Main Cast: Andy Garcia, Andie MacDowell, Richard Bradford, Laura Harris, Andre B. Blake
Release Year: 1999
Country: US
Run Time: 120 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Gary Starke (Andy Garcia) was an orphan living on the streets at 13 who grew up to preside over a crew of street hustlers as the grand master of ticket scalpers. Charming, savvy, and honorable, Gary seems beloved by everyone until Linda (Andie MacDowell), the love of his life, dumps him. Tired of Gary's unreliability after eight years, Linda takes a scholarship to the Cordon Bleu in Paris to fulfill her dream of becoming a master chef. Gary, in a tailspin, is determined to win Linda back. However, his hated rival, Casino, chooses this moment of weakness to move in on Gary's position on the streets. Gary wants to fight, but Linda may never return to him if he continues scalping. A surprise announcement is made. Pope John Paul II will come to New York to perform Easter Mass at Yankee Stadium. It's Gary's big chance. With one last big score, he can quit scalping and win Linda back. Yet Casino (and the law) still stands in his way. Gary turns to his mentor, Benny (Richard Bradford), for guidance. With his help, Gary may find a different path around his desperation and win back the woman he loves. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide
Henry Dunn - Art Director, Joe Drago - Associate Producer, George Hernandez - Associate Producer, Cathy Sandrich - Casting, Amanda Mackey-Johnson - Casting, John H. Starke - Co-producer, Susan Lyall - Costume Designer, Richard Wenk - Director, Christopher Cibelli - Editor, Andie MacDowell - Executive Producer, Marivi Lorido Garcia - Executive Producer, Yoram Pelman - Executive Producer, Rick Marotta - Composer (Music Score), Franckie Diago - Production Designer, Ellen Kuras - Cinematographer, Andy Garcia - Producer, Gary Lucchesi - Producer, Karin Wiesel - Set Designer, Les Lazarowitz - Sound/Sound Designer, Richard Wenk - Screenwriter, Richard Eliano - Second Unit Director Of Photography
Just the Ticket is a 1999 film starring Andy Garcia and Andie MacDowell. Garcia was also the producer. The movie was originally titled The Ticket Scalper.
Gary Starke (Garcia) is a New Yorkticket scalper who, in the old traditional style of scalping "works the street", known as "the walk", as opposed to the plethora of modern-day ticket brokers who ply the Internet for sales. Yet when his girlfriend Linda (MacDowell) gets enough of his lifestyle and leaves him, he decides to mend his ways and make one last big score, something that will help him win Linda back and straighten out his life. He finds his chance in an epiphanic moment; an opportunity to scalp a large stack of tickets to see the hottest show in town --- the Pope at Yankee Stadium.
Trivia
The film was plagued by bad luck from the start. Writer/Director Richard Wenk spent many years pitching the script, and after getting the film "in the can", MGM sat on it for over a year showing it only to test audiences and finally an extremely-limited theatrical release while changing the name in the process, which in hindsight was probably the only good decision made; the film was virtually a straight-to-video release.
Actor Fred Asparagus (who played Zeus) died of a heart attack just after the film was completed.
The film found a cult following in video with a DVD package including a commentary by Garcia and the director, plus a booklet about the film enclosed.
