The Big Easy

R

Released Mar 27, 1987

1 hr. 41 min.

Crime

Drama

List

89%

38 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Colorful drama, set in New Orleans, about the relationship which develops between a young police lieutenant and an uncompromising female DA who is unimpressed with the bribery and corruption which is rife in his department. A vicious gang war is also simmering and looks set to erupt at any moment, as the murder of a Mafia soldier is followed swiftly by the killing of three drug-dealing gangsters.

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Critics Consensus

Loaded with atmosphere and drenched in the sizzling chemistry between Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin, The Big Easy remains one of the strongest -- and steamiest -- thrillers of the 1980s.

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Alec B

I appreciate the fast paced dialogue which does recall older noir films but I wish that certain narrative choices (i.e. having Barkin prosecute Quaid) were less silly.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Ronald H

More of a cartoon than a movie, with fake Cajun accents, ludicrous dialogue, and a portrayal of New Orleans as some kind of clown show full of lovable, corrupt cops. This movie is an embarrassment.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/23

Full Review

Tom W

The Big Easy is my favorite movie, one up on Three Days of the Condor. I fell in love with the scenery & music of the title sequence. I play the intro over & over. I have come to love Cajun & Zydeco music. It is like the Cajun spice mix I keep in my cabinet to add shrimp dishes. Since childhood, shrimp cocktail was always my goto dish & the song Shrimp Boats by Jo Stafford (1951) is a song I still enjoy. Her voice was so pure. Anyway, in addition to the main stars & the obvious stuff, I would like to applaud the performances of Charles Ludlam as Lamar the lawyer, Lisa Jane Persky as McCabe the cop with the wry smile, Grace Zabriskie as Mama with the sharp wit and Dave Petitjean as Uncle Sos who "arrested" ADA Anne Osborne. The art was in the details.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/02/24

Full Review

john m

Doesn't do much in the noir genre like I wanted it to. It also doesn't really have much to say about corruption and the police like its entire storyline is supposed to be. Really, it's just a pretty tacky rom-com with some mediocre action sequences.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I appreciate the fast paced dialogue which does recall older noir films but I wish that certain narrative choices (i.e. having Barkin prosecute Quaid) were less silly.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

dave s

Anne Osborne is an uptight, by-the-book Assistant District Attorney investigating the New Orleans police department for corruption. Remy McSwain is a fast talking, shoot from the hip cop…and corrupt. Catchy Cajun music, a great locale, and snappy dialogue make The Big Easy a cut above others in the genre. The drawback to the film is its predictability. Will Osborne find corruption? Will McSwain find redemption? Will the two fall helplessly in love and live happily ever after? Once you accept the unavoidable fact that you know exactly how this is going to end, it's an entertaining and enjoyable couple of hours.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Jim McBride

Director

Dennis Quaid

Det. Remy McSwain

Ellen Barkin

Anne Osborne

Ned Beatty

Jack Kellom

John Goodman

Detective Andre DeSoto

Ebbe Roe Smith

Ed Dodge

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Variety Staff

Variety

Until conventional plot contrivances begin to spoil the fun, The Big Easy is a snappy, sassy battle of the sexes in the guise of a melodrama about police corruption.

Jul 31, 2013

Full Review

Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

The Big Easy is an extremely enjoyable (and well-lubricated) vehicle for two actors who aren't quite yet stars, but should be.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 31, 2013

Full Review

Peter Travers

People Magazine

Oooowee, here is one scorchingly sexy movie.

Jul 31, 2013

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

As much a love story as a murder-mystery, and Quaid and Barkin are beautifully matched.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 16, 2023

Full Review

Richard Freedman

Newhouse News Service

There is nothing easy about its own attitude, which is moral without being censorious.... with actors as engaging as Barkin and Quaid to say nothing of the ever-reliable Beatty the process is a delight to watch.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 15, 2019

Full Review

Kathi Maio

Sojourner

Barkin brings great delicacy and conviction to a part that is essentially a stock character: that favorite '80s stereotype: the sexually repressed but professionally successful career woman.

Aug 28, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

Colorful drama, set in New Orleans, about the relationship which develops between a young police lieutenant and an uncompromising female DA who is unimpressed with the bribery and corruption which is rife in his department. A vicious gang war is also simmering and looks set to erupt at any moment, as the murder of a Mafia soldier is followed swiftly by the killing of three drug-dealing gangsters.

Director: Jim McBride
Executive Producer: Mort Engelberg
Screenwriter: Jim McBride, Daniel Petrie Jr., Gordon Greisman, Jack Baran
Production Co: Kings Road Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 27, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.5M

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