Robert Redford starred in two of the greatest buddy movies of all time: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting". In between, he made "Little Fauss and Big Halsy". It too is a buddy movie but there the resemblance ends.
Redford's buddy in this film is Michael J Pollard, a mumbling, quirky star of the period. He is at the opposite end of the charisma scale from Redford's buddy from the other movies, Paul Newman.
This movie is about men who love bike racing to the exclusion of just about all else. However for all the excitement that might suggest, the film tries so hard not to be obvious that it fails to deliver much of a punch.
Little Fauss, Pollard's character is assisted in his racing ambitions by his doting parents, Mom and Dad Fauss, played by Lucille Benson and Noah Beery Jnr, who supply portable toilets to race venues. All three actors compete to see who can deliver the most mannered, offbeat and quirky performance.
Little Fauss meets another bike racer, Big Halsy. Redford's Halsy Knox is an unpleasant character. Shirtless much of the time, he sports chest hair, a grin and a scar that runs the length of his spine, Halsy is also an opportunist who is not above petty theft. Fauss is drawn to Halsy's confident and outgoing nature. After Fauss breaks his leg, Halsy convinces him to let him use his name and licence to race in California. The two men load their bikes onto Halsy's truck and hit the road. Wherever they travel, women are drawn to Halsy while "Little" is occasionally allowed a peek at the latest conquest.
The arrival of Lauren Hutton's character, Rita Nebraska, finally causes the end of the friendship between the two men. This was Hutton's screen debut and she enters the movie as she entered the world – naked – running down a racetrack after being dumped by other bikers. She ends up in Halsy's truck and Fauss talks him into letting her tag along.
Hutton gives an animated performance in this film although her character is also quirky and dysfunctional. Among all the character's odd traits is a fixation with the oral; Halsy cleans his teeth compulsively, Fauss constantly sniffs and rubs his nose and Rita uses her chewing gum like play dough.
Rita falls for Halsy and they begin a relationship. Fauss leaves knowing his feelings for Rita can never be realised while Halsy is around. Rita becomes pregnant and has a baby. Not unexpectedly, Halsy becomes the epitome of the 'dead-beat dad'. Rita eventually leaves the story, presumably with the intention of returning home.
Fauss and Halsy face each other as competitors in the Sear's Point race. By this time, Fauss's regard for Halsy has turned to contempt. Eventually 'Little' has a good chance to win but we never find out, we are left hanging and wondering.
The filmmakers' penchant for the oblique makes "Little Fauss and Big Halsy" a frustrating experience. However it does capture a certain sense of disillusionment – positing that characters who possess outward charm often have little substance to back it up. Fortunately Robert Redford soon showed his toothy charisma to better effect in "The Sting" – a far more rewarding experience for everyone.
Redford's buddy in this film is Michael J Pollard, a mumbling, quirky star of the period. He is at the opposite end of the charisma scale from Redford's buddy from the other movies, Paul Newman.
This movie is about men who love bike racing to the exclusion of just about all else. However for all the excitement that might suggest, the film tries so hard not to be obvious that it fails to deliver much of a punch.
Little Fauss, Pollard's character is assisted in his racing ambitions by his doting parents, Mom and Dad Fauss, played by Lucille Benson and Noah Beery Jnr, who supply portable toilets to race venues. All three actors compete to see who can deliver the most mannered, offbeat and quirky performance.
Little Fauss meets another bike racer, Big Halsy. Redford's Halsy Knox is an unpleasant character. Shirtless much of the time, he sports chest hair, a grin and a scar that runs the length of his spine, Halsy is also an opportunist who is not above petty theft. Fauss is drawn to Halsy's confident and outgoing nature. After Fauss breaks his leg, Halsy convinces him to let him use his name and licence to race in California. The two men load their bikes onto Halsy's truck and hit the road. Wherever they travel, women are drawn to Halsy while "Little" is occasionally allowed a peek at the latest conquest.
The arrival of Lauren Hutton's character, Rita Nebraska, finally causes the end of the friendship between the two men. This was Hutton's screen debut and she enters the movie as she entered the world – naked – running down a racetrack after being dumped by other bikers. She ends up in Halsy's truck and Fauss talks him into letting her tag along.
Hutton gives an animated performance in this film although her character is also quirky and dysfunctional. Among all the character's odd traits is a fixation with the oral; Halsy cleans his teeth compulsively, Fauss constantly sniffs and rubs his nose and Rita uses her chewing gum like play dough.
Rita falls for Halsy and they begin a relationship. Fauss leaves knowing his feelings for Rita can never be realised while Halsy is around. Rita becomes pregnant and has a baby. Not unexpectedly, Halsy becomes the epitome of the 'dead-beat dad'. Rita eventually leaves the story, presumably with the intention of returning home.
Fauss and Halsy face each other as competitors in the Sear's Point race. By this time, Fauss's regard for Halsy has turned to contempt. Eventually 'Little' has a good chance to win but we never find out, we are left hanging and wondering.
The filmmakers' penchant for the oblique makes "Little Fauss and Big Halsy" a frustrating experience. However it does capture a certain sense of disillusionment – positing that characters who possess outward charm often have little substance to back it up. Fortunately Robert Redford soon showed his toothy charisma to better effect in "The Sting" – a far more rewarding experience for everyone.