In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.In a corrupt city, a small-time gangster and the estranged wife of a pot dealer find themselves thrown together in an escapade of love, money, drugs and danger.
- Nominated for 5 Oscars
- 25 wins & 22 nominations total
Wallace Shawn
- Waiter
- (as Wally Shawn)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJust after filming ended Burt Lancaster nearly died during a routine gall bladder operation in January 1980, requiring multiple blood transfusions.
- GoofsNear the end of the film Grace tells Chrissie that they'd both lost their men to a shooting. But Chrissie's man was stabbed, not shot.
Chrissie didn't know that. If she didn't know, a Goof can't be charged against her.
- Crazy creditsAs the end credits roll, an old building on the boardwalk is demolished to some of the tunes that appear earlier in the film. Each time the wrecking ball hits, we hear a cymbal crash and the soundtrack jumps to a different song.
Featured review
Screenwriter John Guare and director Louis Malle give tribute to people in transition, set to the back drop of a city in transition.
Set in 1970s Atlantic City in the early days of legalized gambling, we find a young woman (Susan Sarandon) working in the fish section of a casino restaurant while learning to be a card dealer. At the same time, an elderly, small-time hood (Burt Lancaster) is stuck taking care of a gangster's widow (Kate Reid). Sarandon's husband and her younger sister ran off together and unexpectedly reappear looking for a place to stay. Her sister is now pregnant and her low-life husband is trying to sell drugs stolen from a big-time dealer in Philadelphia. Sarandon's husband meets Lancaster in a bar while trying to set up a deal to sell the drugs, and he convinces Lancaster to be his "mule." Lancaster and Sarandon being neighbors -- with her brother in law as the mutual acquaintance -- are brought together and become involved in more trouble than they ever thought imaginable.
The refreshing aspect of this motion picture is that it avoids the typical Hollywood pitfall where character development and dialogue play second fiddle to car chases and stunt scenes. In Atlantic City the odious characters and sticky situations are secondary to the development/relationships of the lead characters. This is the first excellent performance on film of a young Sarandon, and one of the finest performances of Lancaster's distinguished career.
This film has been butchered on cable, VHS, and laserdisc. Please let's have a quality remaster on DVD in widescreen format.
The refreshing aspect of this motion picture is that it avoids the typical Hollywood pitfall where character development and dialogue play second fiddle to car chases and stunt scenes. In Atlantic City the odious characters and sticky situations are secondary to the development/relationships of the lead characters. This is the first excellent performance on film of a young Sarandon, and one of the finest performances of Lancaster's distinguished career.
This film has been butchered on cable, VHS, and laserdisc. Please let's have a quality remaster on DVD in widescreen format.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Atlantic City, USA
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $7,200,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $12,729,675
- Gross worldwide
- $12,729,675
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