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The Big Easy (1987 film)
Encyclopedia
The Big Easy is a 1987 American neo-noir
crime film
directed by Jim McBride
and written by Daniel Petrie Jr. The executive producer of the motion picture was Mort Engelberg and the cinematographer was Affonso Beato. The film was later adapted for a television series for two seasons on the USA Network
(1996–1997).
The film stars Dennis Quaid
, Ellen Barkin
, John Goodman
, and Ned Beatty
. The action takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana
and was shot on location.
-Irish family background who investigates the murder of a local mobster
. His investigation makes him believe that fellow members of the police force may be involved. Remy himself has a charming, easy-going, "one of the guys" personality. While he does engage in some questionable activity, he is, at heart, a good guy when and where it counts.
Anne Osborne, a state district attorney
, is sent to investigate alleged police corruption. Remy takes her to dinner at Tipitina's
, where the restaurant owner refuses to accept his money, clearly the norm whenever Remy eats there. After a couple of deliberate winks and a loud introduction from Remy, "Have you met Anne Osborne from the DISTRICT ATTORNEY's office?", he's given the check. Straight and narrow Anne accuses Remy of being on the take, but he accuses her of not understanding how the system works. Remy explains, "Just relax, darlin'. This is the 'Big Easy.' Folks have a certain way o' doin' things down here."
Since both are hard-headed individuals, they quickly clash, fight and fall in love. McSwain gets caught accepting payoffs in an Internal Affairs sting. Osborne has the burden of prosecuting him, which complicates their relationship. With a little help from his police friends, the evidence is lost and McSwain beats the rap, but their new love affair is dead for the moment.
At a Cajun dance that she has been quasi-kidnapped to attend, she has words with Remy:
They do finally agree to work together to solve the crime.
Their relationship problems are obviously solved as well, for as the film credits roll, we see Remy in a tuxedo and Anne in a white wedding dress dancing to Cajun music after their wedding.
The original title of the script was "Windy City", and was set in Chicago
. The title was briefly changed to "Nothing But The Truth".
Well-known New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison
makes a cameo appearance as a judge
. Garrison became known for his Kennedy
assassination conspiracy theories and his own investigation into JFK's murder from New Orleans in the 1960s.
and its atmospherics function as a protagonist in the film. This is evident from the beginning of the film: The opening is an aerial shot of the New Orleans bayou
and the zydeco
band Beausoleil
plays "Zydeco Gris Gris" on the soundtrack (title sequence).
The producers used well-known locations such as Tipitina's, Antoine's
, Blaine Kern's warehouse full of Mardi Gras
parade
floats, and a French Quarter
strip joint
, to flesh out the mood of the film.
At the time of filming The Big Easy, Tipitina's night club was temporarily closed because of financial problems. Location manager Itsy Atkins secured the use of a renovated warehouse a few blocks away, where Dianna Chenevert's booking agency Omni Attractions was located (500 Valence Street, corner Tchopitoulas
). This building previously housed the night club "Rosys" and the downstairs bar and stage where the filming took place was still intact.
, film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times
, lauded the film, and wrote, "The Big Easy is one of the richest American films of the year. It also happens to be a great thriller. I say 'happens,' because I believe the plot of this movie is only an excuse for its real strength: the creation of a group of characters so interesting, so complicated and so original they make a lot of other movie people look like paint-by-number characters."
Sheila Benson, writing for the Los Angeles Times
, wrote, "Screenwriter Daniel Petrie Jr. sets up the conflict, and director Jim McBride fleshes it out with devastating, sexy assurance..."
Film critic Vincent Canby
was a bit tougher on the film, and wrote, "Remy and Anne are made for each other, or would have been if The Big Easy were the sophisticated comedy it could have been...[the film] was directed by Jim McBride who one day is going to come up with a commercial movie that works all the way through, and not just in patches."
Critics Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, of the web site Spirituality & Practice, liked the film, and wrote, "The Big Easy says a lot about the peculiar problems and exhilarations which are the daily fare of law enforcement officers...The sparks fly in their volatile love affair which is kept heated throughout by director Tim McBride. Veteran cop writer Joseph Wambaugh
once commented that 'an unlucky policeman's life passes through four phases — cockiness, care, compromise, and despair. The lucky ones don't reach phase four.' All of these phases — and perhaps a few more — are convincingly brought to life in The Big Easy, a movie with moral clout and dramatic spunk."
The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 100% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 13 reviews.
Wins
Nominations
at various film festivals including the Cognac Festival du Film Policier, the Davao City Film Festival in the Philippines
, the Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain, and the Sundance Film Festival
before being picked up for distribution. According to Robert Redford
, founder of Sundance, The Big Easy was the first film sold at the festival. Redford tells of dragging David Puttnam
, then the head of Columbia Pictures
, to see the film. After the screening, Puttnam decided to pick up the movie for distribution.
It opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on August 21, 1987. The first week's gross was $3,626,031 (1,138 screens) and the total receipts for the run were $17,685,307. In its widest release the film was featured in 1,219 theaters. The motion picture was in circulation five weeks.
and DVD
of the film were released on the Trimark label as part of the label's "Gold Reel Collection."
August 11, 1996. Tony Crane played McSwain and Susan Walters
played Anne Osbourne. Daniel Petrie Jr. (who wrote the screenplay to this film) was the executive producer of the series; there were approximately 35 episodes broadcast over two seasons.
, zydeco
, R&B, and gospel music
in the soundtrack.
An original motion picture soundtrack CD was assembled by label executive Danny Holloway and released in 1987 on the Island
label. The CD contains twelve tracks including "Tipitina," played by famed New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair
, the New Orleans anthem "Iko Iko
," by The Dixie Cups
, and a ballad, "Closer To You," written and performed by actor Dennis Quaid who also performs the song in the film. Other performers on the album include Beausoleil
, Buckwheat Zydeco
, Dewey Balfa
, Aaron Neville
& The Neville Brothers
.
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...
crime film
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
directed by Jim McBride
Jim McBride
Jim McBride is an American television and film director, film producer and screenwriter.-Filmography:* David Holzman's Diary * My Girlfriend's Wedding...
and written by Daniel Petrie Jr. The executive producer of the motion picture was Mort Engelberg and the cinematographer was Affonso Beato. The film was later adapted for a television series for two seasons on the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
(1996–1997).
The film stars Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
, Ellen Barkin
Ellen Barkin
Ellen Barkin is an American film, television and theatre actress.-Early life:She was born Ellen Rona Barkin in Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, the daughter of Evelyn , a hospital administrator who worked at Jamaica Hospital, and Sol Barkin, a chemical salesman...
, John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
, and Ned Beatty
Ned Beatty
Ned Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
. The action takes place in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and was shot on location.
Plot
Remy McSwain is a New Orleans police lieutenant with a CajunCajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
-Irish family background who investigates the murder of a local mobster
Organized crime
Organized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
. His investigation makes him believe that fellow members of the police force may be involved. Remy himself has a charming, easy-going, "one of the guys" personality. While he does engage in some questionable activity, he is, at heart, a good guy when and where it counts.
Anne Osborne, a state district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
, is sent to investigate alleged police corruption. Remy takes her to dinner at Tipitina's
Tipitina's
Tipitina's is a music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.Local music enthusiasts opened the venue on January 14, 1977. The name was inspired by a well-known song by Professor Longhair who also performed there until his death...
, where the restaurant owner refuses to accept his money, clearly the norm whenever Remy eats there. After a couple of deliberate winks and a loud introduction from Remy, "Have you met Anne Osborne from the DISTRICT ATTORNEY's office?", he's given the check. Straight and narrow Anne accuses Remy of being on the take, but he accuses her of not understanding how the system works. Remy explains, "Just relax, darlin'. This is the 'Big Easy.' Folks have a certain way o' doin' things down here."
Since both are hard-headed individuals, they quickly clash, fight and fall in love. McSwain gets caught accepting payoffs in an Internal Affairs sting. Osborne has the burden of prosecuting him, which complicates their relationship. With a little help from his police friends, the evidence is lost and McSwain beats the rap, but their new love affair is dead for the moment.
At a Cajun dance that she has been quasi-kidnapped to attend, she has words with Remy:
- Anne: You're a cop, for God's sake. You're supposed to uphold the law. But instead you bend it and twist it and sell it. I saw you take that bribe and resist arrest and tamper with evidence and perjure yourself under oath.
