Born to Win
| Born to Win | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Ivan Passer |
| Produced by | Philip Langner |
| Written by | David Scott Milton (story) Ivan Passer |
| Starring | George Segal Paula Prentiss Karen Black Hector Elizondo Jay Fletcher Robert De Niro Ed Madsen |
| Music by | William S. Fisher |
| Cinematography | Richard C. Kratina Jack Priestley |
| Editing by | Ralph Rosenblum |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | December 1, 1971 |
| Running time | 88 min. |
| Country |  |
| Language | English |
Born to Win is a 1971 black comedy film directed by Ivan Passer.
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[edit] Plot
The film follows Jay Jay (Segal), a former hair dresser who has become a drug addict. He lives his new life by doing deals for Vivian (Elizondo) from time to time. One day he meets Parm (Black), a free spirited girl. The two fall in love. Jay Jay's drug habit grows, and he soon resorts to robbery. On the threat of arrest, he works alongside two dirty policemen by becoming a narc, and reports on his former fellow junkies. Yet, as the movie continues, Jay Jay sinks deeper into turmoil with feelings of self-hatred.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| George Segal | Jay Jay |
| Paula Prentiss | Parm |
| Karen Black | Veronica |
| Hector Elizondo | Vivian |
| Jay Fletcher | Billy Dynamite |
| Robert De Niro | Danny |
| Ed Madsen | Detective |
[edit] Reception
Born to Win received primarily mediocre reviews but many critics did make note that there was a form of brilliance within it. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert said of the film, "...a good-bad movie that doesn't always work but has some really brilliant scenes."[1] Roger Greenspun of New York Times wrote, "...is only Passer's second movie, and it is a dreadful disappointment — but not without its reasons, and not, I think, without some honor."[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Born to Win at RogerEbert.com
- ^ Born to Win at NYTimes.com
[edit] External links
- Born to Win at the Internet Movie Database
- Born to Win is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
- Born to Win at AllRovi
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