The Big Easy (1986)

Director:

Jim McBride

Writer:

Daniel Petrie Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

21 August 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Between them lies the fate of the state of New Orleans

Plot:

Set in New Orleans. Remy McSwain, lieutenant in Homicide finds that he has two problems, the first of a series of gang killings and Ann Osborne...

Plot Keywords:

Corruption | Police | Police Corruption | New Orleans | Murder

Awards:

4 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Dennis Quaid	...	Det. Remy McSwain
Ellen Barkin	...	Anne Osborne
Ned Beatty	...	Jack Kellom
John Goodman	...	Det. Andre DeSoto
Lisa Jane Persky	...	McCabe
Ebbe Roe Smith	...	Ed Dodge
Tom O'Brien	...	Bobby McSwain
Charles Ludlam	...	Lamar Parmentel
Grace Zabriskie	...	Mama
Marc Lawrence	...	Vinnie 'The Cannon' DiMotti
Solomon Burke	...	Daddy Mention
Gailard Sartain	...	Chef Paul
Jim Chimento	...	Freddie Angelo
Edward St. Pe	...	Patrolman
Robert Lesser	...	'Silky' Foster

Also Known As:

The Big Crackdown (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Norway:15 (DVD rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Antoine's Restaurant - 713 St. Louis Street, French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Kings Road Entertainment

Trivia:

Both Ellen Barkin and Dennis Quaid consider this the favorite of all the films they've made.

Goofs:

Continuity: Later in the final gunfight, DeSoto fires his shotgun twice without pumping it.

Quotes:

Remy McSwain: If I can't have you, can I have my gator?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Shooting the Police: Cops on Film (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

TELL IT LIKE IT IS

Steamy romance and an interesting thriller...

I've seen various comments from those who say "The Big Easy" is one huge stereotype and/or unrealistic. Well, sure, the stereotypes exist here, but I feel that the directing of Jim McBride and excellent acting and chemistry of Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin rose above it.

As for its being unrealistic...so is almost every movie ever made!

Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin had phenomenal chemistry as Remy McSwain and Anne Osborne. Their first love scene was, by turns, steamy, tender, and touched with a sense of not taking itself too, too seriously as some love scenes tend to do. Out of the bedroom, they prove to be just as interesting as in (Remy's "gray" concept of right and wrong definitely adds to such interest, as does his "crisis of conscience" later on), and that is truly, IMHO, a rare feat for a lot of such films.

Add in a great supporting cast (Ned Beatty's crooked, yet fatherly Jack Kellom, John Goodman's dirty cop André, Grace Zabriskie as Mrs. McSwain, Lisa Jane Persky as Det. McCabe, and many more) that actually lends more depth to what could have been a cut-and-dried shoot 'em up flick (mixed with some bed scenes for variety), as well as characters/actors who actually play off of each other well, and the film is very entertaining.

Sure, the whole "gumbo, let's party, Cajun fest" thing can be a bit much, but I still found this film a whole bunch better than a lot of films made in the same or similar vein. It also still seems remarkably fresh today, 15 years later (even if typing police reports via a typewriter now seems a bit passé).

In other words and in short, I am glad to own this on DVD and have it in my library.