1972 Jeff Bridges Classic, With 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Ranked Among Greatest Movies of All Time

Turner Classic Movies is giving movie lovers plenty to watch this September, but there's one film in particular that rises above the competition. Fat City, a gritty boxing drama directed by John Huston and starring Stacy Keach and a young Jeff Bridges, still packs a punch more than five decades later—and a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fat City's reputation extends well beyond its positive critical reviews, however, as it consistently appears on best-of movie lists, whether curated by fans or filmmakers, cementing its status as one of the most acclaimed films of all time. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 First released in New York theaters on July 26, 1972, the film actually made its world premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival earlier that year in May. The response was strong from the start, withThe New Yorker calling it a 'smash' and viewers praising Huston's direction and his cast's raw, authentic performances. Before Fat City, Huston's career had hit a rough patch, with a string of flops. But Fat City, a film whose subject matter was familiar territory for the director, put him back in the ring. 'I've been a boxer,' he told Interview. 'So let's say I'm a little closer to the material. It's a very personal story.' Bridges, on the other hand, was a completely different story. The 22-year-old actor had already gained major attention and an Oscar nomination for 1971's The Last Picture Show. But Fat City offered another showcase for the rising actor, and helped convince Bridges that his career was about more than his famous family name. 'After I'd done a few movies, Picture Show and Fat City, I figured they can't be hiring me now just because of my dad,' he told GQ, referring to the famous Lloyd Bridges. 'I must be doing something right.' Leonard Gardner adapted Huston's film from his own 1969 novel. Set in the working-class town of Stockton, California, it follows Billy Tully (Keach), a 29-year-old alcoholic and washed-up boxer, and Ernie Munger (Bridges), an 18-year-old novice with natural talent but little ambition. Haunting and melancholic, the movie's tone was brilliantly captured by Kris Kristofferson's musical contribution, 'Help Me Make It Through the Night.' Related: 1971 Movie, Directed by Dennis Hopper, Launched a Music Legend's Acting Career—Just as He Scored His First No. 1 Hit But unlike the underdog formula later popularized by movies like Rocky, Huston's sports drama stripped away the genre's redemption trope to show how victory in the ring doesn't necessarily mean victory in life. A modest box-office player, Fat City proved more significant with critics. The film's strongest awards recognition came at the Academy Awards, where Susan Tyrrell earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Oma, a barfly whose codependent relationship with Billy turns toxic. But Fat City was really a springboard for its entire cast and crew. Following her Oscar-nominated breakout, Tyrrell built a prolific career playing memorable, often unconventional characters, later earning a Saturn Award for Andy Warhol's Badand later starring as Ramona Ricketts in John Waters' Cry-Baby. Keach continued his esteemed career across film, television, and stage productions, with his most recognized role as the hard-boiled detective Mike Hammer. Huston continued directing for the rest of his life, making such films as The Man Who Would Be King, Prizzi's Honor, and James Joyce's The Dead before he died in 1987. Meanwhile, Bridges is still going strong. After Fat City, he starred in The Last American Hero, then Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, for which he was nominated for an Oscar. He finally took home a statuette in 2009 for his role as Bad Blake, an alcoholic country singer in Crazy Heart. More than 50 years later, Fat City remains one of the most acclaimed films of its era and a fascinating early chapter in the career of the man who would eventually become Hollywood's most beloved Dude. Related: 1989 Robert Duvall Hit, With a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, Ranked Among Best Miniseries of All Time Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved This story was originally published September 7, 2026 at 1:47 PM.