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The Color of Money

DVD Release

  • Release Date: 2000
  • Widescreen [1.85:1], enhanced for 16x9 televisions
  • French-language track
  • 4.1 Surround

  • Rating: StarStarStar
  • Genre: Drama
  • Movie Type: Sports Drama
  • Themes: Cons and Scams, Unlikely Friendships, Success is the Best Revenge
  • Director: Martin Scorsese
  • Main Cast: Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Helen Shaver, John Turturro
  • Release Year: 1986
  • Country: US
  • Run Time: 119 minutes
  • MPAA Rating: R

Plot

Oscar-nominated in 1961 for his performance as pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler, Paul Newman won that award a quarter century later when he reprised the role in The Color of Money. At the end of The Hustler, Felson was banned for life from playing the game professionally. In the intervening years, he has become what the despicable George C. Scott was in the 1961 film: a front man for younger hustlers, claiming the lion's share of the winnings. His latest "client" is arrogant young Tom Cruise, who is goaded into accepting Felson's patronage by his avaricious girl friend Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Cruise learns not only the refinements of the game, but also the dirty trickery that will help him lure in the suckers. As Cruise becomes successful on these terms, Felson seethes with jealousy, hitting the bottle and carelessly allowing himself to fall victim to another hustler. He tells Cruise to get lost, and vows to make an honest comeback. It is inevitable from this point onward that the younger and the older player will square off in a game for the biggest stakes of all: Fast Eddie Felson's self-respect. Both the original Hustler and The Color of Money were based on novels by Walter Tevis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Review

The Color of Money is ostensibly a sequel to 1961's The Hustler, but with Martin Scorsese behind the camera and another young hotshot (Tom Cruise) complementing Paul Newman's aging Fast Eddie Felson, it's a far different film than the original. Cruise is well-cast as the confident, cocky newcomer; Newman would receive his first Academy Award for the haggard, world-weary shadings he added to his character. Screenwriter Richard Price recaptures the wit and verbal cadence of the original characters, and revels in the subtle, psychological hustles they pull outside of the pool halls. In the hands of a less skillful director, the mentor-student dynamic might have seemed pat, but Scorsese imbues the theme with life. As interpreted by cameraman Michael Ballhaus, the game of pool is a living, breathing character unto itself. The film's biggest drawback may be the conspicuous absence of a climactic showdown: Scorsese intentionally leaves the characters' futures ambiguous, but viewers may feel cheated by the non-resolution. ~ Matthew Doberman, All Movie Guide

Cast


Bill Cobbs - Orvis; Robert Agins - Earl at Chalkies; Keith McCready - Grady Seasons; Carol Messing - Julian's Flirt; Steve Mizerak - Duke, Eddie's 1st Opponent; Bruce A. Young - Moselle; Alvin Anastasia - Kennedy; Randall Arney - 1st Child World Customer; Wanda Christine - Casino Clerk; Vito D'Ambrosio - Lou in Child World; Ron Dean - Guy in Crowd; Paul Herman - Player in Casino Bar; Mario Nieves - 3rd Latin Guy; Miguel Nino - 1st Latin Guy; Ernest Perry, Jr. - Eye Doctor; Iggy Pop - Skinny Player on the Road; Juan Ramirez - 2nd Latin Guy; Charles Scorsese - First High Roller; Elizabeth Bracco - Diane at Bar; Richard Price - Guy Who Calls Dud; Forest Whitaker - Amos; Lisa Dodson - 2nd Child World Customer; Donald A. Feeney - 1st Referee; Paul Geier - Two Brothers/Stranger Player; Carey Goldenberg - Congratulating Spectator; Joe Guastaferro - Chuck the Bartender; Mark Jarvis - Guy at Janelle's; Lawrence Linn - Congratulating Spectator; Jimmy Mataya - Julian's Friend in Green Room; Grady Mathews - Dad; Lloyd Moss - Narrator - Resorts International; Michael Nash - Moselle's Opponent; Andy Nolfo - 2nd Referee; Jerry Piller - Tom; Alex Ross - Bartender Who Bets; Peter Saxe - Casino Bar Band Member; Jim Widlowski - Casino Bar Band Member; Zoe - Dog Walkby; Gretchen Rennell; Fred Squillo - High Roller

