The Big Town (1987) User Reviews

Neon Neo Noir

[TheFearmakers · 7/10 · 16 September 2021]

With a deliberately sparse-pulpy title, THE BIG TOWN is set during the 1950's... 1957 to be exact... and Dillon really looks the part, a kind of throwback B&W-suited actor even in this neo noir's neon green and pink tinged color scheme, playing a young lucky dice player who miraculously hits the right numbers each and every time, giving the movie a sort of unintentional TWILIGHT ZONE science-fiction vibe, or something delving into fantasy...

And for a vehicle so otherwise grounded and somewhat cliche, predictable and even mainstream, that's alright since Matt's urgency (and the film's suspense) doesn't rely on winning but surviving the pool of gambling hoodlum sharks who, from Tommy Lee Jones as an underground backroom dealer to a mysterious backstory Tom Skerritt, are out to (or seem out to) stop the endless and bizarre winning streak...

The best scenes are during the first half when, starting with having been discovered and weened by local gambling mechanic Don Francks, everything is breezy and easy since all the characters are developed as much as can be (including an expository introducing-the-city David Marshall Green) - not always through dialogue but their sly manipulation to the sport of gambling, and thinking on their toes...

Yet THE BIG TOWN is mostly known for being the third and final film Dillon starred alongside his RUMBLE FISH ingenue Diane Lane, which began most famously with THE OUTSIDERS, the only one they're not romantically involved... although her character finds his scoundrel rebel wild and attractive ("I might fall in love with him")...

Much more grown up in looks and attitude, and seeming far more both an aesthetic and genre-period connection to Francis Ford Coppola's uninspired THE COTTON CLUB than the S. E. Hinton adaptations, Lane provides a sexy, borderline sinister Femme Fatale as Jones's stripper trophy girl...

Without the usual 11th hour gunfire, her danger exists on who she's cheating on while Matt could be throwing away the perfect girl in Suzy Amis -- proving twenty-nine years after the demise of the Crime Genre that Film Noir good girls always have to weather hell before getting what they deserve, and getting who deserves them...

A slow middle's made up for during the finale where Dillon must succeed with slightly more odds added on -- very similar to the more lightweight early-60's-set-comedy, THE FLAMINGO KID, in which he had to win everything with the skill of the game -- cards there, and craps here...

In either game, be it skill or chance... which is chance here pretending to merit skill... Matt Dillon, a minimalist actor to begin with, has the kind of poker face expressions that helps the suspense build without a lot of action...

He's an actor that's been in a some good, great and downright terrible films, but he's usually good no matter. Even when he seems a bit slow to the punch and lethargic, like happens on occasion here, or too streetwise and stubborn to stretch beyond particular tough guy roles, he's got range within limitations...

In BIG TOWN, it's a steady gaze across a long green table. And hell, maybe he'd have worked in COLOR OF MONEY if that other Outsider backed out.

Even Dillon can't carry this film on his back

[=G= · 5/10 · 28 October 2001]

"The Big Town" tells of a small town man (Dillon) with a knack for shooting craps who goes to Chicago to seek his fortune. The film has an excellent cast and all of the story elements required to make a good film. However, tv director Bolt doesn't manage to accomplish that goal as the film is sorely lacking in style, artistry, cohesion, and vision. Instead we see talented performers mechanically going from set to set resulting in an ordinary film product which is flawed, full of incongruities, and not equal to the sum of its parts. An okay watch for Dillon fans now on cable.

well made but flawed retro-noir

[mjneu59 · 5/10 · 7 November 2010]

Matt Dillon plays a hayseed crap shooter with unbeatable luck who, in late 1950s Chicago, joins a Windy City syndicate and falls hard for the femme fatale wife of an unscrupulous gambling boss. Despite some errors in casting this otherwise familiar urban crime story is, at least in presentation, a lot smarter than it may first appear. The relative youth of the two leads is fatally inconsistent with the very grown up crime and passion scenario, but director Ben Bolt wisely underplays the neo-Noir mood by refusing to rely on the trendy smoke-and-strobe-light pyrotechnics so common in modern thrillers. The gritty urban setting is instead recreated in all its cheap romantic glamour, and the script has its arcane gambling slang down pat, but the film is something of an anachronism in today's over-hyped market: a competent (if minor) drama, made thirty years too late.

