Bright Lights, Big City

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (1988) ***1/2 Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland, Phoebe Cates, Swoosie Kurtz, Frances Sternhagen, Dianne Wiest, Jason Robards, John Houseman, Tracey Pollan , Charlie Schlatter, Kelly Lynch, Jessica Lundy, William Hickey, Sam Robards. Excellent adaptation by Jay McInerney of his widely popular novel of decadence with Fox making the most of his troubled character on a bender of booze and drugs in NYC while trying to keep his personal life under wraps unsuccessfully. Best scene is Fox's heartbreaking late-night phone call to Pollan. Look sharp for a young David Hyde Pierce as a catering bartender at a fashion show. (Dir: James Bridges)

"Bright Lights, Big City" bears a simple premise - Michael J. Fox spends his nights in drug-fueled debauchery while his day-to-day slowly implodes - and I have to admit, I was expecting something a bit closer to "Less Than Zero". But this is less about his abuse and more about the consequences: the dismal job performance, the marriage in ruins. There's real sadness here (like seeing him pour out his heart to his secretary (Swoosie Kurtz) - but it's never harrowing. And it's a pretty good vehicle for Fox to play completely against type. More often than not, he's surviving the damage from the night before and he does it well. He makes it easy to root for sobriety. 7/10

I saw this a long time ago and still remmeber how good it was. Who hasn't had a "jaime" in their life at some point? Michael J. Fox did an excellent job with tihs role and it's a movie that anybody who appreciates movies about the pitfalls of addictions and the destruction that living on the darkside can wreak would enjoy. It's not a happy movie and it is very 80's(it came out in the late 80's as I recall) but is still very well done and should be seen by anyone who appreciates movies of this genre.

I didn't like it originally and it's still a no. I didn't read the book, but I'm sure it was better or the movie wouldn't have been made. The biggest problem for me is Michael J. Fox. Not his acting chops. I just can't accept him as a seedy guy. Not then and most certainly not now. The more appropriate person was cast as his co-star. No problem seeing Kieffer Sutherland struggling with some demons. Plus this film just reminds me that even as a teenager of the eighties, I really don't have much fond nostalgia for them. And, this film makes a point of calling out many of its shortcomings.

Michael J. Fox does an admirable job in the lead role of this movie adaptation of Jay McInerey's book. The plot concerns one man's downfall over the period of a week, and how it all stems from his mother dying and his wife leaving him. The movie follows the basic plot of the book with few changes. Overall a very decent movie, with a solid cast.

This is a good, although not great, movie that often gets a lower rating than it deserves. All the actors fill their roles perfectly, especially Keifer Sutherland. The problem is it occasionally tries to be funny (or something?), which doesn't mesh with the rest of the film. Two guys getting attacked by a ferret is not very funny anyhow, unless they are Bill Murray and Jim Carrey. Ignore the parts that try to be funny and you will find this movie much more enjoyable.

There are two things that went wrong with this film. First and foremost is that Michael J. Fox is totally miscast for his role. I can understand him wanting to break away from the Alex Keaton character on "Family Ties." But, although he tries, he simply isn't right as a coke-addled, anguished writer. And it knocks the whole film off-kilter. Another problem is that the story doesn't translate easily onto film. There are some compensations- great supporting cast, catchy theme song ("Kiss & Tell" by Bryan Ferry), and excellent use of New York City locations. But they weren't enough to make the film a success, and the disappointing returns at the box office bear this out.