Against All Odds (1984)

A gangster hires an ex-football player to find his girlfriend. When he finds her, they fall in love, and the twists start to appear.

Director:

Taylor Hackford

Writers:

Eric Hughes (screenplay by), Daniel Mainwaring

Stars:

Rachel Ward, Jeff Bridges, James Woods

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rachel Ward	...	Jessie Wyler
Jeff Bridges	...	Terry Brogan
James Woods	...	Jake Wise
Alex Karras	...	Hank Sully
Jane Greer	...	Mrs. Wyler
Richard Widmark	...	Ben Caxton
Dorian Harewood	...	Tommy
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Edie
Saul Rubinek	...	Steve Kirsch
Pat Corley	...	Ed Phillips
Bill McKinney	...	Head Coach
Allen Williams	...	Bob Soames
Sam Scarber	...	Assistant Coach
Jon St. Elwood	...	Ahmad Cooper
Tamara Stafford	...	Kirsch's Girlfriend

Storyline

Reluctantly, the penniless, injured, and down-on-his-luck former football player, Terry Brogan, accepts to track down Jessie Wyler: the ex-girlfriend of the old friend and shady nightclub owner, Jake Wise. Now, on the sun-kissed beaches of picturesque Cozumel, Terry not only finds the elusive woman but also, unexpectedly, falls head-over-heels for Jessie, against the backdrop of suspicion and betrayal. More and more, Terry finds himself trapped in an intricate web of passion, intrigue, and murder, as Jessie starts to feel the burden of choice in this dangerous love triangle. Can there be a future?

---

Plot Keywords:

nightclub | mexico | gangster | sex scene | los angeles california | 

---

Taglines:

From the director of "An Officer and A Gentleman" comes a different kind of film.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Out of the Past

Filming Locations:

Riviera Country Club - 1250 Capri Drive, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,766,128, 4 March 1984

Gross USA:

$21,689,062

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$21,689,062

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, New Visions, Columbia-Delphi Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of three movies directed by Taylor Hackford in the 1980's with a hit song associated with the movie. In this film , the song was "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" sung by Phil Collins whereas in Hackford's previous picture An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) the song was "Up Where We Belong" sung by Joe Cocker and in White Nights (1985) the songs were "Say You, Say Me" written and performed by Lionel Richie and "Separate Lives" written by Stephen Bishop and with Collins again as performer along with Marilyn Martin. All of those tunes were Oscar nominated for the Best Song Academy Award, the ones performed by Collins did not win but the Cocker and Richie song did take home the gold statuette.

---

Goofs

In "The Palace" scene where "Kid Creole & the Coconuts" are performing, Terry leaves the main floor and goes into Jake's office. The song playing in the background "Curiosity" skips a beat when heard muffled in Jake's office.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Terry Brogan: Señor! Have you, uh, seen this woman?
Taxi driver: Oh - no, sir.
Terry Brogan: Gracias.

---

Alternate Versions

CBS edited 9 minutes from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.

---

Connections

Featured in The Best of Film Noir (1999)

---

Soundtracks

MAKING A BIG MISTAKE
Written and Performed by Mike Rutherford
Courtesy of Atlantic Records

User Reviews

" What's a better place to commit murder. than a Mayan Ball Court? "

Anyone who has ever read Daniel Mainwaring's 1947 novel 'Out of the Past' will quickly see the connection to Hollywood's newest remake called " Against All Odds." In the 47' version it was Robert Mitchum against Kirk Douglas, the new release star's Jeff Bridges and James Woods. In the original Mainwaring story, the hero plays a detective, the second transforms him into a football player. Both are essentially hired to travel South, searching for a run-away girlfriend with stolen cash. Both find the girl and then the story becomes more convoluted than a Bavarian pretzel. The movie is fraught with twists and turns and once inside the story-line, it becomes difficult to follow who is doing what to whom. Following closely, the audience is privy to the hot-off-the-griddle love triangle between the principals. At the same time, we try as hard as we can to Follow the Money. Those who have it want more and those who ignore it, willingly trade it for personal interest. In the end, this is a particular film which warns audience members, don't take your eyes and ears off the screen or else you'll lose your place. Interesting novel, but loses something when transfered to the screen. Alex Karras, Sal Rubinek and the late great Richard Widmark, add to the re-make. But, personally, I like the original movie as the re-make will steam up your glasses. ****