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Big Shots (1987) movie poster

Timeline

Big Shots (1987) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
1987 · 91 mins · English
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Directed by
Robert Mandel
Starring
Jerzy Skolimowski, Robert Joy, Cedric Young, Robert Prosky, Joe Seneca, Timothy Scott

After his father dies, a suburban teen runs away and lands on Chicago’s South Side, where he’s mugged and bonds with a street‑wise youngster. Together they steal a gangster’s Mercedes that hides a corpse, then drive the car on a reckless journey southward in search of the hustler’s estranged father, even eleven‑year‑olds can handle danger and fun.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Big Shots
  6. 6 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

Big Shots Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Big Shots (1987) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Father's morning fishing and watch gift

    Obie and his father share a morning fishing trip in Hinsdale, Illinois, where his dad talks about life and hands him his watch as a keepsake. The moment establishes the watch as a symbol Obie will cling to. This quiet scene contrasts with what follows as trouble begins to stir.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    Hinsdale, Illinois
  2. Mom delivers shocking hospital news

    Back at school, Obie's mom arrives with urgent news that his father is in the hospital after a heart attack. The announcement interrupts his day and unsettles his sense of safety. The family confronts a frightening and uncertain medical situation.

    When
    Morning
    Where
    School
  3. Father dies after the heart attack

    Over the following days, Obie's father succumbs to the heart attack and dies. The loss hits the family hard, forcing Obie to grapple with grief while trying to preserve some normalcy. The event sets Obie on a path away from home and toward the unfamiliar city.

    When
    Days later
    Where
    Hospital
  4. Obie runs away to the South Side

    Grief drives Obie to leave school and head into the city. He ends up on the South Side of Chicago, far from his suburban life and safety net. The unfamiliar urban landscape presents immediate danger and new, troubling dynamics.

    When
    Next morning
    Where
    South Side Chicago
  5. Obie is attacked and befriended by Scam

    Obie is robbed of his bike and watch in a rough confrontation. A streetwise boy named Scam befriends him and helps retrieve the watch, forming an uneasy alliance born of mutual need. Their bond marks the start of an unlikely friendship.

    When
    Same day
    Where
    South Side Chicago
  6. Bar encounter and watch mystery deepens

    Scam takes Obie to a bar where they meet Johnnie Red. Scam suspects Johnnie Red bought the watch, but Johnnie denies it, turning the search into a broader mystery. The bar scene pulls in dangerous figures and raises tension.

    When
    Evening
    Where
    Bar
  7. Pawn shop discovery and Keegan's deception

    They go to Keegan's pawn shop and find Obie's watch displayed, but Keegan refuses to return it, hinting at a larger sting. His cruel comment about Obie's dad pushes Obie to reclaim the watch by any means. The confrontation sets the next moves in motion.

    When
    Later that day
    Where
    Keegan's Pawn Shop
  8. Overnight at Scam's hotel; hit men close in

    Obie stays with Scam at a hotel managed by Miss Hanks. Doc and his assistant Dickie arrive, chasing the man who fled earlier. The hotel becomes a perilous stage as the hit men close in on the boys.

    When
    Next morning
    Where
    Scam's hotel
  9. A body in the trunk and a bank run

    Doc and Dickie catch their mark, kill him, and stuff his body in the trunk of a dark Mercedes. Scam uses the car with Obie to go to the bank to get money for the watch, unaware of the corpse inside. The illegal move complicates every subsequent choice.

    When
    Daytime
    Where
    City streets / Bank
  10. Keegan's betrayal and cap gun showdown

    Back at the pawn shop, Keegan stiff-arms them by taking the money and refusing the watch. The boys counter with cap guns, but Obie fires a real bullet when pressed, triggering a struggle that draws police attention. Scam is caught, and Obie escapes with the stolen car.

    When
    Night
    Where
    Keegan's Pawn Shop
  11. Escape and high-speed chase through the city

    Obie subdues an officer and steals the Mercedes, leading a frantic chase through city streets and an alley. The pursuit ends in a crash, but the boys manage to slip away and continue their journey. The incident cements Obie's resolve to protect Scam at all costs.

