Tough Guys Don't Dance

1987
R
1h 50m

IMDb RATING

4.9/10

1.9K

YOUR RATING

Isabella Rossellini and Ryan O'Neal in Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)

Mailer ostensibly reads out aloud the review cards from the film's preview screenings, while Wings Hauser tries to ruin everything with his performance.

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Dark Comedy Comedy Crime Drama Mystery Thriller

Writer, ex-con and 40-something bottle-baby Tim Madden, who is prone to black-outs, awakens from a two-week bender to discover a pool of blood in his car.Writer, ex-con and 40-something bottle-baby Tim Madden, who is prone to black-outs, awakens from a two-week bender to discover a pool of blood in his car.Writer, ex-con and 40-something bottle-baby Tim Madden, who is prone to black-outs, awakens from a two-week bender to discover a pool of blood in his car.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

4.9/10

1.9K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 10 nominations total

Trivia
In the director's commentary on the DVD, Norman Mailer said that he was counseled to cut the ending of the scene in which Ryan O'Neal's character reads a note from his ex-girlfriend, informing him that his wife was having an affair with her husband, and he exclaims, "Oh God! Oh Man! Oh God! Oh Man!" Mailer kept it in because he thought the poor line reading added something to the picture. O'Neal, embarrassed, turned on Mailer because the bit revealed his shortcomings as an actor. The line has since become a popular internet meme.

Quotes
Madeleine Regency: [narrating a letter] My husband is having an affair with your wife. I don't think we should talk about it... unless you're prepared to kill them.
Tim Madden: Oh man! Oh God, oh man! Oh God, oh man! Oh God, oh man! Oh God, oh man, oh God!

Connections
Featured in Norman Mailer: The American (2010)

Soundtracks
You'll Come Back (You Always Do)
Music by Angelo Badalamenti
Lyrics by Norman Mailer and Angelo Badalamenti
Sung by Mel Tillis

User reviews40

Review

Featured review

7/10

Norman Mailer goes neo-noir

The story revolves around Tim Madden, a writer and ex-con.He has to deal with two heads of women he knew.The problem is he can't remember if he is the killer or not.Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987) is a Norman Mailer direction, and he also wrote the book.The movie was a flop, even getting some Rasberry awards.The actors do a decent job.It has Ryan O'Neal as Tim Madden.Lawrence Tierney is his father Dougy.Isabella Rossellini plays Madeleine Regency.Wings Hauser is her husband Capt. Alvin Luther Regency.Debra Sandlund plays Patty Lareine.Penn Jillette portrays Big Stoop.Frances Fisher plays the part of Jessica Pond.I read Mailer's original novel, written in 1984, before seeing the movie.I must say the novel is better, but the movie isn't a huge failure.It does fail to be a great movie, though, but it could be a lot worse.I guess the biggest weakness of the movie is the lack of likable characters.There are all these killers and junkies, and it's very hard to like those people.The main character may have some good qualities, though.But anyway, if you've got nothing better to do, you can watch this movie.Maybe you even like it a bit.