- Remy: Don't forget I ran a red light, too.
- Anne: You still think it's funny, don't you? Why don't you just face it, Remy? You're not one of the good guys anymore.
They do finally agree to work together to solve the crime.
Their relationship problems are obviously solved as well, for as the film credits roll, we see Remy in a tuxedo and Anne in a white wedding dress dancing to Cajun music after their wedding.
Cast
- Dennis QuaidDennis QuaidDennis William Quaid is an American actor known for his comedic and dramatic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the 1980s, his career rebounded in the 1990s after he overcame an addiction to drugs and an eating disorder...
as Detective Lieutenant Remy McSwain - Ellen BarkinEllen BarkinEllen Barkin is an American film, television and theatre actress.-Early life:She was born Ellen Rona Barkin in Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, the daughter of Evelyn , a hospital administrator who worked at Jamaica Hospital, and Sol Barkin, a chemical salesman...
as A.D.A. Anne Osborne - Ned BeattyNed BeattyNed Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
as Jack Kellom - John GoodmanJohn GoodmanJohn Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
as Detective Sergeant Andre DeSoto - Lisa Jane PerskyLisa Jane PerskyLisa Jane Persky is an American actress.Persky was born in New York City, New York, the daughter of Jane Holley and Mort Persky...
as Detective McCabe - Tom O'BrienTom O'BrienThomas O’Brien, Tom O’Brien, or Tommy O'Brien may refer to:*Thomas D. O'Brien, co-founder of William Mitchell College of Law*Thomas J. O'Brien , Illinois politician...
as Bobby McSwain - Charles LudlamCharles LudlamCharles Braun Ludlam was an American actor, director, and playwright.-Early life:Ludlam was born in Floral Park, New York, the son of Marjorie and Joseph William Ludlam. He was raised in Greenlawn, New York, on Long Island, and attended Harborfields High School. The fact that he was gay was not a...
as Lamar Parmentel - Grace ZabriskieGrace ZabriskieGrace Zabriskie is an American actress. She has appeared in many popular American films but, she is best known for her work in television. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks, Seinfeld, and Big Love.-Early life:Zabriskie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana...
as Mam - Marc LawrenceMarc LawrenceMarc Lawrence was an American character actor who specialized in underworld types. He has also been credited as F. A. Foss, Marc Laurence and Marc C...
as Vinnie 'The Cannon' DiMotti - Solomon BurkeSolomon BurkeSolomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
as Daddy Mention - Gailard SartainGailard SartainGailard Sartain is an American comedic and serious actor, often playing characters with roots in the South. He is also an accomplished and successful painter and illustrator.-Early years and education:...
as Chef Paul - Jim GarrisonJim GarrisonEarling Carothers "Jim" Garrison — who changed his first name to Jim in the early 1960s — was the District Attorney of Orleans Parish, Louisiana from 1962 to 1973. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best known for his investigations into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy...
as Judge Jim Garrison
Production
Filming took 50 days and the lead actors rehearsed three weeks before the start of principal photography.The original title of the script was "Windy City", and was set in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The title was briefly changed to "Nothing But The Truth".
Well-known New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison
Jim Garrison
Earling Carothers "Jim" Garrison — who changed his first name to Jim in the early 1960s — was the District Attorney of Orleans Parish, Louisiana from 1962 to 1973. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best known for his investigations into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy...
makes a cameo appearance as a judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
. Garrison became known for his Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
assassination conspiracy theories and his own investigation into JFK's murder from New Orleans in the 1960s.
City of New Orleans
The city of New OrleansNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and its atmospherics function as a protagonist in the film. This is evident from the beginning of the film: The opening is an aerial shot of the New Orleans bayou
Bayou
A bayou is an American term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying areas, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river , or to a marshy lake or wetland. The name "bayou" can also refer to creeks that see level changes due to tides and hold brackish water which...
and the zydeco
Zydeco
Zydeco is a form of uniquely American roots or folk music. It evolved in southwest Louisiana in the early 19th century from forms of "la la" Creole music...
band Beausoleil
Beausoleil
BeauSoleil is an American musical group specializing in Cajun music. Based in Lafayette, Louisiana, the group members are brothers Michael Doucet and David Doucet , Jimmy Breaux , Billy Ware , Tommy Alesi , and Mitchell Reed .-Band history:Founded in 1975, BeauSoleil BeauSoleil (French, beautiful...
plays "Zydeco Gris Gris" on the soundtrack (title sequence).
