The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest (2002)

Andy works in marketing but wants to create something "real" so he gets a job in research with huge a pay cut. He teams with 3 nerds to develop a $99 PC for 3rd world students. Then comes the dot-com crash.

Director:

Mick Jackson

Writers:

Po Bronson (novel), Jon Favreau (screenplay)

Stars:

Adam Garcia, Rosario Dawson, Jake Busey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adam Garcia	...	Andy Kasper
Rosario Dawson	...	Alisa
Jake Busey	...	Darrell Claxton
Enrico Colantoni	...	Francis Benoit
Ethan Suplee	...	Curtis 'Tiny' Reese
Anjul Nigam	...	Salman Fard
Gregory Jbara	...	Hank
Dan Butler	...	Lloyd Acheson
Linda Hart	...	Mrs. 'B'
Shiva Rose	...	Torso
Chandra West	...	Robin
Rob Benedict	...	Willy (as Robert Patrick Benedict)
Heather Dubrow	...	Claudia Goss (as Heather Paige Kent)
Stoney Westmoreland	...	Link
John Rothman	...	Ben (as John M. Rothman)

Storyline

Andy, a successful marketing guy quits his job, because he feels disconnected with the values about work he learned from his father. He gets a new job at a top notch research facility, where he quickly makes a powerful enemy who makes him volunteer for a nearly impossible project: The $99 Personal Computer. He recruits the only available guys at the lab, three sociopaths. Together they really compile a revolutionary PC for $99, but then they become the victims of a venture capitalist and Andy's old foe from the research lab. Can he and his new friends find a way to overcome the problems?

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Plot Keywords:

engineer | computer | dollar sign in title | money in title | nerd | 

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Taglines:

When things get odd... The odd get even

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language and sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

The tentative title for this movie during test screenings was "The Big Idea".

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Goofs

When Andy moves into Mrs. B house she puts him in room number 2. (You see the number on the door.) He then goes to the bathroom and meets Alisa and introduces himself and says he lives in number 3. Alisa says she lives in 2. After Alisa makes the prototype case she enters her room, but it's room 3.

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Quotes

Salman: I provide a service. All of the systems I've hacked are much more secure today because of my efforts. My girlfriend calls me 'Robin Hood'. It's a double entendre. I'm uncircumcised!

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Connections

References 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

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Soundtracks

The Gold Diggers' Song (We're in the Money)
Written by Al Dubin and Harry Warren
Performed by Bobbi Page

User Reviews

Cheeseball interpretation of the book

I enjoy the writing of Po Bronson, with Bombardiers being right up there with Catch-22 as one of the funniest books I have ever read. I remember enjoying The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest as well, although I think I keep confusing it with Microserfs by Douglas Coupland. When I saw this movie was playing on Showtime, I had no idea that it was made into a movie. I guess it was only released in L.A. and New York in 2002. Well, it's certainly a cheeseball interpretation of the book, with sub-par writing by Jon Favreau, who adapted the screenplay. But, being a movie about the dot-com generation, I can't resist. It's not horrible, and having Rosario Dawson cast as the female lead certainly doesn't suck.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 October 2002 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Cu primele 20 de milioane e mai greu

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,535, 30 June 2002

Gross USA:

$5,491

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,491

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ocean Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color