The Prime Gig (2000)

A telesales con man finds the ultimate racket - but starting an affair with the girlfriend of his guru-like boss might be the wrong call...

Director:

Gregory Mosher

Writer:

William Wheeler

Stars:

Vince Vaughn, Julia Ormond, Ed Harris

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vince Vaughn	...	Pendelton 'Penny' Wise
Julia Ormond	...	Caitlin Carlson
Ed Harris	...	Kelly Grant
Rory Cochrane	...	Joel
Wallace Shawn	...	Gene
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Mick
George Wendt	...	Archie
Jeannetta Arnette	...	Cheryl
Shishir Kurup	...	Sujat
Harper Roisman	...	Harry
J.J. Johnston	...	Lloyd
Tom Wright	...	Marvin Sanders
Romany Malco	...	Zeke (as Romany Malco Jr.)
Brian George	...	Nasser
Amber Benson	...	Batgirl

Storyline

Pendelton "Penny" Wise is a smooth-talking con-artist who makes a living by scamming people with phoney travel comp vacations over the phone when, desperate for more fast cash, he's called to work for a shady, veteran con businessman, named Kelly Grant, in selling property for a gold mine over the phone, which takes a turn when Penny begins a relationship with Grant's mistress Caitlin, where Penny throws common sense and caution to the wind to woo her, while we wonder who is scamming who here.

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Plot Keywords:

con artist | gold mine | private jet | greed | con game | 

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Taglines:

Too much is never enough.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 January 2002 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Coup monté

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent Pictures (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Gene: How many deals did you get?
Penny: Five
Gene: Five? Today? You got in at ll:30.
Penny: It's not me, Gene, it's the gift. You can't fight that sort of thing - you can't fight the gift.

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Connections

References Norma Rae (1979)

User Reviews

Have I got a deal for you!

As someone who used to work in a telemarketing gig in Las Vegas (two months of my life I would rather forget about), I can tell you that the first half hour of "The Prime Gig" is the most realistic look at telemarketing ever filmed. The look, the feel, the characters and the situations all ring incredibly true.

One of those characters is Penny (Vince Vaughn), the best salesman in this small time operation. He is the typical big fish in the little pool, but the title promises that he will soon achieve the big time. Of course, he does move on to a "prime gig," and this is where the realism of the movie breaks down. But becoming less realistic doesn't mean the movie becomes less engaging. As much as I enjoyed the first 30 minutes, the last hour is pretty powerful itself.

Two things sustain this movie and make well worth watching:

First, the acting. Besides Vaughn the cast includes Ed Harris, Julia Ormond, Wallace Shawn and George Wendt. All are excellent.

Secondly, at the heart of this movie is a morality tale. Director Gregory Mosher has peered into the depths of the American telemarketing industry. He has looked at the small time operations and the prime gigs.

And what he has found is disturbing. He has found a greed that does not care who it hurts. A greed that will rob an elderly woman of her life savings without a second thought. A greed that will rip off employees as easily as customers. The ending of this movie may be predictable, but it is still very powerful.

So while others on this site have bashed this movie, pay them no attention. You will love "The Prime Gig." Trust me! Hey, would I lie to you? Just give me your trust, and I won't let you down!