The defence The Prestige Tourist
“Ambition earns the room.”
The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.
Back to trending 
Fat City
Drama · 1972
The story of two men, a veteran boxer who is down and out, and a young man who is just starting his life and boxing career. Their fighting careers cross paths as their lives and fortunes head in opposite directions. Director John Huston tells their stories with a level, unsentimental honesty and makes it into one of his best films.
Movie details
Fat City
“Life is what happens in between rounds.”
1972 Drama 1h 37m
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
7.2 / 10
10.8K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
100 %
Tomatometer
Metacritic
89 / 100
Metascore
TMDB
7.1 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
The story of two men, a veteran boxer who is down and out, and a young man who is just starting his life and boxing career. Their fighting careers cross paths as their lives and fortunes head in opposite directions. Director John Huston tells their stories with a level, unsentimental honesty and makes it into one of his best films.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Fat City?
For the defence
The Prestige Tourist
“You like your greatness pre-approved.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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The Hurricane
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The story of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.
Gigi & Nate
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A young man with a bright future suffers a near-fatal accident and recreates his new life with the help of an unlikely animal friend.
Journeyman
Drama · 2018
A boxer suffers a serious head injury during a fight, and must deal with the consequences.
Resurrecting the Champ
Drama · 2007
Up-and-coming sports reporter rescues a homeless man ("Champ") only to discover that he is, in fact, a boxing legend believed to have passed away. What begins as an opportunity to resurrect Champ's story and escape the shadow of his father's success becomes a personal journey as the ambitious reporter reexamines his own life and his relationship with his family.
The Fire Inside
Drama · 2024
Claressa Shields, a high school junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.
Big George Foreman
History · 2023
Fueled by an impoverished childhood, George Foreman channeled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took him from the boxing ring to the pulpit. But when he sees his community struggling spiritually and financially, Foreman returns to the ring and makes history by reclaiming his title, becoming the oldest and most improbable World Heavyweight Boxing Champion ever.
Night and the City
Drama · 1950
Londoner Harry Fabian is a second-rate con man looking for an angle. After years of putting up with Harry's schemes, his girlfriend, Mary, becomes fed up when he taps her for yet another loan.
Fast Girls
Drama · 2012
A street smart runner develops an intense rivalry with an equally ambitious wealthy young athlete.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
John Huston
Written by
Leonard Gardner
Stacy Keach
Tully
Jeff Bridges
Ernie
Susan Tyrrell
Oma
Candy Clark
Faye
Nicholas Colasanto
Ruben
A
Art Aragon
Babe
C
Curtis Cokes
Earl
Court is in session
Put Fat City on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Importance has entered the chat.”
The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.