Extremely Underated Production

[Hollywood-3 · 1 April 1999]

The Big Town is an underrated movie. It boasts of a fantastic cast, and an interesting storyline, yet there are few who remember this movie. I suppose the screenplay and direction could have been better, yet this movie deserves more appreciation than it actually got. Matt Dillon puts in a good performance as the young shooter from a small town, trying to make it big with the 'throw of the dice'. But the man who steals the show is Tommy Lee Jones with an excellent performance as the old timer( a shooter himself) who doesn't think too kindly of the 'new kid on the block(Dillon). Diane Lane, better known for Murder at 1600, plays his wife, and Tom Skeritt and Suzy Amis are good in supporting roles. Amis, in particular, makes excellent use of her limited screen time. This movie is definitely recommended. Truly outstanding work by the entire cast.

Neo-B

[RNQ · 6/10 · 2 June 2007]

How do you rate a movie like this, which will never be great, but realizes tolerably, pretty well, a genre shuffle? The genre we might call neo-noir, but perhaps neo-B is better. There is the various filler--jazz, night alley with gleaming wet pavement, lots of bars, a fight club, street jammed with clubs, a elevated train that sparks when the guy and the girl kiss. And neo-filler--more than one woman doing a striptease with feathers and pasties and a bit of French stuff in bed. 1987 pretending to be the 1950s--mom with a little hat coming from church, shiny suits, homely red car. Someplace pretending to be "Chicago," da Big Town. A dice game a smart guy can pretty much always win, even when it's played in many scenes.

And Matt Dillon who's really into it, skinny guy always focused, doing a fine job. A "kid" who can be older, Tintin in a strip club. But it ain't "Drugstore Cowboy."

luck be a lady tonight

[lib-4 · 6/10 · 28 August 1999]

This is one of those movies you find on the television in the wee hours of the morning. Matt Dillon does a credible job as a young man trying to break into big time gambling- craps not a skilled game like poker. Of course, he is torn between two women- one good and one rather conniving. Tommy Lee Jones plays a man who wants to break this young upstart. The action is lively and the side stories keep the movie going. The music from the 50's is a nice addition to the sound track.

My expectations were bigger

[johnny-08 · 4/10 · 30 May 2008]

I was attracted to this movie when I looked at cast list, but after I watched it I must admit that I felt a bit disappointed. The main problem of this movie is that actors aren't capable of holding this movie on their back. Why? Because of bad script. Although Dillon, Lane and Jones try very hard to take this movie on another level, there is no innovative storytelling and the direction is too ordinary. So for Matt Dillon fans this is watchable movie, just like for admirers of beautiful Diane Lane. Legendary Tommy Lee Jones is always great but this is not movie for him; far below his level. So if you get hooked up by this great cast watch it but don't expect anything big or extraordinary. The only thing that you'll remember about this flick is Diane Lane scenes; rest of it is very forgettable.

Pretty Good

[ThomasColquith · 6/10 · 13 October 2021]

I hadn't heard of "The Big Town" before but I found it on streaming and it is actually a pretty good film. It is somewhat similar to "The Hustler" but I enjoyed "The Big Town" more as it was more taut, shorter, with better pacing. And It was stylish and had some good lines and character development. I always like Matt Dillon, and he was a good choice for this role, but the only negative for me was his accent, which came and went and was distracting at times. I thought that the accent was unnecessary as people from Indiana have little accent. I'd say it was worth a watch, not as bad as some say, but obviously still no masterpiece. And Tommy Lee Jones is of course great as he always is (he seems to always be cast properly in suitable roles). Diane Lane I hardly recognized as I only knew her from her more recent films, but she is fine here; I was surprised by her range, that she could do this role. My rating 6/10.

Craps is Badly Misrepresented

[chas437 · 5/10 · 9 October 2020]

This is a decent film with a fairly strong cast and retro feel. Matt Dillon and a young Diane Lane are good here.

The problem is how the game of craps is portrayed. The skill in craps is knowing all the correct odds and bets on the table. Its NOT about being able to roll any number you want, its humanly impossible. Even with the optimal play, its still a game of chance. Its not profitable such that wealthy people would hire "arms" to play for them. It would never happen. A player can go on a roll and make a lot of quick money, but just as often a player can get murdered. There are many tales of "Lost Wages" at Las Vegas craps tables.

Its a mediocre film and needed a more valid premise.

