Twenty Bucks (1993)

A story about the life of a twenty dollar bill as it weaves in and out of the various lives of several people.

Director:

Keva Rosenfeld

Writers:

Leslie Bohem, Endre Bohem

Stars:

Linda Hunt, Brendan Fraser, Elisabeth Shue

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Linda Hunt	...	Angeline
David Rasche	...	Baker
George Morfogen	...	Jack Holiday
Sam Sorbo	...	Anna Holiday (as Sam Jenkins)
Brendan Fraser	...	Sam Mastrewski
Bubba Baker	...	Buddha
Rosemary Murphy	...	Aunt Dotty
Concetta Tomei	...	Sam's Mother
Peggy Miley	...	Aunt Zoha
Shohreh Aghdashloo	...	Ghada Holiday
David Fresco	...	Uncle Stash
Noah Lee Margetts	...	Mark (as Noah Margetts)
Melora Walters	...	The Stripper / Funeral Director
Gladys Knight	...	Mrs. McCormac
William H.D. Marlett	...	Patrick (as Willie Marlett)

Storyline

The film follows a $20 bill from its ATM birth to its eventual demise. Along the way, the note weaves in and out of the lives of a street person, an aspiring writer, a stripper, two thieves, and many others in surprising and inventive ways.

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Plot Keywords:

writer | stripper | twenty dollar bill | cause and effect | chain reaction | 

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Taglines:

A comedy about how we spend our lives.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and a scene of sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

20 taalaa

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Big Tomorrow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

William H. Macy only worked for one day. Also, he showed up on-set with a beard that he subsequently had to shave off for his role.

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Goofs

As Frank goes around the counter in the convenience store to open the cash register, we see from the side angle that it is already open.

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Quotes

Jimmy: Quit while you're ahead.

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Connections

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

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Soundtracks

The Best Things in Life Are Free
Written by Lew Brown, Buddy G. DeSylva and Ray Henderson
Performed by The Ink Spots
Courtesy of MCA Records

User Reviews

writing exercise

A woman withdraws money from an ATM but a $20 bill gets away. Homeless Angeline (Linda Hunt) chases it down. The serial number strikes her as the winning numbers for the $14 million draw that night but a kid steals the bill. The story follows it passing from one person to the next. There is the groom Sam Mastrewski (Brendan Fraser) and a stripper (Melora Walters). There is the grandson and his girlfriend both underage trying to get alcohol. There is petty criminal Frank (Steve Buscemi) recruited by Jimmy (Christopher Lloyd) to go on a robbery spree. There is waitress aspiring-writer Emily Adams (Elisabeth Shue) and her boyfriend Neil. These and others characters are all connected by the $20 bill.

This is a high-concept film. It's more compelling as a concept than an actual film. The problem is that the $20 bill is nothing special. There is a reason why this story written so long ago has been sitting around. It's hard to make the story consistently compelling when the characters keep changing. Lloyd and Buscemi are a memorable duo but this is mostly a bunch of random people's stories. With such a flimsy piece of paper tying the movie together, it eventually falls apart. This is more of a writing exercise than a compelling watch.