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Carny

Play trailer Poster for Carny R,  1980,  1h 47m,  Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 57% 7 Reviews Tomatometer 51% 500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
57% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Frankie (Gary Busey) and Patch (Robbie Robertson) are partners in a traveling carnival who scam customers into wasting money on their dunk-tank act. At one of its small-town destinations, the carnival attracts 18-year-old Donna (Jodie Foster), a teenager bored with her annoying boyfriend and her job as a waitress. Donna joins the carnival as an exotic dancer and learns the ins and outs of carny life, but the developing love triangle between her, Frankie and Patch threatens to destroy their show.

Critics Reviews

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Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Oct 23, 2004
2/4
Carny is bursting with more information about American carnivals that it can contain, surrounding a plot too thin to support it. Go to Full Review
Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Jan 1, 2000
The characters -- despite the broad mean streaks the script gives them -- emerge as soft and sentimental, and the plot is mired in a tired love triangle (Foster-Gary Busey-Robbie Robertson) that doesn't go anywhere. Go to Full Review
Michael Bronski Gay Community News (Boston) Jul 13, 2022
Carny is an odd, ugly, but satisfying mixture of lots of things...It’s a double-edged metaphor that turns to explain itself: the sex is as much as the hustle as the hustle is of the sex. Go to Full Review
Quentin Tarantino The New Beverly Jun 22, 2020
The missed and fumbled opportunities add up to an ultimately unsatisfying experience. Go to Full Review
Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews May 7, 2010
B+
The ambiance turns out to be much richer than the narrative. Go to Full Review
Matthew Turner ViewLondon Sep 1, 2005
3/5
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Carny

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Robert Kaylor

Director

Gary Busey

Frankie

Jodie Foster

Donna

Robbie Robertson

Patch

Meg Foster

Gerta

Kenneth McMillan

Heavy St. John

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Carny

Carny (1980) Carny (1980) Carny (1980) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Frankie (Gary Busey) and Patch (Robbie Robertson) are partners in a traveling carnival who scam customers into wasting money on their dunk-tank act. At one of its small-town destinations, the carnival attracts 18-year-old Donna (Jodie Foster), a teenager bored with her annoying boyfriend and her job as a waitress. Donna joins the carnival as an exotic dancer and learns the ins and outs of carny life, but the developing love triangle between her, Frankie and Patch threatens to destroy their show.
Director
Robert Kaylor
Producer
Robbie Robertson
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
United Artists
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 23, 1980, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 25, 2017
Runtime
1h 47m
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