto Rodriguez), but gets discouraged when he gets only $100 for it. He breaks up with Ruben (whom he still blames for the loss of a big fight long ago) and goes back to his old ways. He tries to make up with Oma, only to find her back with Earl.
Later, Munger is returning home after a win and sees a drunk Tully. Munger tries to ignore him, but when Tully asks him to have a drink with him, he reluctantly agrees to coffee. After a short while, Munger gets up to leave. Tully asks him to stay awhile longer. Munger agrees, but the two men have nothing to talk about, and the film ends in awkward silence.
The drama is featured in the documentary
Visions Of Light: The Art Of Cinematography
(1992) for Conrad L. Hall's use of lighting.
The melancholy "Help Me Make It Through the Night
" is sung by Kris Kristofferson
at the beginning and end of the movie.
on July 26, 1972.
The film was screened at various film festivals, including: the Cannes Film Festival
, France
, the Palm Springs International Film Festival
, USA; and others.
, film critic for The New York Times
, liked the film and John Huston's direction. He wrote, "This is grim material but Fat City is too full of life to be as truly dire as it sounds. Ernie and Tully, along with Oma (Susan Tyrrell), the sherry-drinking barfly Tully shacks up with for a while, the small-time fight managers, the other boxers and assorted countermen, upholsterers, and lettuce pickers whom the film encounters en route, are presented with such stunning and sometimes comic accuracy that Fat City transcends its own apparent gloom."
Roger Ebert
made the case for it as one of John Huston's best films. He also appreciated the performances. Ebert wrote, "[Huston] treats [the story] with a level, unsentimental honesty and makes it into one of his best films...[and] the movie's edges are filled with small, perfect character performances."
Film critic Dennis Schwartz also liked the film and wrote, "The downbeat sports drama is a marvelous understated character study of the marginalized leading desperate lives, where they have left themselves no palpable way out. The stunning photography by Conrad Hall keeps things looking realistic."
In 2009, the film enjoyed a week-long revival screening at New York City
's Film Forum
.
The film is one of the few films that garnered a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes
, based on seventeen reviews.
Nominations
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
neo-noir
Neo-noir
Neo-noir is a style often seen in modern motion pictures and other forms that prominently utilize elements of film noir, but with updated themes, content, style, visual elements or media that were absent in films noir of the 1940s and 1950s.-History:The term Film Noir was coined by...
boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
directed by John Huston
John Huston
John Marcellus Huston was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics: The Maltese Falcon , The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , Key Largo , The Asphalt Jungle , The African Queen , Moulin Rouge...
. The picture stars Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
, Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
, and Susan Tyrrell
Susan Tyrrell
Susan Tyrrell is an American actress of Irish descent, known for her role as Ramona Rickettes in the film Cry-Baby.-Background:...
.
The movie, one of John Huston's later films, is based on the boxing novel Fat City
Fat City (novel)
Fat City is a novel by Leonard Gardner published in 1969. Though the only novel he published, its prestige has grown considerably since its publication to critical acclaim from the likes of Joan Didion and Walker Percy among others...
(1969
1969 in literature
The year 1969 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The first Booker Prize is awarded.* "Penelope Ashe", author of the bestselling novel Naked Came the Stranger, is found to be several people who each took a turn writing a chapter of what they described as "junk" in...
) by Leonard Gardner
Leonard Gardner
Leonard Gardner is an American novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. His writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Esquire, The Southwest Review, and other publications, and he has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship...
, who also wrote the screenplay.
Tyrrell received an Oscar nomination as the alcoholic, world weary Oma.
Plot
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
gym to get back into shape and spars with Ernie Munger (Bridges), an eighteen-year-old he meets there. Seeing potential in the youngster, Tully suggests Munger look up his former manager and trainer, Ruben (Nicholas Colasanto
Nicholas Colasanto
Nicholas Colasanto was an American actor and television director, known primarily for his role as Coach Ernie Pantusso on the sitcom Cheers...
). Munger takes his advice. Later, Tully tells combative white barfly Oma (Tyrrell) and her easygoing black boyfriend Earl (Curtis Cokes
Curtis Cokes
Curtis Cokes is a former boxer from Dallas, Texas, United States. Cokes was world welterweight champion, and he was famous for his training regimen, which he also imposed on other boxers training with him.-Pre-championship career:...
) how impressed he is with Munger. Inspired, Tully decides to get back into boxing himself.
Tully's life has been a mess ever since his wife left him. He drinks too much, cannot hold down a job, and has to pick crops to make ends meet. He moves in with Oma after Earl is sent to prison for a few months. Their relationship is rocky and Tully eventually breaks it off.
Munger loses his first fight, but perseveres. Unlike Tully, he does not let setbacks get the better of him. The young man gets pressured into marriage by Faye (Candy Clark
Candy Clark
Candace June "Candy" Clark is an American film and television actress, well known for her role as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film American Graffiti, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress, a character she reprised in 1979 for the sequel More American Graffiti...
) and soon has a baby on the way.
In his first bout back, Tully narrowly defeats tough, well-respected Mexican boxer Lucero (Sixto Rodriguez), but gets discouraged when he gets only $100 for it. He breaks up with Ruben (whom he still blames for the loss of a big fight long ago) and goes back to his old ways. He tries to make up with Oma, only to find her back with Earl.
