Big Trouble (1985)

33% of users liked it
(560 ratings)

It took nearly two years after its completion for Big Trouble to reach the big screen. Peter Falk and Alan Arkin are respectively cast as a shady wheeler-dealer and an uptight family man. Strapped for the cash necessary to send his son to Yale, Arkin reluctantly enters into a murder scheme with… More It took nearly two years after its completion for Big Trouble to reach the big screen. Peter Falk and Alan Arkin are respectively cast as a shady wheeler-dealer and an uptight family man. Strapped for the cash necessary to send his son to Yale, Arkin reluctantly enters into a murder scheme with Beverly D'Angelo. She is married to Falk, who, though he hasn't got long to live due to a heart ailment, may very well spend every penny D'Angelo has before he expires. Arkin is persuaded to kill Falk before this happens, then split the money with D'Angelo. To Arkin's amazement he finds himself the victim of a carefully prepared confidence scam engineered by Falk and D'Angelo. Now that he has a hold over Arkin, Falk gets the poor fellow mixed up in yet another "perfect crime". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: John Cassavetes
Written By: Andrew Bergman
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: May 30, 1986 Wide
On DVD: Jul 22, 2003
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Cassavetes here applies his remarkable talent for social observation in a light-comedy context and creates one of the strangest, and in many ways most frustrating, screen comedies in recent years.
Chris Robe, PopMatters
It's distressing that his last film, Big Trouble, appears to capitulate to just that sort of formula.
James Rocchi, Netflix
Sprawling comedy has a few laughs in it -- and the specter of recent events hanging over it.

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Cast

            Peter Falk as Steve Rickey

            Alan Arkin as Leonard Hoffman

            Beverly D'Angelo as Blanche Rickey

            Charles Durning as O'Mara

            Paul Dooley as Noozel

            Robert Stack as Winslow

            Valerie Curtin as Arlene Hoffman

            Richard Libertini as Dr. Lopez

            Steve Alterman as Peter Hoffman

            Jerry Pavlon as Michael Hoffman

            Paul La Greca as Joshua Hoffman

            John Finnegan as Detective Murphy

            Karl Lukas as Police Captain

            Gloria E. Gifford as Wanda

            Domingo Ambriz as Terrorist

            Herb Armstrong as Night Security Guard

            Maryedith Burrell as Gail

            Luis Contreras as Terrorist

            Edith Fields as Doris

            Jeffrey Howard as 2nd Executive

            Al Leong as Chinese Laborer

            Gaetano Lisi as Gaetano Lopez

            Irene Olga Lopez as Lopez' Receptionist

            Joseph Medalis as Salesman

            Dennis Phun as Chinese Laborer

            Jaime Sánchez as Chief Terrorist

            Barbara Tarbuck as Helen

            Theodore Wilson as Porter

            Steve Lambert as Terrorist

            Howard Clapp as 1st Exceutive

            Daphne Eckler as Receptionist

            Conroy Gedeon as Reporter

            Lenny Geer as Whitlow Keppler

            Chester Grimes as Flavio Lopez

            Melvin Jones as Terrorist

            Warren Munson as Jack

            Carol Reinhard as Winslow's Secretary

            Rosemarie Stack as Mrs. Winslow

            Richard Walter as Hot Dog Eater

            Al White as Mr. Williams

            Walter Soo Hoo as Chinese Laborer

            Leland Sun as Chinese Laborer
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