The Big Easy (1986)

A corrupt lieutenant in the homicide division is threatened by the righteous DA while trying to solve a string of mysterious murders.

Director:

Jim McBride

Writer:

Daniel Petrie Jr. (screenplay by)

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty

4 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	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 Saint Pe'	...	Patrolman (as Edward St. Pe)
Robert Lesser	...	'Silky' Foster

Storyline

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, a beautiful attorney from the D.A.'s police corruption task force in his office. He begins a relationship with her as the killings continue only to have charges filed against him for accepting bribes as he stumbles on a police corruption Sting. While this is happening, the criminals insist that none of the crime gangs are behind the killings.

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Plot Keywords:

nudity | seduction | male objectification | lift skirt | hand up skirt | 

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Taglines:

Her job is to expose a cop on the take. Putting him away won't be easy. Neither will letting him go.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 August 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nothing But The Truth

Filming Locations:

Moss St. by Cabrini High School, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$17,685,307

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kings Road Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In preparation for his performance, Dennis Quaid spent a month researching New Orleans cops on patrol.

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Goofs

When Anne calls Remy to apologize for leaving his apartment so abruptly that morning (when she first met Remy's brother), it looks as though she's calling at dusk or nightfall. The view out her office window is darkened. Yet, when Remy is shown talking to her from his office at the police station, it's bright and sunny outside. The sun is shining brightly and it looks to be high-noon. Not so on Anne's end, where outside it looks to be dusk, or later.

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Quotes

Lamar Parmentel: New Orleans is a marvelous environment for coincidence.

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Connections

Featured in 100 Greatest Sexy Moments (2003)

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Soundtracks

FORE DAY IN THE MORNING
Composed & Performed by Huey P. Smith (as Huey "Piano" Smith)

User Reviews

Has Its Moments But Just Fair Overall

I found this to be a so-so modern-day film noir drama - not bad, but nothing super. To its credit, it provides a little humor to offset the ugliness.

It also provides the standard sex scenes, this one featuring Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin; the seedy New Orleans atmosphere and the standard cops-are- crooked angle. The last part plays a big role in this story as even the good guy Quaid admits to numerous minor offenses. Unfortunately, you can't always understand Dennis as he gives us his Cajun accent. He sounded - and looked - as if he had marbles in his mouth.

Barkin was not as rough-talking and rough-looking as she was in a bunch of other films from the mid '80s to mid '90s, which was fine with me. New Orleans was pictured, as it so often is, as very bleak and dingy. If city residents weren't happy with this movie, I could understand that.

The ending of the film is a little hokey but overall, the story was interesting and I gave it two looks over the years, liking it better the second time.