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?

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

Sometimes love is the most dangerous game of all.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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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

The character equivalents in the movie compared to the original Out of the Past (1947) film were as follows: Rachel Ward portraying Jessie Wyler played the Jane Greer role of Kathie Moffat; Jeff Bridges portraying Terry Brogan played the Robert Mitchum role of Jeff Bailey and James Woods portraying Jake Wise played the Kirk Douglas role of Whit Sterling. Interestingly, Jeff Bridges' equivalent character in the first film, Jeff Bailey, had the same first name as his own.

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Goofs

In the scene where Terry and Jess are arguing on the "ball field" in Chichen Itza, as the camera switches back and forth between the two, in the background behind Jess a group of kids playing ball can be seen at the other end of the arena; when the camera cuts back to her, they're gone, and the next time the camera returns to her, they are visible again, albeit in the very edge of the frame.

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Quotes

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

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Alternate Versions

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

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Connections

Referenced in Cherry Ettes for Hire (1984)

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Soundtracks

BALCONY
Written by Stuart Adamson (as Stewart Adamson)
Performed by Big Country
Produced by Chris Thomas
Courtesy of Phonogram Records Ltd. (London) & Polygram Records

User Reviews

Woods and Bridges Carry Often Confusing Film

Loosely based on a 1947 film noir, "Out of the Past," Taylor Hackford's "Against All Odds" has strong performances in all but the most critical role. Jessie, a confused disoriented heiress, is the romantic obsession of two men and the crux of the film's action. However, Rachel Ward fails to convince that Jessie could obsess anyone with her flat delivery and phoned-in performance. Jessie runs off to Mexico to snorkel and shop, and her gangster boyfriend hires an injured football player to find her. Sending a handsome hunky athlete off to find your girlfriend at the beach is not an inspired idea, and both the expected and the unexpected ensue. The twisted convoluted tale occasionally meanders, and the pacing falters at times. However, when the sweaty romantic scenes are over, the plot manages to re-energize and re-capture attention towards the fade out.

Despite her physical beauty, Ward is the black hole at the film's center. However, her two co-stars are more captivating. James Woods can play slimy gangsters in his sleep, and his Jake Wise is appropriately chilling and creepy, which makes Jessie's attraction to him even less convincing. Evidently Jake had a brain fart when he decided to hire Terry Brogan to search for the girl who deserted him, because Jake and Terry are worlds apart in the looks and charm departments. Jeff Bridges's athletic Terry, who has history with Jake, is unwittingly drawn into a vortex of corruption during his search for Jessie. Although always watchable, Jeff Bridges has had better and more demanding roles than an injured jock playing private eye. Despite a decent script adapted by Eric Hughes from Daniel Mainwaring's original, the film's central mystery is why Jake and Terry would be hopelessly drawn to a shallow drifter like Jessie. Ward received top billing over Bridges and Woods, another mystery as baffling as any in the plot.

Experienced veterans provide solid supporting performances, led by a still-handsome Richard Widmark, who, at age 70, remained a commanding presence. In a nod to film buffs, Jane Greer, star of the 1947 version, appears as Ward's cold distant mother. Location work in the Mayan temples of Mexico's Yucatan is travel-log appealing, and the end credits feature an Oscar-nominated title song by Phil Collins. An exciting car race through Los Angeles traffic is thrilling, if pointlessly reckless. Although "Against All Odds" runs more than 20 minutes longer than the 1947 original, Bridges and especially Woods are compelling enough to hold attention even when the tricky plot wanders.