Stellar cast cannot rise above meandering script

[PimpinAinttEasy · 6/10 · 25 July 2022]

Some crappy big budget movies are a curse for the genre they aim to prop up. They end up turning off the dwindling audience for that kind of movie and also snuff the chances of other movies in the genre. THE BIG TOWN cost $15 million and had a stellar cast - MATT DILLON, BRUCE DERN, TOMMY LEE JONES, DIANE LANE and TOM SKERRIT. It is a bit of a dud. There is only so much a stellar cast can do with such a meandering script.

BRUCE DERN's character and his tragic back story were interesting. DIANE LANE looked hot.

The movie is about a young gambler who moves from a small town to Chicago, hits on the local big shots girl and then finds true love. I enjoyed parts of it due to the cast. It is like a porn film with all the right actors but the direction sucked.

(6/10)

Lackluster drama set in the late 1950s

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 22 December 2022]

Filmed in Ontario, this is a lackluster drama about the seamy underworld of late-1950's dice shooters. Matt Dillon stars as an almost supernaturally gifted "Arm" who gets sent to the Big Town of Chicago to work for bankrollers Lee Grant and Bruce Dern. Dillon meets a friendly mentor figure (Tom Skerritt) as well as a sinister strip club owner (Tommy Lee Jones), and is also torn between good-girl single mom Suzy Amis and bad-girl fan dancer Diane Lane.

There's a lot of nice period detail, and a terrific soundtrack of 50's rock and roll songs, but there just isn't much drama generated by the tired story. Dillon and Lane were both trying to break away from their teen idol images and into more adult roles, but they both give weak performances. Jones doesn't have much to do but look surly, but Dern and Skerritt are both good.

A Very Underrated Film

[Uriah43 · 8/10 · 13 June 2019]

The year is 1957 and in the small town of Rockport, Indiana a young man by the name of "J.C. Cullen" (Matt Dillon) dreams of making it big in Chicago by counting the odds and throwing dice. Even his mentor "Carl Hooker" (Don Francks) admits that he is the best craps shooter he has ever seen-and Hooker has seen some of the best. So with the encouragement of his good friend and a recommendation to a reputable sponsor by the name of "Ferguson Edwards" (Lee Grant) J.C. gets on the bus and heads out to the Windy City to try his luck. And it's here that he meets people who will make an indelible impression on him for the rest of his life. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that I really liked this movie. Not only does it capture the timeframe rather well but it also included a solid cast with good performances by just about everybody involved with Diane Lane (as "Lorry Dane") and Tom Skerritt (as "Phil Carpenter") truly standing out. In short, I consider this to be an underrated picture and recommend it to viewers who might be interested in a film of this sort.

Take it for what it is

[clk264-649-716463 · 6/10 · 22 July 2022]

In the 1980s, much like every decade, there was a fondness for 30 years prior. With "The Big Town," there is no exception. Movie takes place in the 1950s, and it is a throwback to noir films of the era.

Kevin Dylan plays a small town gambler who dreams of making a big in Chicago. He moves there, and then quickly gets hooked up with a gambling syndicate that carton around to various different places. Obviously there is a history there with other gamblers who have seen young hotshots much like Kevin Dylan, and he is set up with fixed dice, Banning him from one of the biggest gambling tables in the city. He's redeemed, falls in love with a gangster's girlfriend, and all is well at the end.

This isn't exactly anything new or old, this is literally the same story that you've seen about a million times and will see again. It's great 1980s nostalgia, especially if you've never seen this film or heard of it, and it has an all-star cast going from Kevin Dylan and Diane Lane all the way to Bruce Dern and Tom Skerritt. It's a lot of fun, great soundtrack, just don't expect anything Oscar worthy or anything that'll surprise you.

"You're good, kid, but as long as I'm around you're second best. You might as well learn to live with it." Lansey Howard

[bill-987 · 5/10 · 3 June 2007]

I could easily have imagined that this film was a hastily slapped together attempt to capitalize on the success of the "Cincinnati Kid". Grab a bunch of talent the likes of Dianne Lane, Tommy Lee Jones, Matt Dillon, and Bruce Dern, and Tom Skerritt, take away the card table and substitute a crap table and go collect your receipts. The only problems with this scenario are that the films are 22 years apart and that this a poorly slapped together effort. Oh yeah, and they're both remakes of a true classic. I suppose you could say the concept was used one other time between "Kid" and "Big Town" with "The Color of Money", but I categorize that as a sequel.

