The Big Town (1987)

Matt Dillon stars as a small-time gambler in 1950's Chicago. He moves from rural Illinois to Chicago to pursure his incredible luck at dice. While working for professional gamblers, he falls in love with both a stripper (Diane Lane) and a pretty unwed mother (Suzy Amis). Starring: Diane Lane (2003 Academy Award® Nominee Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun), Matt Dillon (Drugstore Cowboy), Tommy Lee Jones (Academy Award Winner, 1994 The Fugitive, The Missing), Bruce Dern (Academy Award Nominee 1978 Coming Home), Lee Grant (Academy Award Winner, 1976 Shampoo).

Interesting Sleeper

"The Big Town" doesn't break any cinematic ground but it's more than worth your while. How can you go wrong with a film that sports two Oscar winners(Tommy Lee Jones, Lee Grant) and three nominees(Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Bruce Dern) in the cast? Director Ben Bolt imbues the film with terrific period atmosphere and the selection of rock, rhythm and blues, and country and western music is impeccable. The film has a gritty sensiblity reminiscent of classic film noir. Dillon is fine as the kid from Indiana with a knack for dice rolling who seeks his fame and fortune in the seedy backrooms of Chicago. It's Jones, however, who steals the picture in an understated turn as the film's ostensible villain. Jones doesn't have to say a word. Just a squint of his eyes and a look at his craggy visage says it all. Good character turns from vets Grant and Dern as the couple who bankroll Dillon's endeavors. The two women in Dillon's life, Lane's exotic dancer and Suzy Amis' aspiring DJ are kind of underwritten. These two are kind of cliched in representing the good girl/bad girl dichotomy. The promised showdown between Dillon and Jones is kind of a fizzle. Another disappointment is Lane's less than erotic fan dance. August 10, 2006

Worth a roll of the dice

The varied reactions to this movie by other reviewers are interesting, but nonetheless surprise me. De gustibus and all that, I suppose.

Released in 1987 but set in 1957, this is a well written and well acted drama with much of the feel of 40s and 50s noir. The look of the film, presumably deliberately, also has the style of an earlier era. The sound track, with Ivory Joe Hunter, Lincoln Chase, Big Joe Turner and others, couldn't be more suitable. The sleaze, of course, is much more advanced than would have been permissible thirty years earlier.

The hero, J.C. Cullen (Matt Dillon), is more complex than a pure country innocent corrupted by a wicked woman Lorry Dane (Diane Lane), a stripper at the Gem Club. A small town gambler trying to make it big in Chicago, he has his own dark, or at least not-so-light, side, which is why he takes up with Lorry so readily. Yet, he at least struggles with his conscience even if he doesn't always do the right thing. Tommy Lee Jones and Bruce Dern are in fine form as villains, Lee Grant has just the right touch, and Diane Lane has never been more stunning or more credible in a role. The Big Town is not a big movie, but it is a good one.
June 16, 2006

Big Town, Little Movie

Matt Dillon stars in this Ben Bolt movie about a young gambler from the 50`s that goes to Chicago in order to improve his life. Diane Lane and Tommy Lee Jones also give standout performances here, and most of the cast is convincing enough. The problem seems to be Bolt`s direction, entirely average and bland, which doesn`t provide any particural memorable moment or scene. There are no impressive camera-angles here, so what counts is really the plot. The worse thing is that the plot is just adequate yet nothing special either, presenting a typical rags-to-riches storyline with cliched characters and unsurprising situations. The acting makes it work in a mildly interesting manner, though, so the movie still manages to be an entertaining pick for a rainy day. "The Big Town" is another average film worth watching once and be done with it.

Not a keeper. April 13, 2004

Diane Lane is a feast for the eyes

The luscious Diane Lane was the reason I rented this movie (and would buy it as well, should it become available). I was on my Diane Lane binge when I saw this, along with Lady Beware, Priceless Beauty, The Outsiders and Rumble Fish. What can I say? I missed out on her movies as an adolescent. Seeing her in The Perfect Storm inspired me to seek out her earlier work.
The Big Town stands out as one of the better movies she was in, with an entertaining plot of a dice hustler played well by Matt Dillon. It seems they enjoyed acting together as well, having both been in Coppolla's Rumble Fish and The Outsiders.
There are a great collection of other character actors in this film as well, including Bruce Dern, Tommy Lee Jones and Tom Skerrit. Suzy Amis is sympathetic as Dillon's other love interest, but she doesn't hold a candle to the sex kitten Lane. December 24, 2002

Dice players rejoyce

I first stumbled across this movie on cable in the late 80's. I loved it then and still do today. Great story, great casting, great acting & great period film making. Diane Lane is not to shabby either as a strippin' diva with a taste for the fast life. Matt Dillon plays a complete craps stud who can win any dice game no matter the stakes or cash on the table. Tommy Lee Jones, Tom Skerrit, Bruce Dern & Lee Grant all contribute with awesome performances to this "Gem Club" of a movie. I sincerely hope we'll all be lucky enough for this title to be available soon on DVD. Heck, I'd love to have a DVD with tons of extras too if it was up to me but it it's not. I can always dream though... June 19, 2002

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