Fool's Gold (2008)

A new clue to the whereabouts of a lost treasure rekindles a married couple's sense of adventure -- and their estranged romance.

Director:

Andy Tennant

Writers:

John Claflin (screenplay), Daniel Zelman (screenplay)

Stars:

Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew McConaughey	...	Finn
Kate Hudson	...	Tess
Donald Sutherland	...	Nigel Honeycutt
Alexis Dziena	...	Gemma Honeycutt
Ewen Bremner	...	Alfonz
Ray Winstone	...	Moe Fitch
Kevin Hart	...	Bigg Bunny
Malcolm-Jamal Warner	...	Cordell
Brian Hooks	...	Curtis
David Roberts	...	Cyrus
Michael Mulheren	...	Eddie
Adam LeFevre	...	Gary
Rohan Nichol	...	Stefan
Roger Sciberras	...	Andras
Elizabeth Connolly	...	Precious Gem Crew Nurse

Storyline

Benjamin Finnegan is a deep-sea treasure hunter certain he's onto the find of the century in waters near an island close to Key West owned by a murderous rap star to whom Ben is in debt. Ben's flat broke and recently divorced from Tess, his long-time research and diving partner whom he still loves. She's nearby, working as a steward aboard the yacht of Nigel Honeycutt, a multimillionaire. The rapper has hired a rival treasurer hunter. Can Ben convince Nigel to bankroll his search, convince Tess to work with him, keep the rapper and his thugs at bay, and find a Spanish treasure hidden for centuries and rich beyond imagination?

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Plot Keywords:

treasure hunter | silt | mercenary | caribbean island | slender | 

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Taglines:

This February True Love Takes a Dive.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for action violence, some sexual material, brief nudity and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Moe Fitch" is based on treasure hunter Mel Fisher, whose Key West maritime museum houses gold and silver artifacts from Spanish treasure ships.

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Goofs

The view out the front of the airplane from the pilot's seat is not from the Cessna 206 used for the outside shots. The view out the front has structural bars along the sides of the windscreen, which the 206 doesn't have.

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Quotes

Tess Finnegan: It's not here.
Ben 'Finn' Finnegan: I refuse to believe that.
Tess Finnegan: Well, just because you refuse to believe something doesn't make it true. Or false. Or... whatever the hell I'm saying.
Ben 'Finn' Finnegan: Something wrong, Tess?
Tess Finnegan: Something wrong? Why would anything be wrong? We just had sex in a church - and we're not even married - and now we're gonna dig up a grave! I mean, what is that, like a triple sin? I'm surprised we haven't been struck by lightning.

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Connections

Featured in Cinemassacre's Top 10 Worst Movie Cliches (2010)

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Soundtracks

You Can Get It If You Really Want
Written by Jimmy Cliff
Performed by Desmond Dekker
Courtesy of Sanctuary Records Group
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why this movie is getting as lousy reviews as it is. I walked out of the theatre quite pleased; even if this movie will not get an Oscar, it earned the price of my ticket. It's campy, silly, and bright, and there is nothing like a fluffy romp around the sunny islands to cure those winter blues.

Admittedly, it's a contrived, predictable mystery, but that proves to be the focus rather than the romantic comedy that was promoted. But in the spirit of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, it's a spunky predictable mystery. No, the characters were not all complex, but at least the powers that be went to the trouble of making them entertaining and personable.

I liked the idea of looking for sunken treasure. I liked the upbeat island soundtrack. I liked the funny characters. I liked the pretty scenes and the silly lines. I liked the random explosions and fight scenes, as pleasantly ridiculous as they were.

Kate and Matthew have the chemistry they had in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days". They have the sunny dispositions to pull off a mindless-but-fun storyline and to work with a wacky cast.

It's mind candy in all its fluffy goodness.

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros [France] Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fool's Gold

Filming Locations:

Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$70,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$21,589,295, 10 February 2008

Gross USA:

$70,231,041

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$111,231,041

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., De Line Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.40:1