Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)

Director:

Norman Mailer

Writers:

Norman Mailer (novel)
Norman Mailer (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 September 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Action | Thriller | Crime

Tagline:

A story of how dangerous love can be.

Plot:

Writer, ex-con and 40-something bottle-baby Tim Madden, who is prone to black-outs, awakens from a two-week...

Plot Keywords:

Head | Ex Wife | Police Chief | Murder | Cancer

Awards:

1 win & 10 nominations

Cast

Ryan O'Neal	...	Tim Madden
Isabella Rossellini	...	Madeleine Regency
Debra Sandlund	...	Patty Lareine
Wings Hauser	...	Capt. Alvin Luther Regency
John Bedford Lloyd	...	Wardley Meeks III
Lawrence Tierney	...	Dougy Madden
Penn Jillette	...	Big Stoop
Frances Fisher	...	Jessica Pond
R. Patrick Sullivan	...	Lonnie Pangborn
John Snyder	...	Spider
Stephan Morrow	...	Stoodie
Clarence Williams III	...	Bolo
Kathryn Sanders	...	Beth
Ira Lewis	...	Merwyn Finney
Ed Setrakian	...	Lawyer

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Golan-Globus Productions

Trivia:

Norman Mailer, in the director's commentary on the DVD, said that he was counseled to cut the ending of the scene in which Ryan O'Neal's character Tim Madden reads a note from his ex-girlfriend Madeline informing him that his wife was having an affair with her husband, and he exclaims, "Oh God! Oh Man! Oh God! Oh Man!" because of O'Neal's poor performance. Mailer kept it in because he thought the poor line reading actually added something to the picture. O'Neal, who had been friendly with Mailer, turned on him, as the bit revealed his shortcomings as an actor and embarrassed him.

Quotes:

Tim Madden: Should you drink?
Dougy Madden: Six months ago, they told me to stop or I was dead. I stopped. Now the spirits circle around my bed and they tell me to dance. I tell 'em, "Tough guys don't dance." They answer me, "Keep dancing."

Movie Connections:

References The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

Soundtrack:

Real Man

simultaneously funny and haunting neo-noir

There are a lot of people who really hate this movie. Then strangely they go on and on detailing the things that bother them about it but that they also find fascinating and relentlessly hypnotic.

It's unfortunate that people are so rigid in their definition of what makes a 'good' movie.

Norman Mailer is by no means a terrible director. He actually does a very credible and commendable job of adapting his own novel to the screen. The dialogue is at times overblown and purplish, but it is never boring and frequently it's downright brilliant.

Every performer acquits themselves well, even Debra Sandlund as Patty Laureine, Wings Hauser as the sociopathic macho police chief and John Bedford Lloyd as the eccentric, messed-up millionaire, all of whom can be accused of overacting. But ultimately their performances are completely in tune with their insane characters and draw us into a nasty labyrinth of twisted emotions and nightmarish memories. Ryan O'Neal actually gives one of his finest performances as an alcoholic loser who has messed up his life and who is so prone to blackouts, he's not even sure if he's killed someone. Lawrence Tierney is excellent as his tough guy dad who helps him make sense of the chaos in their small-shut-up-for-the-winter-and-consequently-spooky-as-hell Provincetown coastal neighborhood. Isabella Rossellini is also great in what appears to be an, at first impression, thankless role, but who in fact turns out to be the character who gets the last word and the best revenge.

The great thing about this film is it manages to have its cake and eat it, too. It's not only an at times very creepy modern film noir, it's also a frequently hilarious black comedy. Also, contrary to some people's perceptions, the film has a complex narrative structure that pulls the viewer in, much like the best mysteries. If you go in not expecting a conventional mystery thriller but more of a cross between David Lynch, Roman Polanski, Jules Feiffer, Hal Ashby and maybe Arthur Penn(when he directed NIGHT MOVES), I guarantee you you will not be disappointed.