Let It Ride (1989)

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

What a ride!!! :-)This is one of my favorite "forgotten" comedies from the late-80s. It has a wonderful cast of character actors who perfectly back up the true star of the film, Richard Dreyfuss ("Trotter"), who pulls out all the stops in his comic repertoire to exhibit quality humor throughout this little film. This movie starts slow then builds up steam and doesn't let up until the exciting climax that mirrors the real-life feeling of betting on a horse race.The story of a down-and-out "loser" who has just sworn off gambling, boozing, and is returning to his estranged wife on the exact day his life changes with a "tip" on a horse that literally changes his fortunes for the better. Dreyfuss infuses humor, desperation and good luck into a comic transformation from lovable sap to the luckiest man walking within the matter of nine horse races during the day.The joy I get from watching this is all the interactions with the minor characters throughout the day. The "Looney" character is the perpetual failure as the best friend who can't catch a break, even though it kicks him square in the teeth. When Trotter wins on the sure-thing bet in the opening then asks Looney, who didn't bet the sure-thing, who he likes in the next race - then promptly scratches that horse off as a failure right in front of the guy... It makes me laugh out loud even though I've watched the movie over a dozen times. The rest of the interactions - from the dive bar across the street, standing trackside during the race, the betting window (with the hilarious Robbie Cochrane), or even at the upper-class Jockey Club - we are treated to a feast of quirky characters that not only keep the action moving, but creates new ways for Trotter to marvel at the luckiest day of his life.This movie was forgotten because it's target audience was the exact people who bypass the movie theater and head straight for the racetrack. What a shame. This movie deserves a place in our comedy landscape for the charm, simplicity, and fun it creates along the way as Dreyfuss breathes life into a loser who realizes, while it's happening, what it feels like to hit a winning streak and enjoy the ride the entire time. This is a comedy classic. There's a reason it's so hard to find on DVD. Not because it was in limited release. It's because the people who own the out-of-print DVDs never want to part with them. This movie is a joy. Let it ride indeed!!!

Jay Trotter is a cab driver who has a slight problem with gambling.Instead of reconciling his failing marriage as planned, he instead goes to the track, and mystically, it seems as though he can't lose, no matter how much he bets, and has an incredible day, in more ways than one....The surprising thing about this movie is that there isn't any twist to the movie. That's the twist if you would. Any other film would have our hero lose everything, or lose almost everything and win something back. But not here.He just keeps winning and winning, and it sounds like its a boring narrative, but it's what happens between races that make the film so watchable.It's a farce basically. Trotter thinks he his having the best day of his life, but in reality, his world is falling apart around him, and it's this tenseness to the story that makes you think 'once a loser, always a loser'.Ironically you would bet good money on Trotter losing everything come the end, but then gambling is a bit of a mugs game.Dreyfuss is wonderful, full of energy and zest throughout his hectic day,and the support are equally wonderful, and somewhat bizarre.It's a bit of a forgotten movie, but it's a lot of fun.

Among all the films made by Richard Dreyfuss who plays Jay Trotter in " Let It Ride " this has got to be the happiest. His best friend Looney, played by David Johansen (Supurb role for him) confides that two men in his taxi cab were caught on tape fixing a race. Although Trotter has promised his wife Pam (Teri Garr) he has given up gambling, he is nevertheless found at the racetrack with what he believes is a sure thing. The trouble is, he learns not only will he having a good day, it will be a day he discovers he can't seem to lose. The winnings begin to double as do his bets, he is even lucky enough to be hit upon by a beautiful and shapely young girl name Vickie (Jennifer Tilly). The film is wonderfully packs with tense events and comedic situations, but is definitely enhanced by the odd characters who surround Trotter. For instance There's Tony Cheeseburger played enjoyably by Richard Dimitri and Robbie Coltrane who is the mystified Ticket Seller. With the majority of the population at the racetrack rooting for Trotter, it's little wonder the audience feels compelled to join in. Easily recommended to all audiences. ****

This is like the US equivalent of one of those Olde English Ealing comedies; lots of great supporting cast, some LOL setpieces that are beautifully integrated, gentle social comment and a plot that everybody can identify with. The racetrack setting is reminiscent of the genre, too. Teri Garr is especially good as the long suffering gambler's wife, and Robbie Coltrane enjoys himself as the window clerk, (funny, but his stock American accent slips a lot!). I wouldn't call it a classic for the reason that the plot makes it all too easy for Trotter. While you do share the excitement as the horses race, you never really get the feeling that Trotter's fate is in jeopardy, or that there is much sense of crisis - Teri Garr threatens divorce but immediately takes it back, the villains are nothing but cream puffs, everybody thinks Trotter's a hero. They even make it clear before the last race: "I'm covered - you can't put a price on a day like that", so the ultimate outcome is slightly irrelevant. It's also too easy for him to break his promise to stop gambling at the beginning; he doesn't feel guilty, he doesn't worry about it, his confidence is never shaken. It's not clear whether his 'good' day is a reward for being honest, his luck just 'happens'. This takes the film into the realm of fantasy wish-fulfilment, as though it was a sort of chick flick for guys. Nothing wrong with that, because the good humour is sincere enough. It doesn't become trite, anyway. I'd say it was fine for little kids apart from the f-bombs and the dubious message that gamblers win in the end, but it looks like they had fun making it.