    When
    Night
    Where
    City streets / Alley
  12. Diner revelation about Scam's father

    In a diner, Scam reveals that his own father is alive and has been searching for him. He explains his past and the pain of growing up alone. Obie begins to understand Scam as more than just a problematic kid and contemplates their shared future.

    When
    Next morning
    Where
    Diner
  13. Obie commits to helping Scam find his father

    Moved by Scam's story, Obie decides to help him locate his father. He returns home with renewed purpose and a plan to pursue leads that could reunite Scam with his dad. The friendship deepens as they commit to an uncertain quest.

    When
    Following morning
    Where
    Chicago
  14. Search intensifies: social worker and a rescues plan

    A social worker informs Obie that Scam has been placed in a home, prompting Obie to take action. He enlists Johnnie Red's help to continue the search and to navigate the tangled web of streets and people who might know Scam's father. The plan expands beyond city limits.

    When
    Later
    Where
    Hotel / Social services
  15. Rescue, road trip, and emotional reunions

    Obie and Johnnie Red rescue Scam by posing as his father at a youth center, allowing him to reunite with his own father in Louisiana. The journey leads them to cross a ferry and begin the final leg toward family reconciliation. The ending brings Obie closure with his mother and Scam's reunion with his dad.

    When
    Ending
    Where
    Youth center; Louisiana; Car ferry

Last updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:20

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Timeline questions answered

Big Shots Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Big Shots (1987): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Obie run away to the South Side after his father's death?

Obie runs away because he cannot cope with the sudden loss of his father. While at school, seeing another father drop off his child triggers overwhelming grief, and he flees the reminders of his loss. The South Side of Chicago represents the furthest point he can reach on his bike, taking him into a dangerous world he is unprepared for.

  • Obie
  • South Side Chicago
  • grief
  • running away
  • father death
Q2

What happens to the watch Obie's father gives him?

Obie's father hands him the watch during their fishing trip as a keepsake, making it a symbol of his father's love and guidance. After Obie is robbed on the South Side, the watch becomes his primary motivation for staying and fighting. He and Scam track it to Keegan's pawn shop, and throughout their journey, reclaiming the watch represents Obie's connection to his father.

  • watch
  • Obie
  • father
  • keepsake
  • pawn shop
  • Keegan
Q3

How do Obie and Scam end up with a stolen Mercedes that has a body in the trunk?

Hitmen Doc and Dickie kill their target at the hotel and stash the body in a Mercedes parked outside. Scam swipes the car without knowing about the corpse, using it to drive Obie to the bank in an attempt to get money for the watch. The boys are unwitting accomplices to a real crime, and the body is later discovered by police after the chaotic chase sequence.

  • Mercedes
  • body
  • trunk
  • Doc
  • Dickie
  • hitmen
  • stolen car
Q4

Why do Doc and Dickie kill someone and leave the body in the Mercedes?

Doc and Dickie are professional hitmen who track down and kill a man at the hotel where Scam and Obie are staying. They stash the body in the trunk of the Mercedes as a quick way to transport it. The killing appears to be a contract hit, though the specifics of who hired them and why are not detailed in the film. Their actions set the boys on their dangerous journey.

  • Doc
  • Dickie
  • hitmen
  • murder
  • body
  • Mercedes
Q5

How does Obie's cap gun end up firing a real bullet?

At Keegan's pawn shop, Obie and Scam attempt to intimidate the owner with cap guns while trying to reclaim the watch. When pressed, Obie fires and discovers the gun actually fires a live round. It remains unclear how a cap gun was loaded with real ammunition, but the incident reveals the dangerous reality of the situation and escalates the conflict dramatically.

  • cap gun
  • real bullet
  • Keegan
  • pawn shop
  • confrontation
Q6

Why does Obie decide to help Scam find his father?

After learning Scam's backstory in a diner, that his father is still alive but left after his parents divorced, and his mother recently died, Obie feels a kinship with Scam. Having just lost his own father, Obie understands Scam's longing for paternal connection. This shared grief motivates him to help, even stealing his family's jeep to return to Scam.

  • Obie
  • Scam
  • father
  • reunion
  • journey
  • Louisiana
  • friendship
Q7

How does Obie rescue Scam from the social worker and youth center?

