Let It Ride (1989)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Joe Pytka

Writers:

Jay Cronley (book)
Nancy Dowd (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 August 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Action

Tagline:

He drinks. He smokes. He gambles. He curses. He thinks about committing adultery. You'll love him.

Plot:

An average kind of guy who has a slight problem with gambling goes to the track, and mystically, it seems as though he can't lose...

Plot Keywords:

Gambling | Bet | Footsie Under The Table | Guard | Two On One Footsie Playing

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Jay Trotter
David Johansen	...	Looney
Teri Garr	...	Pam
Jennifer Tilly	...	Vicki
Allen Garfield	...	Greenberg
Edward Walsh	...	Marty (as Ed Walsh)
Richard Edson	...	Johnny Casino
David Schramm	...	Lufkin
John Roselius	...	Reardon
Joseph Walsh	...	Vibes
Ralph Seymour	...	Sid
Cynthia Nixon	...	Evangeline
Richard Dimitri	...	Tony Cheeseburger
Robert Towers	...	Mickey Jax
Michelle Phillips	...	Mrs. Davis

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Germany:6 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 (certificate no. 29574)

Filming Locations:

Hialeah Park - 2200 E. 4th Avenue, Hialeah, Florida, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Let it Ride was filmed at Hialeah Race Course in south Florida during the tracks' off season. Racing was being conducted at nearby Calder Race Course, and Dreyfuss was spotted on several occasions, presumably researching his role as Trotter. Unfortunately, this classic track is now closed, although there is an ongoing rumor that it may reopen at some point.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The movie takes place on a Saturday, but the NFL game is shown on television screens in the Jockey Club. Looney's bookie comes to collect on the $850 he lost on the game. NFL games are not played on Saturdays except, occasionally, in December. There is a reference from Trotter's wife that it is September.

Quotes:

Mrs. Davis: There's a fine line between winning and losing.
Jay Trotter: Yeah. The finish line.

Soundtrack:

Perpetuum Mobile

perfect comedy

All I can pretty much do is conquer with what everyone else said. This is an extremely underrated, hardly known, right on the money racetrack pic. Dreyfuss (playing a guy named "Trotter") is a gambling obsessed cabbie who's been waiting forever for that one perfect day at the track. He gets a tip from his buddy Looney (crack up Johanssen) and the two head off to bet on the doctored up horse. Dreyfuss wins 710 dollars which kicks off an incredible run of luck over the day, but the real core of the film is the truckload of laughs to be found. Literally every one of the oddball characters has a great scene and contributes largely. From the other losers at the bar across from the track to the snobs in the Jockey Club, I loved everybody. A real treat is the rapport between Dreyfuss and Johanssen, who are great as the wiser bettor and the dopey friend. And I couldnt believe the suspense I felt during the final race, there was a tremendous amount of genuine tension. Great score, too, capturing both the upbeat and dramatic moments. Dreyfuss best film.