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Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
18 September 1987 (USA)
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Tagline:
A story of how dangerous love can be. more
Plot:
Writer, ex-con and 40-something bottle-baby Tim Madden, who is prone to black-outs, awakens from a two-week...
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Awards:
1 win
&
10 nominations
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User Comments:
simultaneously funny and haunting neo-noir
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Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
110 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (TVC)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:16 |
Australia:M |
Finland:K-16 |
France:-12 |
Norway:18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 |
USA:R |
West Germany:18
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
According to Quentin Tarantino on the DVD commentary for True Romance (1993), he went to see this film the night he finished the script for True Romance.
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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."
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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."
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Doogie Howser, M.D.: Tough Guys Don't Teach (#1.17)" (1990)
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Soundtrack:
Real Man
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (19 total)
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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.