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?

---

Plot Keywords:

treasure hunter | silt | mercenary | caribbean island | slim attractive woman | 

---

Taglines:

This February True Love Takes a Dive.

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kenneth Lonergan did an uncredited rewrite on this script.

---

Goofs

Bigg Bunny tells Moe, "BiggBunny, it's one word," but later on Benjamin passes a sign for his rum that clearly spells it as two words.

---

Quotes

Moe Fitch: Well, well, well. If it isn't the Ukrainian sidekick.
Alfonz: I don't think of myself that way. I am the lead character in my own story.

---

Connections

Referenced in Chelsea Lately: Episode #6.90 (2012)

---

Soundtracks

Truly Madly Deeply
Written by Sean Flowerdew, Graeme Hamilton and Craig Stevens
Performed by The Dualers
Courtesy of Gut Records Limited

User Reviews

Balmy Escapism from the Winter Doldrums? Let's See

"Fools Gold" centers on an almost divorced, or newly divorced, or still madly-in-love couple (all 3 apply) searching for Spanish treasure that was sunk in a hurricane in 1715. Does the movie succeed as balmy escapism from the winter doldrums? Let's see…

Is there action?: Yes, the action was there, fun at parts, but broken up by a lot of talking that really didn't advance the plot, but worked well to confuse it (I mean a lot of talking). There was also the sound of crickets chirping that at some points was so loud it drowned out the dialogue. On purpose perhaps?

Did the actors have chemistry?: Yes, in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" they did. However, both Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson are likable enough off-screen and in other films that you want to root for them, despite the flaws of this film.

How 'bout the location?: I was never quite sure where the story was supposed to be set. The real 1715 fleet went down off the Eastern coast of Florida near Cape Canaveral. At one point in the movie they said they were in Key West, but I've been there enough times to know that those mountainous islands in the distance weren't anywhere near Duval Street. The movie "The Deep," which also involved treasure hunters searching for the 1715 treasure, also suffered from a lack of appreciation of history, setting the wreck in Bermuda. But who can complain when you have a salty Robert Shaw and Jacqueline Bisset in a wet T-shirt?

Funny?: The laughs were few and far between. Theo Huxtable from "The Cosby Show" was one of the baddies, and I think his pal in the film might have been Cockroach (no word on whether or not their knowledge of the 1715 treasure was based on "Cleland Notes"). I remember laughing at parts, and then waiting to laugh again, and I was still waiting when the lights came up and the usher rolled a trashcan in. I was still waiting when I got in my car. I'm still waiting.

All bad?: What the movie does well is gets you out of the cold for a couple hours. There were picturesque vistas of the tropics, girls in bikinis, palm trees blowing in the breeze, and Bob Marley music in the background. You may fool yourself for a moment into believing that you're actually in the Caribbean, if you sneak in a Pina Colada or two, or three.

Post Script: If you want to read a real thrilling, funny, and sexy adventure story about treasure hunting for the 1715 fleet, try reading Tom Ryan's novel "A Sword for Pizarro."

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