Later, Munger is returning home after a win and sees a drunk Tully. Munger tries to ignore him, but when Tully asks him to have a drink with him, he reluctantly agrees to coffee. After a short while, Munger gets up to leave. Tully asks him to stay awhile longer. Munger agrees, but the two men have nothing to talk about, and the film ends in awkward silence.
Cast
- Stacy KeachStacy KeachStacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
as Billy Tully - Jeff BridgesJeff BridgesJeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
as Ernie Munger - Susan TyrrellSusan TyrrellSusan Tyrrell is an American actress of Irish descent, known for her role as Ramona Rickettes in the film Cry-Baby.-Background:...
as Oma - Candy ClarkCandy ClarkCandace June "Candy" Clark is an American film and television actress, well known for her role as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film American Graffiti, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress, a character she reprised in 1979 for the sequel More American Graffiti...
as Faye - Nicholas ColasantoNicholas ColasantoNicholas Colasanto was an American actor and television director, known primarily for his role as Coach Ernie Pantusso on the sitcom Cheers...
as Ruben - Art Aragon as Babe
- Curtis CokesCurtis CokesCurtis Cokes is a former boxer from Dallas, Texas, United States. Cokes was world welterweight champion, and he was famous for his training regimen, which he also imposed on other boxers training with him.-Pre-championship career:...
as Earl. Ironically, though Cokes was a real-life world welterweight champion, he did not play a boxer. - Sixto Rodriguez as Lucero
- Alfred Avila as Lucero's coach
- Billy WalkerBilly WalkerWilliam Henry "Billy" Walker was a prominent English footballer of the 1920s and 1930s. He is considered by many to be the greatest footballer to ever play for Aston Villa Football Club-Biography:...
as Wes - Wayne Mahan as Buford
- Ruben Navarro as Fuentes
Production
Like the novel, the film was set in Stockton, California and shot mostly on location there. All of the original skid row area depicted in the novel was demolished (West End Redevelopment) from 1965-69. Most of the skid row scenes were filmed in the outer fringe of the original skid row area, but would have been torn down a year after Fat City was filmed for the construction of the Crosstown Freeway aka "Ort Lofthus Freeway".The drama is featured in the documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Visions Of Light: The Art Of Cinematography
Visions of Light
Visions of Light is a 1992 documentary film directed by Arnold Glassman, Todd McCarthy, and Stuart Samuels. The film is also known as Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography....
(1992) for Conrad L. Hall's use of lighting.
The melancholy "Help Me Make It Through the Night
Help Me Make It Through the Night
"Help Me Make It Through the Night" is a country music ballad composed by Kris Kristofferson and released on his 1970 album Kristofferson.Kristofferson said that he got the inspiration for the song from an Esquire magazine interview with Frank Sinatra...
" is sung by Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
at the beginning and end of the movie.
Distribution
The film premiered in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on July 26, 1972.
The film was screened at various film festivals, including: the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
, USA; and others.
Critical response
Vincent CanbyVincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
, film critic for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, liked the film and John Huston's direction. He wrote, "This is grim material but Fat City is too full of life to be as truly dire as it sounds. Ernie and Tully, along with Oma (Susan Tyrrell), the sherry-drinking barfly Tully shacks up with for a while, the small-time fight managers, the other boxers and assorted countermen, upholsterers, and lettuce pickers whom the film encounters en route, are presented with such stunning and sometimes comic accuracy that Fat City transcends its own apparent gloom."
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
made the case for it as one of John Huston's best films. He also appreciated the performances. Ebert wrote, "[Huston] treats [the story] with a level, unsentimental honesty and makes it into one of his best films...[and] the movie's edges are filled with small, perfect character performances."
Film critic Dennis Schwartz also liked the film and wrote, "The downbeat sports drama is a marvelous understated character study of the marginalized leading desperate lives, where they have left themselves no palpable way out. The stunning photography by Conrad Hall keeps things looking realistic."
In 2009, the film enjoyed a week-long revival screening at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Film Forum
Film Forum
Film Forum is a nonprofit movie theater located at 209 West Houston Street in New York City. It began in 1970 as an alternative screening space for independent films, with 50 folding chairs, one projector and a US$19,000 annual budget. Karen Cooper became director in 1972 and under her leadership,...
.
The film is one of the few films that garnered a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on seventeen reviews.
Awards
Wins- Kansas City Film Critics CircleKansas City Film Critics Circle Awards 1972The 7th Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in filmmaking in 1972 filmmaking, were given in 1973.-Winners:*Best Actor :**Marlon Brando - The Godfather**Stacy Keach - Fat City*Best Actress :...
: KCFCC Award Best Actor Stacy Keach, (tied with Marlon BrandoMarlon BrandoMarlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
for The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
); 1972.
Nominations
- Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
: Oscar; Best Actress in a Supporting RoleAcademy Award for Best Supporting ActressPerformance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
, Susan Tyrrell; 1973.
External links
- Fat City at Noir of the Week by noir historian William Hare
- Fat City at CrackleCrackleCrackle is a digital network and studio, featuring commercially supported streaming video content in Flash Video format. It is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and its content consists primarily of Sony's library of films and television shows...
(view entire film for free)