Fat City (film)

Fat City is a 1972 American neo-noir boxing drama film directed by John Huston. The picture stars Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, and Susan Tyrrell.

One of Huston's later films, it is based on the boxing novel Fat City (1969) by Leonard Gardner, who also wrote the screenplay.

Tyrrell received an Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination as the alcoholic, world weary Oma.

Plot

Billy Tully (Keach), a boxer past his prime, goes to a Stockton, California gym to get back into shape and spars with Ernie Munger (Bridges), an eighteen-year-old he meets there. Seeing potential in the youngster, Tully suggests that Munger look up his former manager and trainer, Ruben (Nicholas Colasanto). Tully later tells combative barfly Oma (Tyrrell) and her easygoing boyfriend Earl (Curtis Cokes) how impressed he is with the kid. Newly inspired, Tully decides to get back into boxing himself.

Tully's life has been a mess ever since his wife left him. He drinks too much, cannot hold down a job, and picks fruit and vegetables with migrant workers to make ends meet. He still blames Ruben for mishandling his last fight.