Fat City (1972) is an American neo-noir boxing drama film directed by John Huston. The picture stars Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, and Susan Tyrrell.
The movie, one of John Huston's later films, is based on the boxing novel Fat City (1969) by Leonard Gardner, who also wrote the screenplay.
Tyrrell received an Oscar nomination as the alcoholic, world weary Oma.
Billy Tully (Keach), a boxer past his prime, goes to a Stockton, California gym to get back into shape and spars with Ernie Munger (Bridges), an eighteen-year-old he meets there. Seeing potential in the youngster, Tully suggests Munger look up his former manager and trainer, Ruben (Nicholas Colasanto). Munger takes his advice. Later, Tully tells combative white barfly Oma (Tyrrell) and her easygoing black boyfriend Earl (Curtis Cokes) how impressed he is with Munger. Inspired, Tully decides to get back into boxing himself.
Tully's life has been a mess ever since his wife left him. He drinks too much, cannot hold down a job, and has to pick crops to make ends meet. He moves in with Oma after Earl is sent to prison for a few months. Their relationship is rocky and Tully eventually breaks it off.