Two for the Money (film)

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For the 1950s game show, see Two for the Money (game show).
Two for the Money
Directed by D.J. Caruso
Produced by Jay Cohen,
Guy McElwaine
Written by Dan Gilroy
Starring Matthew McConaughey
Al Pacino
Rene Russo
Armand Assante
Jeremy Piven
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date(s) 7 October 2005 (USA)
Running time 122 min
Language English
Budget ~ US$35,000,000
IMDb profile

Two for the Money is a 2005 film directed by D.J. Caruso and starring Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino, and Rene Russo. The movie is about the world of sports gambling.

McConaughey plays Brandon Lang, a former college football star who has the ability to predict the outcome of games but can't play due to an injury. Pacino plays a gambling addicted huckster named Walter Abrams, the head of a shady sports betting consulting company, which uses high-pressure sales tactics to encourage its clients to gamble more than they can afford to lose.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Brandon Lang (McConaughey) 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.

Initially, business is very good and Lang's in-depth knowledge of the game, the leagues, and players continues to bring in the big bucks—and even bigger clients. Abrams's cable show, The Sports Advisors, skyrockets in popularity when he adds Lang to the desk, but when things go south and Lang loses his touch, the once rock solid relationship between Abrams and Lang sours. Their fondness for football turns into a bitter fighting match for love and money.

Lang's new high-rolling lifestyle depended entirely on his ability to predict the outcomes of the games, so when his golden touch begins to falter, Walter applies the pressure. With millions at stake, Brandon and Walter battle, drawing in everyone in their world, including Walter's wife, Toni (Russo).

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Release and Reception

Bodog (an online sports betting firm) sponsored the world premiere of Two for the Money in Beverly Hills, California was on Monday, September 26, 2005 and the film itself was released on October 7, 2005 to generally bad reviews and lackluster box office returns. It scored only 20% overall rating at rottentomatoes (18% for "cream of the crop"). Two for the Money's North American rentals came to only $22.9 million (and $30.5M worldwide) against a production budget of $35 million.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Trivia

  • The film was based on Brandon Link who used the alias Mike Anthony. In the movie his names were changed to Brandon Lang and John Anthony.

[edit] External links

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