Owning Mahowny (2003)

A bank manager with: (a) a gambling problem and (b) access to a multimillion dollar account gets into a messy situation. Based on the story of the largest one-man bank fraud in Canadian history.

Director:

Richard Kwietniowski

Writers:

Gary Stephen Ross (book), Maurice Chauvet (screenplay)

Stars:

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Minnie Driver, John Hurt

3 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Dan Mahowny
Minnie Driver	...	Belinda
John Hurt	...	Victor Foss
Maury Chaykin	...	Frank Perlin
Ian Tracey	...	Det. Ben Lock
Sonja Smits	...	Dana Selkirk
K.C. Collins	...	Bernie (as Chris Collins)
Jason Blicker	...	Dave Quinson
Vince Corazza	...	Doug (as Vincent Corazza)
Roger Dunn	...	Bill Gooden
Eric Fink	...	Psychologist
Mike 'Nug' Nahrgang	...	Parking Attendant
Tanya Henley	...	Teller
Brona Brown	...	Teller
Philip Craig	...	Briggs

Storyline

Dan Mahowny was a rising star at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. At twenty-four he was assistant manager of a major branch in the heart of Toronto's financial district. To his colleagues he was a workaholic. To his customers, he was astute, decisive and helpful. To his friends, he was a quiet, but humorous man who enjoyed watching sports on television. To his girlfriend, he was shy but engaging. None of them knew the other side of Dan Mahowny--the side that executed the largest single-handed bank fraud in Canadian history, grossing over $10 million in eighteen months to feed his gambling obsession.

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Plot Keywords:

gambling | embezzlement | atlantic city new jersey | based on true story | bank | 

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Taglines:

The true story of a mild mannered banker and his magnificent obsession.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexuality

Details

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 2003 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

A Queda de um Jogador

Filming Locations:

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$33,287, 4 May 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,011,054, 19 October 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Atlantis Communications, Astral Media, Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie's budget was about ten million dollars, which was also roughly the amount that the real person, on whom Dan Mahowny is based, stole from the bank, for which he worked.

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Goofs

Movie takes place in 1980-1982, however Air Canada jets seen in the background at the airport are painted in a design first introduced in the mid-to-late-'90s.

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Quotes

Investigator #1: You've got a gambling problem, right?
Dan Mahowny: No...
[chuckles]
Dan Mahowny: No, sir.
Investigator #1: Come on. You didn't get a buzz out of it?
Dan Mahowny: I have a... financial problem. A shortfall.

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the closing credits you'll see the strongroom door from the start again and hear the sound of the ball in a roulette wheel. Rien ne vas plus.

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: Episode #1.2 (2004)

User Reviews

The True Story on Gambling Obsession

Canadian movies- especially those made with taxpayers' dollars- have always bored me. But "Owning Mahowny" broke the mold, and is a mesmerizing exception to the rule. I am amazed this film did not meet with more popular success, given the critical acclaim it received.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's portrayal of the bland and somewhat shabby banker who embezzled 10 million to support his gambling addiction is spot on. I can say this with some authority since I knew "Mahowny" personally back in high school, where his predilection for the racetrack and for fleecing junior students at cards was legendary. The seedy clothes, the clunker car, and the repressed demeanor all ring true. Kudos to Hoffman for a riveting performance.

Gambling movies (The Cincinnati Kid, The Hustler) have by and large ignored the addiction angle. This film delivers- in spades.