Nothing to Lose (1997)

Nick Beam's life couldn't get any worse. He discovers he has been living a lie and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. So when T. Paul, a carjacker, attempts to rob him, it is the last ... See full summary »

Director:

Steve Oedekerk

Writer:

Steve Oedekerk

Stars:

Martin Lawrence, Tim Robbins, John C. McGinley

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martin Lawrence	...	Terrance Paul Davidson
Tim Robbins	...	Nick Beam
John C. McGinley	...	Davis 'Rig' Lanlow
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Charlie Dunt
Kelly Preston	...	Ann Beam
Michael McKean	...	Phillip "P.B" Barrow
Rebecca Gayheart	...	Danielle
Susan Barnes	...	Delores
Irma P. Hall	...	Bertha 'Mama' Davidson
Samaria Graham	...	Lisa Davidson
Marcus T. Paulk	...	Joey Davidson (as Marcus Paulk)
Penny Bae Bridges	...	Tonya Davidson
Steve Oedekerk	...	Security Guard Baxter
Mary Jo Keenen	...	Grace
Lisa Mende	...	Emma

Storyline

Nick Beam's life couldn't get any worse. He discovers he has been living a lie and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. So when T. Paul, a carjacker, attempts to rob him, it is the last straw for Nick. With everything to gain and nothing to lose, he kidnaps T. Paul and attempts to put his life back together.

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Plot Keywords:

boss | arizona | carjacker | chase | unlikely friendship | 

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Taglines:

When the odds are against you, sometimes the only bet is yourself.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for pervasive strong language and a sex scene

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 July 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nada a Perder

Filming Locations:

Alhambra, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

DEM 4,404,511 (Germany) (2 January 1998)

Gross:

DEM 14,562,724 (Germany) (30 January 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of Martin Lawrence's character is not revealed until 50mins into the film.

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Goofs

At the picnic, Nick puts mustard on the hot dog. But when he puts the hot dog to his mouth, there is no mustard on it.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Nick Beam: Where do I start? It's not you. Well actually it is you. Look, I'm just not... I'm not attracted to you anymore. I need space. You kinda... you kinda gross me out. In the beginning it was different. In the beginning, you were better. But then I got to know you real well, and I came to realize... that you're a fat idiot.

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Crazy Credits

After the credits are finished, a mailman brings a letter to the hillbilly whose gas station was robbed. The letter is marked "Hillbilly Motherfucker", just as T. called him in the movie. Inside is a few hundred dollars cash. In the cut version this is changed to "Hillbilly at the gas station".

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Connections

References Gilligan's Island (1964)

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Soundtracks

"Get Down With Me"
Written and Produced by William Stewart
Performed by Amari featuring Buckshot
Amari courtesy of Tommy Boy Records
Buckshot courtesy of Duck Down Entaprizez Ltd.

User Reviews

A Fun, Cheeky Film With a Cinematic Genius and M. Lawrence

Tim Robbins is a fantastic actor. He was wonderful in "Shawshank Redemption", and "Mystic River" and pretty much everything else he's ever done (even "Anchorman"). He was wonderful in this movie, even though it didn't really demand a lot of talent.

A man (Robbins) finds his wife in bed with his boss, and after being almost robbed at gunpoint comes up with the genius idea to steal his boss's fortune. Along with Martin Lawrence, he becomes a criminal mastermind.

Martin Lawrence is a great comedian on film. "Black Knight" and "Blue Streak" are both wonderful and this film is no exception. His show "Martin" was less sophisticated, but luckily he has shied away from that. The writer/director is Steve Oedekirk, originally (I believe) a writer for "In Living Color" after being discovered on "Star Search". He's now best known for "Kung Pow! Enter the Fist" and "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls", and you'll find more of that stupid but clever humor here.

The film's use of music is funny, if poorly conceived. One scene involves an impromptu dance by Robbins to "Scatman" which should be stupid, but proved some chuckles. Odekirk cameos as a security guard who likes to sing and dance, which plays into the plot very well.

Add the very sexy Rebecca Gayheart, Michael McKean and John C. McKInley (who seems to guest star in pretty much everything) and you've got yourself a quirky comedy with a very diverse and talented ensemble cast. This will likely not be your favorite film and you might not even remember it a year from now, but it's certainly worth at least one shot. Because, heck, Tim Robbins can do no wrong.

Oh, and if you like vulgarity, there is a (very funny) scene where the F-word is used nearly fifty times in a two minute span. So, that's fun.