After learning a social worker has placed Scam in a home, Obie enlists Johnnie Red's help. They pose as Scam's father at the youth center, successfully tricking the staff into releasing Scam into their custody. This rescue allows Scam to continue the journey toward finding his real father in Louisiana.

  • Scam
  • social worker
  • youth center
  • rescue
  • Johnnie Red
  • father
Q8

Why does Obie lie to the police about having amnesia?

After the car chase and crash, Obie returns home and is questioned by police. To avoid revealing his involvement in the crime, including the stolen car, the body in the trunk, and his partnership with Scam, Obie claims amnesia. This lie protects him from legal consequences but also creates tension as he continues his secret mission to help Scam.

  • Obie
  • police
  • amnesia
  • lie
  • chase
  • consequences
Q9

How do Obie and Scam finally locate Scam's father in Louisiana?

With Johnnie Red's help, Obie traces clues about Scam's father to a factory town in Louisiana. The journey takes them across state lines via bus and eventually to a ferry crossing. When they arrive, Scam spots his father among the workers, and they rush to reunite. The watch is traded to the ferryman for passage across the river to reach the town.

  • Scam
  • father
  • Louisiana
  • factory
  • reunion
  • ferry
  • journey
Q10

What does the ferry scene at the end of the movie signify?

The final ferry crossing serves as a literal and symbolic transition for both boys. Scam and his father ride the ferry back across the water with Obie, marking the end of their quest. For Obie, this moment represents accepting his father's death while finding hope in new family bonds. The scene closes with Obie's mother waiting for him, suggesting healing and a return home is possible.

  • ferry
  • ending
  • reunion
  • closure
  • Obie
  • Scam
  • father
  • healing
Q11

Who is Miss Hanks and what role does she play in the story?

Miss Hanks runs the hotel where Scam lives on the South Side. She provides a maternal presence and allows Obie to stay. Later, when Doc and Dickie pressure her for information about Scam, she eventually reveals Scam's name under duress, leading the hitmen to pursue the boys. Her character represents the fragile adult protection available to the children.

  • Miss Hanks
  • hotel
  • Scam
  • protection
  • Doc
  • Dickie

Movie threads

More Movies Like Big Shots, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Big Shots tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about grieving children on a journey like Big Shots

Young protagonists process profound loss through an adventurous and perilous quest. Discover movies like Big Shots where young characters embark on perilous adventures to cope with grief and loss. These bittersweet stories blend tense action with poignant emotional journeys, offering a similar mix of danger and heartfelt healing for viewers who enjoyed this film.

  • melancholic
  • hopeful
  • adventurous
  • poignant
  • coming of age
  • tense
  • Tone: bittersweet, poignant
  • Pacing: fast, driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a young protagonist who, after a significant loss like the death of a parent, runs away or is thrust into an unexpected adventure. This journey serves as a physical and emotional crucible, forcing them to confront danger, form unexpected bonds, and ultimately find a form of closure that is hopeful yet forever marked by their initial sorrow.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on a child's perspective of grief, the use of a high-stakes journey as a coping mechanism, and the resulting bittersweet emotional tone that mixes the excitement of adventure with the weight of sadness.

Reckless crime road trip movies similar to Big Shots

Characters on the run after a impulsive crime, bonded by shared danger. If you liked the high-stakes journey in Big Shots, explore these movies about characters thrown together on a chaotic road trip after a disastrous crime. These fast-paced adventures feature tense pursuits, found family dynamics, and a mix of danger and camaraderie.

  • tense
  • reckless
  • adventurous
  • dangerous
  • on the run
  • improvised
  • Tone: tense, bittersweet
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative begins with a impulsive act, often a crime, that immediately puts the protagonists in grave danger. They are forced to flee, embarking on an improvised road trip with a valuable or dangerous MacGuffin (like a stolen car containing a corpse). The plot is propelled by pursuit, forcing an unlikely duo or group to rely on each other to survive, leading to a strong bond formed in adversity.

Why they belong together: These movies share a specific plot engine: a reckless decision triggering a fugitive journey. They are united by their fast pacing, medium-to-high tension from constant pursuit, the development of a central interracial or mismatched friendship, and a tone that blends crime thriller elements with character-driven drama.

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Movies Like Big Shots

Similar movies to Big Shots: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

Big Shots (1987) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Big Shots in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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