Beanbioca
As Good As It Gets
AshUnow
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Fatma Suarez
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Spikeopath
Big Deal at Dodge City (AKA: A Big Hand for the Little Lady) is directed by Fielder Cook and written by Sidney Carroll. It stars Joanne Woodward, Henry Fonda, Paul Ford, Jason Robards, Charles Bickford, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ford and Burgess Meredith. Music is by David Raksin and cinematography by Lee Garmes.Utterly delightful, though that statement is on proviso you be watching this film for the first time. For this be a comedy - cum - semi drama Western that relies on its finale to reward you for your time spent with such a splendid ensemble of actors.We are in the tin-pot town of Black Creek and there's a high stakes poker game in progress. Wandering into Black Creek are husband and wife Meredith (Fonda) and Mary (Woodward), who with their young son in tow are just stopping by before settling down with some acres to bear life fruition. Only there's a problem, Meredith loves poker and catching wind of such a high stakes poker game thriving in the back of the saloon, he is prepared to bet the family nest egg as the gambling fever takes a hold...Okies, so it really helps if you have a modicum of interest in card playing movies, because 90% of this pic is about the game being played, with director (and producer) Cook keeping things very intimate, close and personal, and sweaty. Yet the various characterisations that unfold during this card game, the foibles and ugly traits, not only make for an interesting observation of the human condition, but it's also very funny. Sarcastically, cynically or wry? Whatever!Cast are tried and tested and on form, helped enormously by a clever screenplay. Yep! There's the feeling that things have been padded out to make it a feature length production, but such is the strong ensemble of thesps on show it's barely an itch that needs scratching. Come "that" finale - you cheeky old devil you - it matters not, cheer or laugh, moan or groan, whichever is your want, it's a pic that has drawn you in hook, line and sinker. 7/10
Robert J. Maxwell
It must have been tough, writing and directing a full-length feature that swivels on an event that only takes half an hour.Henry Fonda, his wife Joanne Woodward, and their young son are stranded for a few hours in a Western town where a high-stakes poker game is going on. Fonda, a poker addict, is drawn into the game and loses the $4K his family had been saving for their new farm. He winds up holding what he considers a winning hand -- we don't know what it is -- and when he's informed that he must put up an additional several hundred, which he doesn't have, he drops on the floor, still holding his cards.Woodward is forced to take his place but asks that the nature of the game be explained to her. She listens attentively while another player, Kevin McCarthy, explains to her, "We are all holding cards. Some cards are better than others. We all think we have the best hand. And we have all bet four thousand dollars that we have the best hand." Well, of course Woodward's stash has already been gambled away by Fonda, but she crosses the street to borrow money from the owner of the local bank, offering as collateral the hand of cards she is holding. The filthy rich bankers gawks and lends her enough to raise the pot and drive everyone else out of the game.That's not the end. Legal ethics prevent me from revealing more of the plot. I think I can go so far as to say, "Don't worry." The laying on of hands by the bank is the pivotal event. The notorious skinflint who owns the bank would never lend money unless he was certain of getting it back. However, the story must be made tensile to fill the time slot.So we get an opening scene of a boisterous saloon, clamorous cowboys, rollicking tunes, riotous laughter at remarks and wisecracks that aren't in themselves funny. Okay, the film needs some juice, but this is like transfusing blood into a patient whose life is hardly worth the expense of saving. There are anti-climactic scenes that drag on much too long after the point has been made, or are themselves entirely irrelevant.Nice cast, though. Fonda may be too old for the part of a naive guy setting out to make his fortune on a small farm but Woodward is just fine. I can't help wondering if Fonda and John Qualen swapped stories about working for John Ford in "The Grapes of Wrath." I imagine Fonda approaching Qualen with outstretched hand and saying, "Why, MULEY!" Charles Bickford as a player is stiff but has a magnificent exit. Jason Robards' part is unsympathetic but he has one of the more expressive faces on the screen. And he's a good actor with considerable range. Catch him in "All The President's Men," as the hard-nosed Ben Bradlee.It's much too long for the simple story it has to tell and it's so loud and forceful that it leaves your eardrums in a grievous state. Worth seeing but not seeking out.
