Two for the Money (2005 film)
| Two for the Money | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | D. J. Caruso |
| Written by | Dan Gilroy |
| Produced by | James G. Robinson Jay Cohen Guy McElwaine |
| Starring | Al Pacino Matthew McConaughey Rene Russo Armand Assante Jeremy Piven Jaime King Carly Pope |
| Cinematography | Conrad W. Hall |
| Edited by | Glen Scantlebury |
| Music by | Christophe Beck |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 122 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $35 million |
| Box office | $30.5 million[1] |
Two for the Money is a 2005 American sports-drama film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey, Rene Russo, Armand Assante and Carly Pope. The film is about the world of sports gambling.
Plot
Brandon Lang (McConaughey) is a former college football star who, after sustaining a career-ending injury, takes a job handicapping football games. His success at choosing winners catches the eye of Walter Abrams (Pacino), the slick head of one of the biggest sports consulting operations in the United States. Walter takes Brandon under his wing, and soon they are making tremendous amounts of money.
Lang's in-depth knowledge of the game, leagues and players brings in big winnings and bigger clients. Abrams' cable television show, The Sports Advisors, skyrockets in popularity when he adds Lang's slick "John Anthony" persona to the desk, infuriating Jerry Sykes (Jeremy Piven), who up to now has been Walter's in-house expert. Lang's total image is remade — new car, new wardrobe and a new look with the assistance of Walter's wife, Toni (Russo), a hair stylist.
Things suddenly go south, however, when Lang begins playing his hunches instead of doing his homework. He loses his touch and is even physically assaulted by the thugs of a gambler (Armand Assante) who lost a great deal of money following Lang's advice. Lang and Abrams' once-solid relationship sours.
Lang's new high-rolling lifestyle depends entirely on his ability to predict the outcomes of the games. Millions are at stake by the time he places his last bet, and Abrams grows increasingly unstable. (Abrams is a recovering gambling addict and alcoholic, among other things. Toni tells Lang early on that Walter's life is "held together by meetings; if there's an 'anonymous' at the end of it, he goes. He has to."). He secretly begins gambling all of his own money on Lang's picks and becomes suspicious that Lang is having an affair with his wife.
The film concludes with Lang's predictions coming true for the last game, both of which he allegedly determines by flipping coins in a bathroom, as he leaves New York and takes a job as coach of a junior league football team.
Cast
- Al Pacino as Walter Abrams
- Matthew McConaughey as Brandon Lang
- Rene Russo as Toni Abrams
- Armand Assante as C.M. Novian
- Carly Pope as Tammy
- Jeremy Piven as Jerry Sykes
- Jaime King as Alexandria
- Ralph Garman as Reggie
- Charles Carroll as Chuck Adler
- Ildiko Ferenczi as Friend
Release and reception
The film itself was released on October 8, 2005 to generally bad reviews and lackluster box office returns. It scored only 22% overall rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Two for the Money's North American receipts came to only $22,991,379 and $30,526,509 worldwide, against a production budget of $35 million.
References
- ^ "Two for the Money (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 15, 2010.