Credit

Irving Axelrad - Producer; Michael Ballhaus - Cinematographer; Richard Bruno - Costume Designer; Barbara de Fina - Producer; Rick LeFevour - Stunts; Boris Leven - Production Designer; Karen O'Hara - Set Designer; Richard Price - Screenwriter; Robbie Robertson - Composer (Music Score); Thelma Schoonmaker - Editor; Martin Scorsese - Director; Martin Scorsese - Screenwriter; Michael Sigel - Consultant/advisor; Curtiss Smith - Special Effects; Monty Westmore - Makeup; Glenn Williams - Musical Direction/Supervision; Dodie Foster - Associate Producer; Walter Tevis - Book Author

Similar Movies

The Big Town; Breaking In; Carny; The Cincinnati Kid; The Pool Hustlers; The Sting; Hard Eight; Rounders; Diamond Men; Stickmen; Matchstick Men; Io, Chiara E Lo Scuro; Lucky You
 
 
Album Review: The Color of Money

  • Release Date: 1986
  • Genre: Soundtrack
  • Label: MCA
  • Total Time: 36:11

Review

Ex-Band songwriter/guitarist Robbie Robertson put together this soundtrack, which allowed him to collaborate with blues master Willie Dixon and jazz master Gil Evans, though it was his collaboration with Eric Clapton that produced the album's hit song, "It's in the Way That You Use It." Also featured: Don Henley, Robert Palmer (three tracks), and B. B. King. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title iTunes Composers Performers Time
Who Owns This Place?
...
Don Henley (4:58)
It's in the Way That You Use It
...
Robbie Robertson, Eric Clapton Eric Clapton (3:00)
Let Yourself in for It
...
Robert Palmer (5:21)
Don't Tell Me Nothin'
...
Willie Dixon (4:41)
Two Brothers and a Stranger
...
Mark Knopfler (2:40)
Standing on the Edge of Love
...
Jerry Lynn Williams B.B. King (3:59)
Modern Blues
...
(2:56)
Werewolves of London
...
Warren Zevon, Waddy Wachtel, LeRoy Marinell Warren Zevon (3:23)
My Baby's in Love With Another Guy
...
Robert Palmer (2:28)
The Main Title
...
(2:45)

Credits

Willie Dixon (Performer), Jackson Browne (Producer), Don Henley (Producer), Don Henley (Performer), Robert Palmer (Producer), Robert Palmer (Performer), Robbie Robertson (Producer), Jerry Williams (Producer), Eric Clapton (Performer), Tom Dowd (Producer), Gil Evans (Producer), B.B. King (Performer), Mark Knopfler (Producer), Mark Knopfler (Performer), Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar (Producer), Greg Ladanyi (Producer), Ira Newborn (Producer), Warren Zevon (Guitar), Warren Zevon (Keyboards), Warren Zevon (Vocals), Warren Zevon (Performer), Waddy Wachtel (Producer)
 
Wikipedia: The Color of Money
The Color of Money
The_Color_Of_Money.jpg
The Color of Money US movie poster
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Produced by Irving Axelrad
Barbara De Fina
Dodie Foster (a.p.)
Written by Walter Tevis (novel)
Richard Price (screenplay)
Starring Paul Newman
Tom Cruise
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio
John Turturro
Forest Whitaker
Music by Robbie Robertson
Cinematography Michael Ballhaus (d.p.)
Editing by Thelma Schoonmaker
Distributed by Touchstone Pictures
Release date(s) Flag of the United States October 17 1986
Running time 119 min.
Language English
Budget $10,000,000 US
IMDb profile

The Color of Money is a 1984 novel by American writer Walter Tevis, continuing the story of Edward "Fast Eddie" Felson from The Hustler (1959). The book was very loosely adapted into a 1986 film of the same name, with Paul Newman reprising his role from the movie version of The Hustler (1961). The film also stars Tom Cruise as Vincent, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Carmen, Helen Shaver as Janelle and John Turturro as Julian. The screenplay was written by Richard Price, and the film was directed by Martin Scorsese, featuring an original score by Robbie Robertson. It was given an "R" rating by the MPAA.[1]

Many top pool players of the 1980s have cameos, including Steve Mizerak, Jimmy Mataya, Grady Mathews and Keith McCready (meanwhile both Mike Sigel and Ewa Mataya Laurance also served as a technical consultants and shot-performers on the film). Another notable cameo is that of Iggy Pop, who plays one of the many contenders on the road. A young Forest Whitaker makes an extended appearance as a player as well.[2][3] The title is a reference to the traditional green cloth (or baize) of a pool table being reminiscent of American currency notes.