It's the story of a young gambler (Newman – McQueen – Dillon) whose prodigious talent motivates his departure from small town small time to take on the best members of their calling. He risks losing his loyal true love (Laurie – Weld – Amis) in the pursuit of his dream, falls into the clutches of an evil influence (Scott – Ann-Margret – Lane), and learns a lesson from the older, wiser (Gleason – Robinson – Skerritt) whatever.

Out front I must confess that Dianne Lane is one of my all time favorite actresses although I don't always like all her roles. In this film, however, she is the perfect amoral opportunistic little whore. In "Cincinnati" Edward G. Robinson's Lancey Howard comes very close to equaling Jackie Gleason's performance as Minnesota Fats, but Gleason's is simply perfect.

I'm sure I'll see this film again just to see a 22 year-old Lane naked, and I'm a big Steve McQueen fan, but I'll take "The Hustler" every time.

An undiscovered gem about gambling, sex, and growing up in a tough world

[pool2000 · 6 April 2000]

This is Matt Dillon's best performance by far. This shows why everyone thinks he has such talent. But like most of his other work, this movie is dark and realistic about human nature -- in a word, truthful. All the characters have at least two levels -- the superficial level, and a deeper level which is usually darker and more warped, yet never exaggerated. This film also features a masterful performance by Tommy Lee Jones, an excellent job by Suzy Amis, and Diane Lane's most sensational, most lurid, and deepest performance ever in her depiction of a scheming strip tease queen, the ultimate femme fatale, yet a tortured little girl underneath.

The script is very good, very insightful, very restrained in its depiction of a lurid underworld of raw emotion. It dramatizes a world of sin and depravity, yet the story is at core a morality play in which decency and morality not only survive but thrive in spite of extreme temptations.

A good movie on every level.

weak stylish gambling movie

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 15 July 2015]

It's 1957. Indiana small town kid J.C. Cullen (Matt Dillon) wins the local craps games at the gas station. Hooker sets him up with Ferguson Edwards (Lee Grant) in Chicago. Mr. Edwards (Bruce Dern) is her blind partner. Sonny Binkley takes him around to play. He charms nice girl Aggie Donaldson (Suzy Amis) who has a past with Sonny. He goes to a private game at the Gem Club owned by George Cole (Tommy Lee Jones) where Cole's wife Lorry Dane (Diane Lane) dances. He breaks the bank angering Cole. The next night, Cole sets him up with loaded dice. Then gambler Phil Carpenter (Tom Skerritt) from California comes in.

I've never been a fan of Matt Dillon coming in hard as a cocky young stud lead. He's too pigheaded to like. He's not as charming as he acts. He needs some vulnerability and more introspection. The production style is limited and the directing style is craps. There are some interesting actors but the story lacks sustained life. It has sections where the story is compelling. J.C.'s gambling with Cole over the two nights has good tension but it doesn't keep it going. It gets tied down with a messy story and an unlikeable Dillon. The movie could be good if it simplified to just them and Diane Lane. But I doubt it.

Started off Okay

[asfhgwt-1 · 3/10 · 28 October 2021]

They noted correctly that in a private game of craps some bettors don't pay true odds. For example, if 6 or 8 is the "point" you can get away with laying even money (instead of laying $6 to every $5) if you bet against the shooter. This will pay off in the long run. Craps is a pretty simple game, and only simpletons would bet huge amounts of money in a private game without knowing the odds. This isn't inconceivable in Dillon's home town, but is dubious in Chicago.

Worse, the idea that Dillon (or anyone) can consistently roll the dice and "pass" (win) six times in a row -- because he's "lucky" -- over and over is ridiculous. Unless you're cheating, in the long run you'll lose app. 1.4 cents of every dollar bet.

The rest of the movie is pretty standard Hollywood stuff -- even the asinine freeze-frame at the end. The only thing good about it is the era and setting.

Slick and soulless

[gkmcc · 4/10 · 19 March 2021]

"The Big Town" has an unpersuasive story, flat performances, and an overly slick look. Matt Dillon never convinced as the small-town kid who sets off to Chicago to be a big-time professional gambler, nor is the gambling syndicate trope convincing. Several much more accomplished actors (Lee Grant, Bruce Dern, Tommy Lee Jones, and Diane Lane) are wasted playing one-dimensional characters under uninspired direction.

