Search - Fat City on DVD

MPAA Rating: PG Content Advisory: Mild Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Substance Abuse Movie Release: 1972 DVD Release: 12/10/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered,Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 36 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 7 Genres: Drama, Sports Drama

With a screenplay adapted by Leonard Gardner from his own novel, John Huston's drama examines the meager hopes and resigned dreams of small-time boxers. In limbo between retirement and his youthful prime, alcoholic farm laborer Tully (Stacy Keach) shacks up with fellow outcast Oma (Susan Tyrrell) and keeps trying to make a boxing comeback, but his personal demons repeatedly overpower his ambitions. Meanwhile, fellow Stockton, CA resident and budding fighter Ernie (Jeff Bridges) takes Tully's advice to join trainer Ruben (Nicholas Colasanto)'s gym and make something of himself. Learning the tough lesson that winning is not as easy as it sounds, Ernie is still determined to get what he can out of boxing and, unlike Tully, not let disappointments get the best of him. Shot on location in Stockton by Conrad Hall, the film maintains a realistic, slice-of-life view of Tully's and Ernie's struggles, eschewing theatrical boxing victories for psychological and social details. As Huston avowed at the Cannes Film Festival that Fat City's virtue was its "modesty," critics agreed that he had made his best film in two decades; and Tyrrell was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. However, despite the praise and the efforts of producer Ray Stark, Fat City failed at the box office. Even so, its unromanticized depiction of modest wins and personal losses revealed that old Hollywood pro Huston had adapted well to the late '60s-early '70s New Hollywood grit, and the film revived his artistic standing. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Stacy Keach - Tully
Jeff Bridges - Ernie Munger
Susan Tyrrell - Oma
Candy Clark - Faye
Nicholas Colasanto - Ruben

John Huston's underrated boxing drama Fat City comes to DVD with a pair of transfers. The widescreen anamorphic transfer preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of the film, and is preferable to the standard full-frame image. The English soundtrack has been digitally remastered. English and French subtitles are accessible. Supplemental materials include trailers. This is a solid release from Columbia/TriStar that just might help this film reach the wider audience it deserves. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide