Atlantic City (1980)

Director:

Louis Malle

Writer:

John Guare (written by)

Release Date:

3 April 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

She made him become what he always wanted to be - a lover, a hero, a rich man...and a killer!

Plot:

Lou is a small time gangster, who thinks he used to be something big. He meets up with a younger girl...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Cocaine | Drug Dealer | Motel | Atlantic City New Jersey

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 23 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Lou Pascal
Susan Sarandon	...	Sally Matthews
Kate Reid	...	Grace Pinza
Michel Piccoli	...	Joseph
Hollis McLaren	...	Chrissie
Robert Joy	...	Dave Matthews
Al Waxman	...	Alfie
Robert Goulet	...	Singer in hospital
Moses Znaimer	...	Felix
Angus MacInnes	...	Vinnie
Sean Sullivan	...	Buddy
Wallace Shawn	...	Waiter (as Wally Shawn)
Harvey Atkin	...	Bus driver
Norma Dell'Agnese	...	Jeanne
Louis Del Grande	...	Mr. Shapiro

Also Known As:

Atlantic City (USA)
Atlantic City, USA (Canada: English title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

Canada | France

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | West Germany:16 (f) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Albany Avenue, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

International Cinema

Trivia:

Robert Mitchum was considered to play the lead. However once the producer had seen he'd had a face-lift recently they lost interest.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The elephant-shaped building Chrissie sees in the opening sequence is Lucy the Elephant, a landmark in Margate, NJ. Margate is south of Atlantic City. The vehicle she is in is clearly traveling south, AWAY from Atlantic City.

Quotes:

Lou: Yes, it used to be beautiful - what with the rackets, whoring, guns.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Screaming Skull (#10.12)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Norma

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.