Themes: Cons and Scams, Unlikely Friendships, Success is the Best Revenge
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
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; Michael Nash - Moselle's Opponent; 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; 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
Dodie Foster - Associate Producer, Michael Sigel - Consultant/advisor, Richard Bruno - Costume Designer, Martin Scorsese - Director, Thelma Schoonmaker - Editor, Robbie Robertson - Composer (Music Score), Glenn Williams - Musical Direction/Supervision, Monty Westmore - Makeup, Boris Leven - Production Designer, Michael Ballhaus - Cinematographer, Irving Axelrad - Producer, Barbara de Fina - Producer, Karen O'Hara - Set Designer, Curtiss Smith - Special Effects, Rick LeFevour - Stunts, Richard Price - Screenwriter, Martin Scorsese - Screenwriter, Walter Tevis - Book Author
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
Many top American pool players of the 1980s had speaking roles, including Steve Mizerak, Grady Mathews, and Keith McCready, and there were many cameos, including Jimmy Mataya, Howard Vickery, Mark Jarvis, and Louie Roberts. Mike Sigel was the technical director, and he and Ewa Mataya Laurance served as 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.[1][2] The title is a reference to the traditional green cloth (or baize) of a pool table being reminiscent of American currency notes.
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. Eddie beats Vincent, only to find out that Vincent threw the match and had had money riding against himself. Vincent gives Eddie $8,000 as a cut from the bet. Eddie, shocked by this discovery, proceeds to forfeit his next round match and give the money back to Vincent. He convinces Vincent to play him again, with both of their best games. Before the credits roll, Eddie states that if he doesn't beat Vincent now, he will in the future because, he remarks, "I'm back."
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. Director Scorsese had a cameo walking his dog, and another playing pool.[2] Newman said that the best advice he was given by Scorsese was to "try not to be funny".[2] 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.[2] The "Balabushka" cue in the movie was actually a Joss J-18, which later became the Joss N-07[3] (not a Meucci as many believe), made to resemble a classic Balabushka.
The movie unexpectedly influenced John Carmack of id Software, who was one of the authors of the computer game Doom. Carmack has stated that the title of the game was inspired by Vincent's response when asked what he carried in his cue-case: "Doom."[4]
Film opening
Reflecting the general theme of the film, director Martin Scorsese delivers an opening uncredited voiceover, describing the game of nine-ball, over a scene of cigarette smoke and a piece of cue chalk:
Nine-Ball is rotation pool, the balls are pocketed in numbered order. The only ball that means anything, that wins it, is the 9. Now, the player can shoot eight trick shots in a row, blow the 9, and lose. On the other hand, the player can get the 9 in on the break, if the balls spread right, and win. Which is to say, that luck plays a part in nine-ball. But for some players, luck itself is an art.
The movie has positively influenced the popularity of pool. [6] It currently holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes,[7] based on 34 reviews, though many critics noted that the film was an inferior near-remake of The Hustler. Siskel and Ebert gave the film "two thumbs down," perhaps Scorsese's only film to receive such a review from the team. [8]
