Let it Ride (1989) 87m
Comedy set during one day at the racetrack may be torture for serious punters. Richard Dreyfuss finds he is on an uncharacteristic winning streak, but instead of cashing in his ticket he keeps parlaying his bet. As each race runs its course he finds himself seduced by the new levels of track society that open up before him. You'll find yourself wanting to scream "Stop!" when Dreyfuss is about to make what may be his last gamble. Despite being restricted to one setting, Ernest Moreton's script (from a novel by Jay Cronley) contains a real sense of progression. Dreyfuss starts his day kneeling before a toilet in a punter's bar, but gradually moves through the different strata of the racetrack world - the Jockey Club, the cashier's office, the counting room; similarly, as his winnings accrue and he starts planning what to do with the money, we see his future being laid out before us; and of course there are the relationships that keep developing throughout the course of the story as he gets more attention. Here, having too much money is just as offensive to the regular high-rollers than having too little. Jennifer Tilly, in another of her bubblehead roles, seems to be attracted to Dreyfuss only because of his newly-won money (or is it luck?) but remains strangely consistent throughout the story. The others don't seem to have any particular stance - cashier Robbie Coltrane does a 180o turn, Dreyfuss' friends keep vacillating, and wife Teri Garr is in a state of constant bewilderment.
Dreyfuss gives an energetically comic performance - the kind of thing we thought he'd left behind with THE GOODBYE GIRL (and just the role Jack Lemmon would have played if this film had been made twenty years earlier). He's an ideal choice for the role of a small-time gambler - his slight stature, beady eyes, and moustache make him look right at home at the track. Garr, an appealing actress, is once again saddled with the Wife/Mother role (she'd already had one marriage on the rocks with Dreyfuss in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS). The fringe characters, right down to the smallest bit parts, all have personality. Everyone has their own system, mostly reliant on intuition - although LET IT RIDE doesn't give the impression that it is pro-gambling. Rather, its message is that there is no workable system, and that everyone has one "really good day" inside them, whether at the track, the office, the sports field, or anywhere else. It's a feel-good movie without the schmaltz - the dreamy look on Dreyfuss' face during the vital seconds of his last race indicate that in his mind he has already won. Or, to adopt a truism, it's not whether you win or lose, but how you place the bet that counts. The racetrack is utilized well as the film's central setting - it's nice for a change to see a cinema portrayal of the track which is sunny, friendly and lively, instead of the usual seediness and vice that usually ends up on screen.
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