Rounders (1998)

Director:

John Dahl

Writers (WGA):

David Levien (written by) &
Brian Koppelman (written by)

Release Date:

11 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You've got to play the hand you're dealt.

Plot:

A young man (Damon) is a reformed gambler who must return to playing big stakes poker to help a friend pay off loan sharks. |

Plot Keywords:

Poker | Loan Shark | Tattoo | Loud Shirt | Courtroom Scene

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Matt Damon	...	Mike McDermott
Edward Norton	...	Lester 'Worm' Murphy
Paul Cicero	...	Russian Thug
John Turturro	...	Joey Knish
Ray Iannicelli	...	Kenny
Gretchen Mol	...	Jo
Famke Janssen	...	Petra
Merwin Goldsmith	...	Sy
John Malkovich	...	Teddy KGB
Martin Landau	...	Abe Petrovsky
Sonny Zito	...	Tony
Michael Rispoli	...	Grama
Melina Kanakaredes	...	Barbara
Mal Z. Lawrence	...	Irving
Josh Mostel	...	Zagosh

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive strong language, some sexuality and brief drug use.

Runtime:

121 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

The playing card brands used throughout the film, in order are: - Teddy KGB's place: Kem cards - Professor's game: Bicycle cards - Frat house game: Bicycle cards - Chesterfield's: Kem cards - Taj Mahal casino: casino branded cards - Union game: not identifiable - Cigar shop game: Bicycle cards - Coffee shop: not identifiable but "made in USA" (possibly Aviator cards, which has an Ace of Spades that resembles the one partially seen) - Golf club game: Bicycle cards - Cop game: Bicycle cards - Matt Damon vs Jon C. Chan: casino branded cards - Final game at Teddy KGB's: KEM cards.

Goofs:

Factual errors: There are a lot of instances of string bets in the various different games - people moving their chips into the pot in two separate motions - but by rule, if you don't verbally declare your bet, your first motion is your bet. Also, things like "I call your $20000 and raise you xxxx", "your $5000, plus another xxxx" etc. would be declared calls, because your "raise" was a secondary declaration.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Mike McDermott: Listen, here's the thing. If you can't spot the sucker in the first half hour at the table, then you ARE the sucker.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: John Malkovich/T.I. (#34.10)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Brandenburg Concerto #1

A tightly focused vehicle for Damon's charm and swagger.

This film is incredibly focused. There is not one throw-away line or one extra frame in the entire movie. From the first establishing shot to the final line, the production team plays it tight and aggressive. I couldn't help but think of "The Hustler" as I watched, and Damon more than survives this comparison to a young Paul Newman. His swagger and charm and the even, controlled truthfulness of his performance all serve to place him solidly in the game with any of Hollywood's best. Highly recommended.