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The Big Town

The Big Town

Lady luck is always on his side. Tonight, she's on fire.

1987109 minRMidcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Directors
Ben Bolt, Harold Becker
Starring
Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Tommy Lee Jones, Bruce Dern

It is 1957. J.C. Cullen is a young man from a small town, with a talent for winning at craps, who leaves for the big city to work as a professional gambler. While there, he breaks the bank at a private craps game at the Gem Club, owned by George Cole, and falls in love with two women, one of them Cole's wife.

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Where can I watch The Big Town?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Big Town streaming on Tubi (free).

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Highlights

What stands out about The Big Town?

The Big Town earns 1 badge: Broadly Agreed.

Reception

Is The Big Town worth watching?

The Big Town's Midcredits score is the 32nd percentile of all films, from 4.9K ratings across 5 sources. 35% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

32nd percentile

Better received than 32% of films

28th percentile among Drama34th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)36th
Approval (how many liked it)30th

57 /100

36th percentile of all films

32nd percentile among Drama37th percentile among 1980s

Critics 48 · Audience 58

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.0 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

35% liked it

30th percentile of all films

26th percentile among Drama32nd percentile among 1980s
35% rated it 7–1065% rated it 1–6

Critics 50% · Audience 35%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

71st percentile

4.9K ratings across platforms

73rd percentile among Drama67th percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$777K
Domestic gross$1.7M
Worldwide gross$1.7M

67th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A glossy 1950s period piece with a strong cast but a formulaic gambling story.

Fans praised

  • strong cast with standout performances from Dillon, Jones, and Lane
  • evocative 1950s atmosphere, period detail, and soundtrack
  • stylish neo-noir look with elegant direction

Detractors panned

  • weak, cliché-ridden script with predictable story
  • unconvincing premise about dice-rolling skill vs. chance
  • flat direction fails to elevate talented cast

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive75

terrific 1950s rock and roll soundtrack

ActingDivisive70

cast praised but some find performances flat or miscast

AtmosphereDivisive65

vivid period detail but some find it lacking grit

CinematographyDivisive65

glossy period visuals but occasionally overly slick

Pacing50

lively gambling scenes but slow middle and weak ending

CharactersDivisive45

one-dimensional, cliché roles despite actors' efforts

Plot and storyDivisive35

predictable, derivative gambling story with weak structure

Originality20

unoriginal, seen-before gambling formula

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is The Big Town like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you want something serious and affecting.

It leaves you wistful.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Moods
TenseRomantic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Romantic · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its noir-ish melodrama relatively straight, with a low-key sincerity and a nostalgic, slightly heightened style.
The rideThe film maintains a steady tension from the gambling conflict, with romantic interludes, and builds to a climactic wager in the final act.
StructureThe story follows a conventional three-act structure: arrival and success, complication and conflict, then a final showdown.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Wistful.

Wistful · 8% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering sense of nostalgia for a lost era and a bittersweet feeling about the compromises made along the way.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA small-town man with a talent for craps tries to make it big in Chicago, but the story focuses more on survival and a love triangle than a classic rise.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGreedPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% (this title) · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Greed · 3% of filmsRomantic love · 15% of films
Warns its theme: Presents its theme as a danger or a coming cost.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the allure and danger of quick wealth in the gambling underworld, set against a romantic entanglement with a boss's wife.
StanceThe film warns about the dangers of greed and the violent consequences of chasing big money in the gambling world.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanRealistic
JazzSupportive music · original score · Michael Melvoin
Setting1950s Chicago gambling underworld
MusicJazz score fits the 1950s Chicago noir setting.

Content guide

Is The Big Town okay for kids?

R

The Big Town is rated R. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (22/100), sexual content at moderate (52/100), language at moderate (42/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (44/100) and frightening material at mild (22/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 58%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (29 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Big Town have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Big Town?

Cast

Matt Dillon
as J.C. Cullen
Diane Lane
as Lorry
Tommy Lee Jones
as George
Bruce Dern
as Mr. Edwards
Lee Grant
as Ferguson Edwards
Tom Skerritt
as Phil Carpenter
Suzy Amis
as Aggie Donaldson
David Marshall Grant
as Sonny Binkley
Don Francks
as Carl Hooker
Del Close
as Deacon Daniels

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Big Town?

Movies like The Big Town include Havana (1990), Wonder Wheel (2017) and The Hot Spot (1990). Of the 4 closest matches, most are love-triangle stories, and most are films set in the 1950s.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Big Town?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.