''Let It Ride'' is a 1989 American
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
. It was directed by
Joe Pytka
Joe Pytka (born November 4, 1938) is an American film, television, commercial and music video director born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He holds the record for the most nominations for the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Direct ...
(in his feature non-documentary debut) from a screenplay by
Nancy Dowd
Nancy Dowd (born 1945) is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter most famous for her films '' Slap Shot'' and '' Coming Home''.
Career
Dowd is a graduate of the UCLA Film School.
Her brother Ned Dowd inspired the story behind ''Slap Shot'' b ...
(credited as Ernest Morton) based on the 1979 novel ''Good Vibes'' by
Jay Cronley
Jay Cronley (November 9, 1943 – February 26, 2017) was an American newspaper columnist for the ''Tulsa World'' and the author of many works of humorous fiction, including ''Fall Guy'', ''Good Vibes'', ''Quick Change'', and ''Funny Farm''. Cronl ...
. It stars
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (; born Dreyfus; October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for starring in popular films during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, including ''American Graffiti'' (1973), ''Jaws'' (1975), ''Close Encounters of the T ...
,
David Johansen
David Roger Johansen (sometimes spelled ''David Jo Hansen''; born January 9, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal proto-punk band the New York Dolls. He is also known for his work under ...
,
Teri Garr
Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...
, and
Allen Garfield
Allen Garfield (born Allen Goorwitz; November 22, 1939 – April 7, 2020) was an American film and television actor.
Early life
Garfield was born in Newark, New Jersey, to a Jewish family, the son of Alice (née Lavroff) and Philip Goorwitz. H ...
. The story is centered on a normally unsuccessful habitual
gambler
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elem ...
who experiences a day in which he wins every bet he places, and focuses on the personality contrasts and the perpetually upbeat, hopeful attitudes of losers.
''Let It Ride'' was primarily filmed at
Hialeah Park Race Track
The Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as the Hialeah Race Track or Hialeah Park) is a historic racetrack in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East ...
, which was closed in 2001 and reopened on November 28, 2009. The film was released in the United States on August 18, 1989, by
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...
.
Plot
Jay Trotter and his best friend Looney are cab drivers. Looney records his passengers' private conversations with a hidden microphone. Looney has a new tape of two men talking about an upcoming
horse race and how one of the race horses, due to unethical practice by its owner and trainer, ("they were holding the horse back") is a sure thing to win big. Trotter and Looney go to the track to place a $50.00 win bet on the horse, despite the fact that Trotter told his wife Pam the day before that he would quit betting forever and stay home to "start their marriage over" at noon. In the restroom of the bar next door to the racetrack, he prays to God, saying, "just one big day, that's all I'm asking for, one day, I'm due." A man exiting the bathrooms overhears him, and says "Yeah? So's Jesus. Let it ride." Trotter promptly places a $50 bet on the tipped horse. Looney refuses to bet the tip, instead betting on a horse named "June Bug" - the same name as a cat Looney once owned. Trotter's horse wins the race in a photo finish and pays $28.40 to win (earning Trotter $710).
Armed with a newfound sense of confidence, after cashing his winning bet, Trotter approaches the two men from Looney's cab ride and generously gives them the tape of their taxi conversation. Out of gratitude, they give Trotter a good tip for the next race. He places a large bet and wins again.
Sensing that this could be his "lucky day," Trotter intends to "let it ride" (parlaying all of his track winnings on every race). Just before the next race, before he can make another bet on a horse suggested by someone else, Trotter is suddenly arrested in a case of mistaken identity. After he is released, he realizes the horse he was going to bet has lost. Now, he really feels this is his "lucky day". After being released, Trotter resumes his lucky wagering streak. As he accumulates more money, and uses his new clubhouse friends' membership in the track's exclusive clubhouse dining room, he starts meeting other well-to-do gamblers, including the wealthy Mrs. Davis and a sexy vixen named Vicki. Trotter soon becomes a hero to the ticket seller, whose window he uses to wager every time, and to the customers of the track's bar. He also hires a track security guard to protect him.