ma-cortes
This is an ironic and sarcastic comedy Western with extraordinary roster of character actor , centering in poker game , a marathon in city of Laredo . This is picture set in the old west , a tale that adds comedy , emotion , and a rich sense of humor to make the picture a funny and entertaining flick . It tells the story of a poker game which is deemed the most important in the West for the amount of money bets , personality and social highlight of the players (Jason Robards , Kevin McCarthy , John Qualen , Robert Middleton) , and for its long tradition , sixteen years ; as they regularly meet once year in the location , date and time agreed . Rule of the game is the following : you must sit in from the beginning and it's the wildest poker game in the west . The event raises great expectations and the winner becomes a folk hero of legend . There arrives a traveler (Henry Fonda) who bets more money than he can afford in the poker game , and unusual events follow , as he fails to overcome his penchant for gambling . Then , his wife (Joanne Woodward) , a strong woman , ready to defend her rights until the end .This enjoyable film contains humor , irony , tongue-in-check and results to be an agreeable caper plenty of close-ups and irrelevancies . The script of the film is an ironic and sarcastic story with an all-star-cast giving magnificent acting who make up the yarn , including a neat surprise final , too . The dialogue is amusing , short and accurate , with artful twists free of traps and full of surprises . The combination of suspense and humor is perfectly achieved : both factors are complementary . This movie was initially written for television as "Big Deal in Laredo", in fact , this started life as a 48 minute teleplay by screen-writer Sidney Carroll . Director Fielder Cook manages to recreate a powerful story , told with great austerity , but that keeps us interested until the ending . ¨Big Hand for a Little Lady¨ and ¨The Sting¨ (1973) are both movies about swindling big shot gamblers who were used to swindling unsuspecting players ; these two movies are also connected by the actors who starred in them . The film has a top-notch cast , as Joanne Woodward as the ¨Little Lady¨ who uses her feminine shrewdness to scoop the pot , Henry Fonda as her husband shows modest and emotional attitude , and plunges us into a dramatic character which threatens all our hopes . And with them , Jason Robards , Kevin McCarthy , John Qualen , Paul Ford , Robert Middleton , Burgess Meredith , all of them manage to give the best result to a bemusing flick . Furthermore , brief apparitions from James Griffith , Virginia Gregg , Milton Selzer , and veteran Mae Clarke . This film provides the final film of Charles Bickford , and ending screen appearance of comedian Chester Conklin, who had appeared in about 300 movies from 1913 .Colorful as well as evocative cinematography by Lee Garmes . Atmospheric and appropriate musical score by David Raskin who previously composed the classic soundtrack for ¨Laura¨ . The motion picture was well written and directed by Fielder Cook , he was an usual filmmaker for TV , in fact , several of his 1970s productions were originally televised on the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" and occasionally for cinema such as ¨Patterns¨, ¨Seize the day¨ , ¨Eagle in a Cage¨ and this ¨A big hand for the Little lady¨. .
fimimix
After an extremely frustrating evening, I stumbled onto TCM's presentation of "A Big Hand for the Little Lady". WOW ! what a pleasure it was to see a wonderful movie I've been looking for, for a long time.This movie has everything a movie needs. I truly can't understand how some users thought it was too long, and was "slow". It does take time for all the characters - with such a stellar cast ! - to be developed, and the story to build, you know ! Does everything HAVE to happen all at once? AND, I don't think those guys who say the plot-twists were obvious......sure fooled me ! Fielder Cook (TV-director or not) got the best performances out of his cast, from the brilliant script by Sidney Carroll. Henry Fonda ("Meredith") and Joanne Woodward ("Mary") headed a cast to die for and played their roles with total conviction. Jason Robards, Paul Ford, Charles Bickford, Burgess Meredith, Kevin MacCarthy, Robert Middleton and John Qualen, et al, were as good as a cast can be - everyone delivering solid characters.Shame on those users who wrote too much and gave-away the plot. This is a film to enjoy - get involved in - every minute. Nothing is wasted in this production. It should be in every collection, even ones for families. I'm looking for it, beginning right now. I rate it as 20.This movie is one of those which deserves to be given another release, with all the hoopla - Bravo!
