6.5/10
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Carny (1980)

R | | Drama | 23 May 1980 (USA)
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Tired of her dull job as a waitress, Donna decides to join two carnival hustlers and see what life in their field is like.

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(story), (story) (as Robbie Kaylor) | 2 more credits »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
Frankie
...
Donna
...
...
Gerta
...
Heavy St. John
...
On-Your-Mark
...
Doubles
Teddy Wilson ...
Nails (as Theodore Wilson)
John Lehne ...
Skeet
...
Marvin Dill
...
Delno Baptiste
...
W. C. Hannon
Alan Braunstein ...
Willie Mae
...
Sugaree
...
Mickey
See full cast »
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Storyline

A carnival comes to a small town. Eighteen year old Donna meets Frankie and Patch, two carnival hustlers. They earn their living by mercilessly taunting spectators to try to dump one of them into the water by throwing balls. Donna is tired of her work as a waitress and follows them through the South. Written by Mattias Thuresson

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

carnival | 1980s | bearded woman | one word title | sword swallower | See All (10) »

Taglines:

Where love is just another sucker's game. See more »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

23 May 1980 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

A Feira Ambulante  »

Filming Locations:

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Technicolor)
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Did You Know?

Goofs

In the truck stop, Donna says, "Money walks, BS talks". This is backwards, though not sure if it may be intentional or not. See more »

Quotes

Donna: If I had the money for a bus ticket I'd leave right now.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Being John Malkovich (1999) See more »

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User Reviews

Prime Jodie Foster....
22 August 1999 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

This may not be a familiar title to many, but for me, "Carny" marks a major turning point in the career of Jodie Foster.

In "Carny", she plays a regular young woman who is lured by the excitement of the midway into becoming one of the regular carnival members or, as the title calls them, a carny.

This is basically a story about carnival life, the nomadic existance of the carnies and the eventual maturing of Foster's character by this new way of life. Watching her adjustments, both easy and difficult, make it easy to see why she received more difficult roles after this.

Robbie Robertson, leader of The Band, plays a fellow carny and love interest for Foster. He is all cool assurance and strong emotional center, both of which are things Foster's character is looking for. It's a wonder Robertson hasn't been in more movies since.

Gary Busey, in a performance that is both humorous and borderline psychotic, plays a dunk tank clown that forever taunts patrons, both in and out of the cage. He is also involved with Foster, and finds himself at odds with Robertson over her attentions.

If there's one problem with this film it's that it is too brief. More likely than not a filming decision but see it yourself and see if you don't agree.

Eight stars.

Now, "Carny" is a movie that DESERVES a sequel.
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