Plot synopses

In the book version of the sequel, Felson is no longer a professional pool player, but owns a pool hall. He takes up a cue again to go on tour versus Minnesota Fats (the fictional character from The Hustler, not Rudolph "Minnesota Fats" Wanderone) for a cable TV sports show. While losing to Fats, he regains some of his lost competitiveness and pride.

In the film version, Felson is a liquor salesman, who misses the action, and goes back on the road as a stakehorse for a skilled but unfocused protégé, Vincent, travelling with the latter's manipulative girlfriend, Carmen. Eddie teaches them how to hustle significant amounts of money, but becomes increasingly frustrated with them and with himself, until they have an explosive falling-out, and part ways. Eddie resumes competitive play himself, first hustling on "the road" and later in the professional tournament circuit, eventually coming head-to-head across the table with the now-successful (and treacherous) Vincent. Subplots involve antagonism with Eddie's cocaine-abusing former sidekick Julian; Eddie's up-and-down romance with a bar owner, Janelle; sexual tension between Carmen and Eddie; and (as in the book) Eddie's returning sense of pride. Only minor references are made to the original movie (a returned character, Eddie's nickname, his formerly being shut out of the pool-hustling sphere, his preferred brand of whiskey, J.T.S. Brown, etc.), and Fats is not part of the story.

Awards and critical reception

The movie won the Academy Award for Best Actor (Newman, with a similar US National Board of Review win and Golden Globe nomination), and was Oscar-nominated for Best Supporting Actress (Mastrantonio, also nominated for the corresponding Golden Globe), Best Set Decoration and Best Adapted Screenplay.[4]

The movie has positively influenced the popularity of pool. [5] However, critical reviews have been mixed: some believe the film to be an inferior near-remake of The Hustler, and it is regarded by many as one of Scorsese's lesser films.[attribution needed] Scorsese himself admitted later on that he agreed to do the film in order to finance the production of The Last Temptation of Christ.[citation needed]

Trivia

  • Director Scorsese performed the opening uncredited voiceover describing the game of nine-ball, and had a cameo walking his dog, and another playing pool.[3]
  • Newman said that the best advice he was given by Scorsese was to "try not to be funny".[3]
  • Cruise performed most of his own shots. An exception was a jump shot over two balls to sink another. Scorsese believed Cruise could learn the shot, but that it would take too long, so the shot was performed for him by Mike Sigel.[3]
  • The "Balabushka" cue in the movie was actually a Joss N7[6] (not a Meucci as many believe), made to resemble a classic Balabushka.
  • John Carmack of id Software, one of the authors of the computer game Doom, has stated that the title of the game was inspired by Vincent's response when asked what he carried in his cue-case: "Doom."[7]

References

  • Available editions of the book include: ISBN 0-446323-53-5 (1984, first edition), ISBN 0-44634-419-2 (1986, movie tie-in edition), ISBN 0-349101-50-7 (1990), ISBN 1-568496-89-3 (1997), and ISBN 1-560254-85-8 (2003).
  1. ^ "The Color of Money (1986)" main entry, IMDb, accessed January 30, 2006
  2. ^ "Full Cast and Crew for The Color of Money", IMDb, accessed January 30, 2006
  3. ^ a b c d "Trivia for The Color of Money", IMDb, accessed January 30, 2006
  4. ^ "Awards for The Color of Money", IMDb, accessed January 30, 2006
  5. ^ "Most Significant Event: The Color of Money (1986)", Billiards Digest, October 2003, page 72
  6. ^ Commercial information about the Joss N7 model pool cue, which stood in for a Balabushka in the film
  7. ^ Doomworld. Interview with John Carmack. Retrieved on November 15, 2005.

External links


 
 

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Movies. Copyright © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Movie Guide ® , a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Album Review. Copyright © 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ® , a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "The Color of Money" Read more

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