Could Have Been More

[michaelplonsker · 8/10 · 13 October 2001]

Considering the big name cast and lavish production I expected a lot more of this film. The acting for the most part is great, although the story they have to work with is mediocre at best. However the film still warrants watching because of the acting and the stars and some and up and coming young talent.

Could have been a lot better in the right hands!

[ronnybee2112 · 5/10 · 30 July 2020]

This movie has all the ingredients of a good,or maybe even great film but somehow comes up short. It is uninspired in some spots and overdone in others. Sometimes it seems like the actors are just going through the motions,like a high-school play. At times it can even seem silly. Don't get me wrong,it is not a terrible film-it just isn't that good for any number of reasons,not the least of it a weak,cliche filled script. Nobody in real-life gets to jump into a rich successful life by rolling dice,for heaven's sake. Watch it on a rainy day with the mindset of being entertained and you likely will be.

Decently Crafted Movie But Insipid

[RonellSowes · 26 September 2021]

The Big Town could almost be called the final installment into producer Martin Ransohoff's 'table gambling' trilogy. The Hustler was pool, The Cincinatti Kid was poker and now there's one for dice/craps. Only it isn't as good as the previous two, though I feel its rating here is lower than it deserves.

If you just examine it on a scene by scene basis it's actually a fairly decent movie by almost all angles-everyone seems to be doing there job right. However, in the big picture is where the picture really falters and winds up being so dull and insipid.

cradle robbing

[sandcrab277 · 1/10 · 30 September 2021]

Oh c'mon matt dillon is a baby to be playing this part and diane lane is way too much woman for tommie jones yet alone dillon ... this whole film reminded me of a teenager that escaped the clutches of his mother to become a complete waste of time in the big city ... just terrible.

fantastic,atmospheric entertainment

[litti · 10/10 · 10 December 2002]

What a surprisingly good movie this one turned out to be. This is the type of film that I've been looking for ages. Particularly important for me was the fantastic-looking Chicago, which I still keep thinking about. The back cover doesn't do this film justice, it's superb, and in my top-5 for sure.

Very well done.

[Med-Jasta · 9/10 · 23 September 2021]

Of course the acting talent grabbed my attention. I really enjoyed this movie. It moved quickly and didn't waste you time. It's a movie about learning how to do the right thing. To be able to learn from your mistakes. Culley is the best at dice because he knows how to wager the odds and all of that. And that's what life is. He goes against what everyone tells him and gets caught in the allure of the life. But instead of continuing with it, he decides to do what is right, which is what he really wants. And just like his dice throwing he's very lucky to be able to not get pulled down to that point of no return. But he's smart and does what's right.

Because playing dice with your friends and making some money is fun. But just like with anything when you hit the big times it's not just about the game anymore.

The movie doesn't have a huge climax or anything but when it's over you're very satisfied and happy he made the right choice. I liked the 50s atmosphere and of course the music. I was hoping that the movie would be good when I saw that Culley was a fan of Duane Eddy and Bo Diddley.

And I know nothing about the game. Every time the dice rolled to a number, I had no idea if it was good or bad.

Chicago underground scene of 1957

[redcrossaint · 8/10 · 22 August 2022]

The Big Town (1987)

3/4

"The Big Town" follows a talented gambler and dice roller, J. C. Cullen (Matt Dillion). After getting a bit bored of small games that he always is winning, he goes into the "big town" (Chicago, 1957) through his mentor, Carl Hooker (Don Francks). He's given a manager, Ferguson (Lee Grant) who's married to Bruce Dern, a blind man. On the job, he meets George (Tommy Lee Jones), a manager of a popular casino, the owner of the club, and puts his skills to work, but what goes up, comes down, as he falls in love with George's girl, Lorry (Diane Lane) and gives the town an impressive run for its money.

There are a few movies that work because of their style. "The Big Town" is a wonderfully entertaining, highly stylistic film that has great performances and some great direction, giving it a lot of enjoyable elegance. The film looks great, and Matt Dillion and Tommy Lee Jones are really very good here. The film definitely has style to spare.

The only problem with the film is that it's got kind of a traditional gambling story structure, and doesn't really do much besides it. As the film progressed, I became more and more aware of what was going to happen, and I wasn't particularly satisfied by the ending, which is unbelievable. But this film is more of an exercise in style rather than story, and for that, I enjoyed it tremendously, even though I realize it's not perfect.