RETRO REVIEW: BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (1988)

Ever hit the video store on a Friday night and have a hard time finding some forgotten gem for your weekend viewing pleasure?

Once Again I present, THE FRIDAY RETRO REVIEW!

For this weeks Retro review I decided to head back to the 80's for the seminal coke ride that is Bright Lights, Big City.

The film, based on the book by Jay McInerney, follows Jamie Conway (Micheal J. Fox) as his entire world begins to fall apart over the course of a few days. His wife (Phobe Cates) has left him, he is about to get fired from his job at a major magazine and he is becoming ever addicted to Cocaine. The impending one year anniversary of his mother's death doesn't do much to help matters either.

This was Fox's second of three consecutive forays into dramatic film (preceeded by the Rock n Roll road movie Light of Day with Joan Jett, and just before Casulties of War, the Brian Depalma directed Vietnam thriller with Sean Penn). Fox is fantastic in the flick, it really makes you wonder where his career could have gone if he didn't get sick. (That and his awesome guest spot on Rescue Me this year).

The movie also features strong performances from Keifer Sutherland as Tad (how about that for an 80's name) as Fox's overbearing cokehead pal and a great flashback scene with Dianne Wiest as Jamie's dying mother. That said, it's not with out it's bit of retro silliness.

Highlights:

• The opening 30 seconds is the eightiesist thing that ever eightied!
• A dream sequence at 30min in, featuring Fox talking to his zygote self in a glass womb. The scene makes you seriously wonder if it isn't something OTHER than blow they are all doing.
• Tracy Pollan (Fox's Family Ties costar and future wife) as Vicki, the woman who Conway finds solace in, briefly.
• Fox following two hot, big haired New York Debs into a Women's room to do coke, only to turn down a threesome with them. (One of the debs is played by Kelly Lynch, the future Mrs. Swayze)
  

I had never seen this movie before today, and one thing struck me as odd. At the time this movie came out the big buzz was about ALEX P KEATON IN A DRUG MOVIE! But you only actually see cocaine in the movie two, MAYBE three times. It really shows you how things have changed as far as what shocks the heartland these days.

Overall, the movie is a nice little ride with strong performances and a decent story. Definatly worth checking out if you wanna re-live a little slice of the ME decade.

FUN FACT: The lead role of Jamie Conway was originally offered to Tom Cruise, but he turned it down because he didn't want to be portrayed taking drugs. The Movie he did instead? RainMan.

FUN FACT 2: The book/film was the basis for a stage musical in 1999 (Bonus Video below)

TRAILER:


AND THE MUSICAL!!!! (It's as bad as might expect):


If you have an idea for a RETRO REVIEW you would like to see, hit me up at matthewlindley1@gmail.com or at the Glorious Noise Facebook page.