However, Trotter has neglected his wife Pam, who realizes he must be at the racetrack. She confronts him at the track clubhouse and flies into a rage. Trotter calms her down a bit, and tells her of his hot streak. Unable to decide on a horse in the next race, Trotter takes a survey of the track patrons and, eliminating any selection they give him, bets on the remaining horse, Fleet Dreams, who wins. Trotter decides to call it a day and goes home to Pam, buying her a diamond necklace on the way. At home he finds Pam intoxicated and passed out.
He heads back to the track to help the patrons of Marty's bar across the street, but when he suggests sharing his luck by betting their money together, they all balk at the idea. Disconcerted, Trotter goes for a walk around the track. Vicki suddenly offers to go to bed with him. Trotter breaks the
fourth wall
The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
by saying to the audience, "Am I having a good day or what?" Ultimately, he turns down Vicki by professing his love for his wife.
Trotter makes a final bet of $68,000 (his total winnings for the day) after Looney advises him not to bet on Hot to Trot. As the race begins, Looney and Trotter argue over everything, and the main characters all make resolutions. Vicki vows to give up rich guys and consider a poor one, looking at Looney. The race comes down to a photo finish. While everyone awaits the result, Pam shows up to thank Jay for his lovely gift and to tell him not to worry about the money, when the announcer reports the winner: Hot to Trot. The entire racetrack erupts in celebration, and Pam asks, "Why is everyone cheering?" Jay replies, "Because I'm having a very good day."
Cast
*
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (; born Dreyfus; October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for starring in popular films during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, including ''American Graffiti'' (1973), ''Jaws'' (1975), ''Close Encounters of the T ...
as Jay Trotter
*
David Johansen
David Roger Johansen (sometimes spelled ''David Jo Hansen''; born January 9, 1950) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the seminal proto-punk band the New York Dolls. He is also known for his work under ...
as Looney
*
Teri Garr
Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...
as Pam Trotter
*
Jennifer Tilly
Jennifer Tilly (born Jennifer Ellen Chan; September 16, 1958) is an American–Canadian actress and poker player. Known for her distinctive voice and comedic timing, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, two MTV Movie Awards and three Sat ...
as Vicki
*
Allen Garfield
Allen Garfield (born Allen Goorwitz; November 22, 1939 – April 7, 2020) was an American film and television actor.
Early life
Garfield was born in Newark, New Jersey, to a Jewish family, the son of Alice (née Lavroff) and Philip Goorwitz. H ...
as Greenberg
*
Robbie Coltrane
Anthony Robert McMillan (30 March 195014 October 2022), known professionally as Robbie Coltrane, was a Scottish actor and comedian. He gained worldwide recognition in the 2000s for playing Rubeus Hagrid in the ''Harry Potter'' film series. H ...
as Ticket Seller
*
Michelle Phillips
Michelle may refer to:
People
*Michelle (name), a given name and surname, the feminine form of Michael
* Michelle Courtens, Dutch singer, performing as "Michelle"
* Michelle (German singer)
* Michelle (Scottish singer) (born 1980), Scottish ...
as Mrs. Davis
*
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia Ellen Nixon (born April 9, 1966) is an American actress, activist, and theater director. For her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the HBO series ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), she won the 2004 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...
as Evangeline
*
Ralph Seymour as Sid
*
Richard Edson
Richard Edson (born January 1, 1954) is an American actor and musician.
Personal life
Edson was born in New Rochelle, New York to a Jewish family. He has one brother, Steven, who resides in the Boston area, and two sisters, Andrea, who resides ...
as Johnny Casino
*
Trevor Denman
Trevor Denman (born 24 September 1952) is a South African American sportscaster and public-address announcer specializing in Thoroughbred horse racing.
Background
Denman was born in Germiston, Gauteng, South Africa. A part-time jockey and exe ...
as Race Track Announcer
* Edward Walsh as Marty (as Ed Walsh)
Reception
''Let It Ride'' has a rating of 27% on
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
based on 11 reviews.
References
External links
*
*
* {{Rotten Tomatoes, let_it_ride, Let It Ride
1989 films
1989 comedy films
1989 directorial debut films
American comedy films
American horse racing films
Films about horses
Films based on American novels
Films directed by Joe Pytka
Films scored by Giorgio Moroder
Films set in Miami
Films shot in Miami
Gambling films
Paramount Pictures films
1980s English-language films
1980s American films