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IMDbPro

Too Big to Fail

  • TV Movie
  • 20112011
  • TV-MATV-MA
  • 1h 39m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
17K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,454
45
Too Big to Fail (2011)
BiographyDramaHistory
Chronicles the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.Chronicles the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.Chronicles the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
17K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,454
45
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Curtis Hanson
    • Writers
      • Peter Gould
      • Andrew Ross Sorkin(book)
    • Stars
      • James Woods
      • John Heard
      • William Hurt
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Curtis Hanson
    • Writers
      • Peter Gould
      • Andrew Ross Sorkin(book)
    • Stars
      • James Woods
      • John Heard
      • William Hurt
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 52User reviews
    • 24Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Nominated for 11 Primetime Emmys
      • 5 wins & 31 nominations total

    Photos41

    Michael O'Keefe in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    William Hurt in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    Matthew Modine in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    James Woods in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    Billy Crudup in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    Edward Asner in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    Cynthia Nixon in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    Paul Giamatti in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    Bill Pullman in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    Topher Grace in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    Tony Shalhoub in Too Big to Fail (2011)
    William Hurt in Too Big to Fail (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Woods
    James Woods
    • Richard Fuld
    John Heard
    John Heard
    • Joe Gregory
    William Hurt
    William Hurt
    • Henry Paulson
    Erin Dilly
    Erin Dilly
    • Christal West
    Amy Carlson
    Amy Carlson
    • Erin Callan
    Topher Grace
    Topher Grace
    • Jim Wilkinson
    Ayad Akhtar
    Ayad Akhtar
    • Neel Kashkari
    Cynthia Nixon
    Cynthia Nixon
    • Michele Davis
    Kathy Baker
    Kathy Baker
    • Wendy Paulson
    Edward Asner
    Edward Asner
    • Warren Buffett
    Paul Giamatti
    Paul Giamatti
    • Ben Bernanke
    Beau Baxter
    Beau Baxter
    • Skip McGee
    Ben Livingston
    Ben Livingston
    • Investment Banker
    Erin Burnett
    Erin Burnett
    • Self
    Chance Kelly
    Chance Kelly
    • Bart McDade
    Chil Kong
    Chil Kong
    • Min Euoo Sung
    Daniel K. Isaac
    Daniel K. Isaac
    • Translator
    Billy Crudup
    Billy Crudup
    • Timothy Geithner
    • Director
      • Curtis Hanson
    • Writers
      • Peter Gould
      • Andrew Ross Sorkin(book)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      TITLE DROP: Mentioned by Hank Paulson character while lecturing his aide ("Here's your too big to fail").
    • Goofs
      A poster for Toy Story 3 (2010) is seen in Times Square. This movie takes place in 2008 and Toy Story 3 (2010) wasn't released until 2010.
    • Quotes

      Ben Bernanke: I spent my entire academic career studying the Great Depression. The depression may have started because of a stock market crash, but what hit the general economy was a disruption of credit. Average citizens unable to borrow money, to do anything. To buy a home, start a business, stock their shelves. Credit has the ability to build a modern economy, but lack of credit has the ability to destroy it, swiftly and absolutely. If we do not act, boldly and immediately, we will replay the depression of the 1930s, only this time it will be far, far worse. We don't do this now, we won't have an economy on Monday.

    • Connections
      Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.18 (2011)

    User reviews52

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Well crafted and well acted but makes a false idol
    Specifically, Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulsen is painted as having a great big unselfish S on his chest. I hate to parrot everyone else, but please watch "The Big Short" to see that everybody had blood on their hands.

    HBO had to make SOMEBODY a hero in this, a film, not a documentary, so they chose Paulsen. In their version Paulsen is the somewhat naive guy who understands economics but does not understand human greed. The mechanics of what happened are well described. The dangers of what could have happened are well described. And there are several monologues where somebody - as part of conversation in a team meeting - explains how the big banks and investment houses got into this mess and then how AIG, the bank that insures the insurers, got swept up into everything.

    The end of the film indicates that the big banks, with all of that fed supplied cash, just parked it and refused to loan it out - they were not required to do so - and the economy went into a downward spiral with hundreds of thousands losing their jobs and mortgage foreclosure becoming an epidemic.

    I'd say the film is OK for grasping the basic mechanics of what went on, but understand it is a film and there has to be at least one hero - false or true - even if HBO is the producer and not Disney.
    helpful•16
    1
    • AlsExGal
    • Dec 9, 2018

    FAQ1

    • Who played Nancy Pelosi?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 23, 2011 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Quá Lớn Để Sụp Đổ
    • Filming locations
      • JC Studios, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Deuce Three Productions
      • HBO Films
      • Home Box Office (HBO)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 39 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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