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Two for the Money
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Two for the Money (2005) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 116 | slideshow) Videos (see all 6)
Two for the Money (2005) -- After suffering a career-ending injury, a former college football star aligns himself with one of the most renowned touts in the sports-gambling business.
Two for the Money (2005) -- Clip: Jerry Meets Brandon in His New Office
Two for the Money (2005) -- After suffering a career-ending injury, a former college football star aligns himself with one of the most renowned touts in the sports-gambling business.
Two for the Money (2005) -- After suffering a career-ending injury, a former college football star aligns himself with one of the most renowned touts in the sports-gambling business.
Two for the Money (2005) -- Clip: Brandon Asks Walter for a Raise

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   16,128 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 3% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
D.J. Caruso
Writer (WGA):
Dan Gilroy (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Two for the Money on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
7 October 2005 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Sport | Thriller more
Plot:
After suffering a career-ending injury, a former college football star aligns himself with one of the most renowned touts in the sports-gambling business. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(8 articles)
Caruso wants Thor?
 (From JoBlo. 10 September 2008, 3:14 PM, PDT)

Matthew McConaughey and the Perils of Male Beauty
 (From The AV Club. 1 July 2008, 2:56 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
A sampling of the ugliness of the sports gambling life ensues... more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Al Pacino ... Walter Abrams

Matthew McConaughey ... Brandon Lang

Rene Russo ... Toni Morrow

Armand Assante ... Novian

Jeremy Piven ... Jerry

Jaime King ... Alexandria

Kevin Chapman ... Southie

Ralph Garman ... Reggie
Gedde Watanabe ... Milton

Carly Pope ... Tammy

Charles Carroll ... Chuck

Gerard Plunkett ... Herbie

Craig Veroni ... Amir
James Kirk ... Denny
Chrislyn Austin ... Julia
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
For the Money (USA) (working title)
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MPAA:
Rated R for pervasive language, a scene of sexuality and a violent act.
Runtime:
122 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The film was based on the true story of Brandon Link who used the alias Mike Anthony. In the movie his names were changed to Brandon Lang and John Anthony. The real Brandon Link had a non-credited cameo appearance as "Man Greeting Brandon #1" more
Goofs:
Factual errors: Super Bowl 40 is shown on screen as "Super Bowl XXXX" on several occasions. In Roman Numerals, 40 is denoted with an "XL" not "XXXX." more
Quotes:
Walter Abrams: You know, the best part of the best drug in the world isn't the high. It's the moment just before you take it. The dice are dancing on the table. Between now and the time they stop, that's the greatest high in the world. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Insider Interview: The Real Brandon (2006) (V) more
Soundtrack:
I'm Sitting on Top of the World more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
22 out of 37 people found the following comment useful:-
A sampling of the ugliness of the sports gambling life ensues..., 6 October 2005
7/10
Author: (johnny_betts@hotmail.com) from http://www.themoviemark.com

Networks can't talk about it. The government can't tax it. Yet sports betting is a $200 billion a year business. A business that strives to exploit every vulnerability, manipulate every gullibility, and convince the client that it can provide them certainty in an uncertain world.

Two for the Money is the story of one man's journey into the sports gambling world. Matthew McConaughey delivers one of his more impressive performances as he transforms from Brandon Lang, the smooth-talking golden boy, into John Anthony - "The Million Dollar Man with the Billion Dollar Plan." A transformation that comes complete with a new suit, a new car, a new attitude, and slicked back hair - a sure-fire movie sign that corruption or a loss of innocence is imminent.

Portraying a character that must deal with this corruption of innocence, McConaughey demonstrates that he can act with more than just his dimples and down-home Southern charm. Lang is a machine. He knows the teams, the leagues, the players, the game. All he does is work out and pick winners, two facts made abundantly clear by McConaughey's propensity to walk around shirtless just as often as he makes football picks. I may have rolled my eyes once or twice, but I heard nary a complaint from the ladies in the audience. Except for that one that looked a little like my Uncle Larry.

Lang's corruption rests solely on the fragile shoulders of Walter Abrams, a sleazy character played so effortlessly by Al Pacino that you can't help but feel slightly disturbed by the ease with which he seems capable of tainting ambitious young men. Screaming less than usual, Pacino's portrayal is nothing short of an indictment of those sports advisors who feed on the weak. Sports gambling may be illegal in 46 states, but Abrams is well aware that "sports advising" (the politically correct preference, no doubt) is not. Despite the false promise of certainty, sports advising is presented as more used car salesmanship than mathematical study. Figure out your client's needs, and get his money. That's the name of the game. As for actually picking a winner? It's 50-50. A flip of the coin.

Sure, Lang is able to compile a pretty impressive hot streak, but what happens when it comes to a crashing halt? The peaks are indeed very high when the fun and money are flowing, but is it worth the lesson learned when your family is threatened and you're hit with the realization of what losing $380,000 can do to a family?

Ultimately, the movie would have proved more effective if there had been a greater emphasis on the devastation of the lows of losing. Consequences are touched but never fully realized. I would have also liked less predictability in a movie about a very unpredictable lifestyle, but Two for the Money still succeeds in giving the audience a glimpse of what gets in the minds of those willing to gamble. Is it about the game? Is it about the money? Or, as Abrams believes, is it about the risk some people are willing to take to feel what they perceive as being alive?

The dialogue and character interaction happen at a quick enough pace to grab and seal your attention, and while the last act is somewhat weighed down by the two-hour runtime and the semi-sappy melodrama of plans gone awry, Money still manages to convince the audience to care about whether or not Brandon can get back to where he began - the purity of the game.

You want certainty in an uncertain world? Then put your money on obligatory shirtless Matthew McConaughey scenes and Pacino's incisors getting a nice scene-chewing workout. It's a safer bet than trusting your money with the decision-making of those who care more about the profit than they do about you.

THE GIST

Two for the Money will prove to be most enjoyable to those with some familiarity or interest with sports and the gambling side of the business. But McConaughey and Pacino deliver enough laughs and energy to make this more accessible to those with little knowledge of the subject matter. If you have your doubts about this one then don't worry about spending the big bucks to see it on the big screen - it'll make for a good rental.

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Sequel? mebw
Devil's Advocate II ??? carlosgreene
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question about gambling abaltazar072580
Trick tears ruin the whole thing lisacamillek
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