The Big Easy

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The Big Easy

R

1987

1h 41m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

39 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

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.

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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Variety Staff

Variety

07/31/2013

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.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

07/31/2013

3/4

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

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Peter Travers

People Magazine

07/31/2013

Oooowee, here is one scorchingly sexy movie.

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

May 18

It was exceedingly rare even then for an American movie to make sex look like this much fun.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 14

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.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

04/16/2023

3/4

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

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kevenquinlan T

@RT75276071 Aug 4

A very enjoyable film. Love seeing a super young Quaid and Barken. It's a keeper.

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Karin T

@ktdidnt 05/27/2025

I was born and raised in New Orleans, and this is the worst portrayal of the city that I've ever seen. People there do NOT talk or act like this. And the movie's plot was criminally bad, to boot.

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Michael R

@RT20874625 09/22/2024

Reading the critic's reviews of this movie. Did we watch the same one? This is not a "sexy thriller"; this is a slapstick comedy that's not very well-acted. I remember liking it in 1987 but after re-watching it, it doesn't hold up at all.

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Alec B

@Alec97 01/10/2024

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.

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Ronald H

@RT44372985 09/27/2023

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.

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Tom W

@RT93495255 07/29/2023

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.

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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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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
Producer: Stephen Friedman
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
Runtime: 1h 41m