Two for the Money (film)

Two for the Money

Theatrical release poster
Directed by D. J. Caruso
Produced by James G. Robinson
Jay Cohen
Guy McElwaine
Written by Dan Gilroy
Starring Al Pacino
Matthew McConaughey
Rene Russo
Armand Assante
Jeremy Piven
Jaime King
Carly Pope
Music by Christophe Beck
Cinematography Conrad W. Hall
Edited by Glen Scantlebury
Production
company
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
  • October 7, 2005 (2005-10-07)
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

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

  1. ↑ "Two for the Money (2005)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
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