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Fat City (1972)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 4/25

4/25: Desperate, depressing, and realistic, Fat City reminds me of Carson McCullers' works.

It's not a surprise that Stacy Keach starred in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and that John Huston directed Reflections in a Golden Eye. All share many similarities, but this time, Fat City isn't Southern Gothic since it takes place in Stockton, California, whose old nickname was actually "Fat City," and was written by Leonard Gardner.

Susan Tyrrell may have been Oscar-nominated, but Stacy Keach gives the best performance as Billy Tully. His constant glassy eyes have the appearance of a brain-damaged person. What a shock Tully is only 30 years old. That's one truly washed-up person for such age. Muhammad Ali even praised Stacy Keach's performance by saying, "Man that's for real, that's me talking up there." How ironic decades later.

Jeff Bridges may not look the part of a boxer, but the sport does take anyone at all, even today, including those who just come off the street. Ability doesn't matter; it wants bodies. I have to give credit to Nicholas Colasanto as the trainer. That's another well-sketched character. Candy Clark makes her screen debut and will appear in American Graffiti the following year, earning herself an Academy Award nomination.

All in all, Fat City was there first before Rocky got made.

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