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Against All Odds (film)

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Genre
  
Action, Adventure, Crime

Country
  
United States

5.8/10
IMDb


Director
  
Duration
  

Language
  
English

Against All Odds (film) movie poster

Release date
  
March 2, 1984 (1984-03-02) (U.S.)

Writer
  
Eric Hughes, Daniel Mainwaring

Cast
  
(Terry Brogan), (Jessie Wyler), (Jake Wise), (Hank Sully), (Mrs. Wyler), (Ben Caxton)

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Against all odds trailer


Against All Odds is a 1984 romantic neo-noir thriller film, a remake of Out of the Past. The film was directed by Taylor Hackford and features Rachel Ward, Jeff Bridges, and James Woods. Supporting players include Jane Greer (who had starred in Out of the Past), Alex Karras, Richard Widmark, and Dorian Harewood. The film revolves around an aging American football star who is hired by a mobster to find his girlfriend.

Contents

Against All Odds (film) movie scenes

The movie's soundtrack, nominated for a Grammy Award, featured songs from Big Country, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Stevie Nicks, and Genesis breakout stars Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, and Phil Collins. Collins sang the title song, which was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Original Song and for a Golden Globe Award as Best Original Song, being one of the top-selling singles of 1984.

Against All Odds (film) movie scenes

Phil collins against all odds take a look at me now official music video


Plot

Against All Odds (film) movie scenes

Professional football player Terry Brogan (Jeff Bridges) is released by his team. Aging, injured and in need of money, he is contacted by an old acquaintance, the shady gambler and nightclub owner Jake Wise (James Woods), who wants Terry to find Jake's girlfriend Jessie Wyler (Rachel Ward), daughter of the Outlaws' owner. Jake claims that Jessie assaulted him, stole money and fled. Terry is reluctant to take on the job, but needs the money and knows Wise is capable of blackmailing him.

Against All Odds (1984 film) wwwgstaticcomtvthumbmovieposters8133p8133p

Terry gets in touch with Jessie's mother (Jane Greer), ostensibly to find out where Jessie can be found, but mainly to convince Mrs. Wyler and her business partner Ben Caxton (Richard Widmark) to reinstate him on the team. Mrs. Wyler makes clear that she has no interest in his football career. She's willing to pay him more than Jake would if he will find Jessie for her. Beyond that, she has no use for him. Hank Sully (Alex Karras), the team's trainer, strongly advises Terry to stay away from Jake and offers to help Terry get a coaching job. Terry is convinced his days as a player are not over and instead decides to work for Jake to tide him over until the next season, when he can try to continue his playing career.

Against All Odds (1984 film) Sex Car chases Murder The 80s And Rachel Ward movies

Terry finds Jessie living in Cozumel. He makes multiple attempts to approach Jessie, but she rebuffs him, aware that he must have been sent by either Jake or her mother. Terry tires of pursuing a spoiled brat and packs to leave, but Jessie appreciates that he hasn't revealed her whereabouts and invites him to see where she is staying. They become lovers. Terry confides the leverage Jake has over him is the knowledge that Terry once shaved points in an important game after he had fallen into debt.

Terry and Jessie remain happily together for a few weeks, with Terry continuing to tell Jake he's been unsuccessful in locating her. Sully is sent by Jake to investigate. He catches the lovers alone at the ruins of Chichen Itza. Wielding a gun, Sully demands that Terry turn over the girl and warns him she's "no good." He, too, has been involved in corruption with Jake's sports syndicate. A struggle between the men ensues and Jessie fatally shoots Sully. She wants to flee, as the two will be unable to offer an explanation that will allow them to avoid jail. But when Terry refuses, insisting that the two cannot just run away from the matter, Jessie abandons him.

Against All Odds (1984 film) Amazoncom Against All Odds Special Edition Rachel Ward Jeff

After disposing of Sully's body, Terry returns to Los Angeles and finds to his astonishment that Jessie has returned to Jake. He is bitter toward her, but Jake maintains a hold over him with the point-shaving incident, as well as Sully's sudden disappearance. Terry is sent to break into the office of Kirsch (Saul Rubinek), the team's corrupt lawyer, who is also involved in Jake's gambling operation. Terry's mission is to retrieve Kirsch's files, which implicate everyone involved.

Against All Odds (1984 film) Against All Odds film Alchetron the free social encyclopedia

Terry breaks into the office only to find Kirsch dead. A security guard has been hired to kill Terry and make it look like Terry committed the murder. Terry fights off the security guard, then hides Kirsch's body. He finds a local bar frequented by Kirsch's secretary, Edie (Swoosie Kurtz), where he tells her what has happened and that she too is in danger. Edie tells him about a secret box that contains the information to bring down the entire syndicate and local politicians. They return to the office to retrieve the box, where a fight occurs with another two guards, but again Terry escapes, this time with Edie and the files.

Against All Odds (1984 film) Against All Odds 1984 Happy New Year everyone Jeff Bridges

Jessie remains at Jake's side but claims to be still in love with Terry. She knows that Jake is behind Kirsch's murder and informs Caxton, telling him that Jake has been handling bets on his old football team using information he's been given by Sully and Kirsch. What she doesn't know is that Caxton is actually Jake's boss at the syndicate.

Against All Odds (1984 film) Against All Odds 1984

Caxton takes charge. He arranges to meet Terry at the site of a new construction project that he and Mrs. Wyler are backing. Terry is able to disarm Caxton's armed henchman Tommy (Dorian Harewood). He says his price for turning over the files is that Caxton must take down Jake. Caxton indicates he is receptive to that idea, whereupon Jake pulls his own gun and threatens to kill Jessie, forcing Terry to drop his weapon. While the men have their attention focused on each other, Jessie retrieves the dropped gun and shoots Jake.

Against All Odds (1984 film) Against All Odds 30 Years On 1984 a Great Year for Movies

Having killed both Jake and Sully, she must agree to terms set by Caxton to avoid going to jail. Caxton's terms include Jessie returning to her estranged mother's side and ending her relationship with Terry.

Months later, Terry stays in the background while attending a publicity function for Caxton's and Mrs. Wyler's construction project. He just wants a last look at Jessie before leaving Los Angeles to play for a team in Miami. Caxton reminds him that he is no longer a part of Jessie's life. Terry acknowledges that this is true for the moment, but predicts that some day Jessie will break free of the hold that Caxton and Mrs. Wyler have on her. In the meantime, all Terry and Jessie can do is stare at one another from a distance.

Cast

  • Jeff Bridges as Terry Brogan
  • Rachel Ward as Jessie Wyler
  • James Woods as Jake Wise
  • Alex Karras as Hank Sully
  • Jane Greer as Mrs. Grace Wyler
  • Richard Widmark as Ben Caxton
  • Dorian Harewood as Tommy
  • Swoosie Kurtz as Edie
  • Saul Rubinek as Steve Kirsch
  • Pat Corley as Ed Phillips
  • Reception

    The film has a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on nine critic reviews.

    References

    Against All Odds (1984 film) Wikipedia
    Against All Odds (film) IMDbAgainst All Odds (film) Rotten TomatoesAgainst All Odds (film) Roger EbertAgainst All Odds (film) MetacriticAgainst All Odds (film) themoviedb.org


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