The producers used well-known locations such as Tipitina's, Antoine's
Antoine's
Antoine's is a Louisiana Creole cuisine restaurant located at 713 rue St. Louis in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. It has the distinction of being the oldest family run restaurant in the United States, having been established in 1840 by Antoine Alciatore...
, Blaine Kern's warehouse full of Mardi Gras
New Orleans Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a Carnival celebration well-known throughout the world.The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Christian season of Lent, starts after Twelfth Night, on Epiphany . It is a season of parades, balls , and king cake parties...
parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
floats, and a French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
strip joint
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
, to flesh out the mood of the film.
At the time of filming The Big Easy, Tipitina's night club was temporarily closed because of financial problems. Location manager Itsy Atkins secured the use of a renovated warehouse a few blocks away, where Dianna Chenevert's booking agency Omni Attractions was located (500 Valence Street, corner Tchopitoulas
Tchoupitoulas Street
Tchoupitoulas Street is a street in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is the through street closest to the Mississippi River running through Uptown New Orleans...
). This building previously housed the night club "Rosys" and the downstairs bar and stage where the filming took place was still intact.
Critical response
Roger EbertRoger 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...
, film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, lauded the film, and wrote, "The Big Easy is one of the richest American films of the year. It also happens to be a great thriller. I say 'happens,' because I believe the plot of this movie is only an excuse for its real strength: the creation of a group of characters so interesting, so complicated and so original they make a lot of other movie people look like paint-by-number characters."
Sheila Benson, writing for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, wrote, "Screenwriter Daniel Petrie Jr. sets up the conflict, and director Jim McBride fleshes it out with devastating, sexy assurance..."
Film critic Vincent Canby
Vincent 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:...
was a bit tougher on the film, and wrote, "Remy and Anne are made for each other, or would have been if The Big Easy were the sophisticated comedy it could have been...[the film] was directed by Jim McBride who one day is going to come up with a commercial movie that works all the way through, and not just in patches."
Critics Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, of the web site Spirituality & Practice, liked the film, and wrote, "The Big Easy says a lot about the peculiar problems and exhilarations which are the daily fare of law enforcement officers...The sparks fly in their volatile love affair which is kept heated throughout by director Tim McBride. Veteran cop writer Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh, Jr. is a bestselling American writer known for his fictional and non-fictional accounts of police work in the United States...
once commented that 'an unlucky policeman's life passes through four phases — cockiness, care, compromise, and despair. The lucky ones don't reach phase four.' All of these phases — and perhaps a few more — are convincingly brought to life in The Big Easy, a movie with moral clout and dramatic spunk."
The review aggregator 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...
reported that 100% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 13 reviews.
Awards
- Cognac Festival du Film Policier, Cognac, France: Grand Prix; 1987.
- Valladolid International Film Festival: Best Actor, Dennis Quaid; 1987.
- Independent Spirit AwardsIndependent Spirit AwardsThe Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
: Best Male Lead Dennis Quaid; 1988. - Sant Jordi Awards: Sant Jordi; Best Foreign Actress, Ellen Barkin; 1988.
Nominations
- Independent Spirit Awards: Best Director, Jim McBride; Best Feature, Stephen J. Friedman; 1988.
- Casting Society of AmericaCasting Society of AmericaFounded in Los Angeles, California in 1982, the Casting Society of America is a professional society of about 350 casting directors for film, television, and theatre in Australia, Canada, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States. The society is not to be confused with an industry union. The...
: Artios Award; Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama, Lynn Stalmaster and David Rubin; 1988. - Edgar Allan Poe AwardsEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
: Edgar; Best Motion Picture, Daniel Petrie Jr.; 1988.
