Atlantic City (1980)
Although most of what is remembered from Atlantic City is Susan Sarandon’s lemon scene, the movie is actually about Burt Lancaster, an aging former gangster now low on money and pride. He runs errands for Kate Reid, the invalid widow of his gangster buddy, including walking her dog, and feels his life has no excitement anymore. When Susan’s sleazy ex-husband, Robert Joy, comes into town hoping to sell stolen cocaine (why would anyone think that’s a good idea?), he butters up Burt by saying he’s heard of his old reputation. Burt feels important and manly, and he both helps Robert and implicates himself.
If you haven’t seen Burt when he was young and virile in the 1950s and 1960s, this movie will seem mediocre. You’ll wonder why it’s so famous, and why the white-haired guy was so disappointed to lose the Oscar. The key to the movie is knowing and loving Burt in his prime. Only then can you understand his character in Atlantic City, and why it’s so important for him to assert his masculinity. This is a very sentimental movie, only for those who can appreciate it. Otherwise, it’s just a seedy crime drama that feels low in the budget.
In a tragic turn of events, Burt Lancaster turned down the lead role in On Golden Pond (no one knows why), and Henry Fonda was considered for Atlantic City, though rejected for health insurance purposes (oh, the mercenary studio system). Had Burt taken the tearjerker instead, he might have won the second Oscar he wanted. It would have been very sweet to see the two stars of The Rainmaker reunited again, but I can’t picture Hank in the gritty Atlantic City.
More Burt Lancaster movies here!
More Susan Sarandon movies here!
If you haven’t seen Burt when he was young and virile in the 1950s and 1960s, this movie will seem mediocre. You’ll wonder why it’s so famous, and why the white-haired guy was so disappointed to lose the Oscar. The key to the movie is knowing and loving Burt in his prime. Only then can you understand his character in Atlantic City, and why it’s so important for him to assert his masculinity. This is a very sentimental movie, only for those who can appreciate it. Otherwise, it’s just a seedy crime drama that feels low in the budget.
In a tragic turn of events, Burt Lancaster turned down the lead role in On Golden Pond (no one knows why), and Henry Fonda was considered for Atlantic City, though rejected for health insurance purposes (oh, the mercenary studio system). Had Burt taken the tearjerker instead, he might have won the second Oscar he wanted. It would have been very sweet to see the two stars of The Rainmaker reunited again, but I can’t picture Hank in the gritty Atlantic City.
More Burt Lancaster movies here!
More Susan Sarandon movies here!
Hot Toasty Rag Nominations:
Best Picture of 1981
Best Actor: Burt Lancaster