Let It Ride (film)
| Let It Ride | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Joe Pytka |
| Written by | Jay Cronley, Nancy Dowd, |
| Produced by | Richard Stenta |
| Starring | Richard Dreyfuss, David Johansen, Teri Garr Jennifer Tilly |
| Edited by | Dede Allen Jim Miller |
| Music by | Giorgio Moroder |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates | 18 August, 1989 |
Running time | 87 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $5,000,000 |
Let It Ride is a 1989 comedy film. It stars Richard Dreyfuss as Jay Trotter, a normally unsuccessful habitual gambler who experiences a day in which he wins every bet he places. The film is based on the novel Good Vibes by Jay Cronley. Let It Ride was mostly filmed at Hialeah Park Race Track, which was closed in 2001.
Tagline: He drinks. He smokes. He gambles. He curses. He thinks about committing adultery. You'll love him.
Plot
Jay Trotter (Dreyfuss) is a cab driver. His friend Looney (Johansen) is also a cab driver, who has a secret microphone he uses to record his passenger's conversations. On one such conversation, Looney hears two men talking about a horse race and how one of the horses is sure to win. Looney plays the tape for Trotter, but is more interested in a sexual encounter that he subsequently recorded. Trotter, however, realizes the potential value of knowledge of a fixed horse race and goes to the track to make a bet - despite the fact that the day before, he told his wife Pam (Garr) that he would quit betting. Watching one of the men from the cab talk to the jockey of the horse that is "supposed" to win, he sees the man tell the jockey to 'go fast and win'. Jay then promptly places a $50 bet on the horse, the horse wins in a photo finish and pays $28.40 to win (earning him $710).
Armed with a newfound sense of confidence, Jay approaches the two men from the cab, gives them the tape of their conversation, and in return gets a tip for the next race. He places a bet on that horse, and he wins again. Sensing that this could be his "lucky day," Jay goes about picking winner after winner, letting it ride (letting his winnings finance his next bet). As he accumulates more money, he starts coming into contact with other people, including a woman named Vicki (Tilly) who is attracted to him because of his money and confidence.
However, Jay missed meeting his wife Pam at home since he was still at the track. Pam flies into a rage when she confronts Jay, and soon Jay comes to realize that his love of his wife is more important that constantly betting. However, he still has one more race he can put his money down on, and he needs to decide if he should stop or go for one last hurrah to possibly pay off all their bills for good.
Cast
- Richard Dreyfuss - Jay Trotter
- David Johansen - Looney
- Teri Garr - Pam
- Jennifer Tilly - Vicki
- Allen Garfield - Greenberg
- Trevor Denman - Track Announcer
- Robbie Coltrane - Ticket Salesman
External links
Let It Ride at IMDb