Distribution
The film was first shown in 19861986 in film
-Events:*April 12 - Actor Morgan Mason marries The Go-Go's Belinda Carlisle.*April 26 - Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger marries television journalist Maria Shriver.*May - Actress Heather Locklear marries Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee....
at various film festivals including the Cognac Festival du Film Policier, the Davao City Film Festival in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain, and the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
before being picked up for distribution. According to Robert Redford
Robert Redford
Charles Robert Redford, Jr. , better known as Robert Redford, is an American actor, film director, producer, businessman, environmentalist, philanthropist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival. He has received two Oscars: one in 1981 for directing Ordinary People, and one for Lifetime...
, founder of Sundance, The Big Easy was the first film sold at the festival. Redford tells of dragging David Puttnam
David Puttnam
David Terence Puttnam, Baron Puttnam, CBE, FRSA is a British film producer. He sits on the Labour benches in the House of Lords, although he is not principally a politician.-Early life:...
, then the head of Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
, to see the film. After the screening, Puttnam decided to pick up the movie for distribution.
It opened in wide release in the United States and Canada on August 21, 1987. The first week's gross was $3,626,031 (1,138 screens) and the total receipts for the run were $17,685,307. In its widest release the film was featured in 1,219 theaters. The motion picture was in circulation five weeks.
Video and DVD
On February 2, 1999 a videoVideo
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
of the film were released on the Trimark label as part of the label's "Gold Reel Collection."
Television adaptation
The film inspired a television series of the same name. The show premiered on the USA Cable NetworkUSA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
August 11, 1996. Tony Crane played McSwain and Susan Walters
Susan Walters
Susan Walters is an American actress and former model, best known for her role as Diane Jenkins Newman in the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2001 to 2004...
played Anne Osbourne. Daniel Petrie Jr. (who wrote the screenplay to this film) was the executive producer of the series; there were approximately 35 episodes broadcast over two seasons.
Soundtrack
With the action taking place in New Orleans, and the main protagonist's Cajun family background (Remy McSwain), the producers of the film used cajunCajun music
Cajun music, an emblematic music of Louisiana, is rooted in the ballads of the French-speaking Acadians of Canada. Cajun music is often mentioned in tandem with the Creole-based, Cajun-influenced zydeco form, both of Acadiana origin...
, zydeco
Zydeco
Zydeco is a form of uniquely American roots or folk music. It evolved in southwest Louisiana in the early 19th century from forms of "la la" Creole music...
, R&B, and gospel music
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
in the soundtrack.
An original motion picture soundtrack CD was assembled by label executive Danny Holloway and released in 1987 on the Island
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
label. The CD contains twelve tracks including "Tipitina," played by famed New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair
Professor Longhair was a New Orleans blues singer and pianist...
, the New Orleans anthem "Iko Iko
Iko Iko
"Iko Iko" is a much-covered New Orleans song that tells of a parade collision between two "tribes" of Mardi Gras Indians. The song, under the original title "Jock-A-Mo", was written in 1953 by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford in New Orleans. The story tells of a "spy boy" or "spy dog" "Iko Iko" is a...
," by The Dixie Cups
The Dixie Cups
The Dixie Cups are an American pop music girl group of the 1960s. They are best known for their 1964 million selling disc, "Chapel of Love".-Career:...
, and a ballad, "Closer To You," written and performed by actor Dennis Quaid who also performs the song in the film. Other performers on the album include Beausoleil
Beausoleil
BeauSoleil is an American musical group specializing in Cajun music. Based in Lafayette, Louisiana, the group members are brothers Michael Doucet and David Doucet , Jimmy Breaux , Billy Ware , Tommy Alesi , and Mitchell Reed .-Band history:Founded in 1975, BeauSoleil BeauSoleil (French, beautiful...
, Buckwheat Zydeco
Buckwheat Zydeco
Buckwheat Zydeco is the stage name of Stanley Dural, Jr. , an American accordionist and zydeco musician. He is one of the few zydeco artists to achieve mainstream success...
, Dewey Balfa
Dewey Balfa
Dewey Balfa was an American Cajun fiddler and singer who contributed significantly to the popularity of Cajun music. Balfa was born near Mamou, Louisiana...
, Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville
Aaron Neville is an American soul and R&B singer and musician. He has had four top-20 hits in the United States along with four platinum-certified albums...
& The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art , Charles , Aaron , and Cyril The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in...
.
External links
- The Big Easy film trailer
- The Big Easy draft script from Daily Script, for educational purposes