Too Big to Fail (2011)

Chronicles the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writers:

Peter Gould, Andrew Ross Sorkin (book)

Stars:

James Woods, John Heard, William Hurt

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 5 wins & 28 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Woods	...	Richard Fuld
John Heard	...	Joe Gregory
William Hurt	...	Henry Paulson
Erin Dilly	...	Christal West
Amy Carlson	...	Erin Callan
Topher Grace	...	Jim Wilkinson
Ayad Akhtar	...	Neel Kashkari
Cynthia Nixon	...	Michele Davis
Kathy Baker	...	Wendy Paulson
Edward Asner	...	Warren Buffett
Paul Giamatti	...	Ben Bernanke
Beau Baxter	...	Skip McGee
Ben Livingston	...	Investment Banker
Erin Burnett	...	Self
Chance Kelly	...	Bart McDade

Storyline

A close look behind the scenes, between late March and mid-October, 2008: we follow Richard Fuld's benighted attempt to save Lehman Brothers; conversations among Hank Paulson (the Secretary of the Treasury), Ben Bernanke (chair of the Federal Reserve), and Tim Geithner (president of the New York Fed) as they seek a private solution for Lehman's; and, back-channel negotiations among Paulson, Warren Buffet, investment bankers, a British regulator, and members of Congress as almost all work to save the U.S. economy. By the end, with the no-strings bailout arranged, modest confidence restored on Wall Street, and a meltdown averted, Paulson wonders if banks will lend.

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Plot Keywords:

financial | global economic crisis of 2008 | year 2008 | financial system | economic crisis | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film takes place in 2008.

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Goofs

A poster for Toy Story 3 is seen in Times Square. This movie takes place in 2008 and Toy Story 3 wasn't released until 2010.

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Quotes

Michele Davis: They almost bring down the US economy as we know but we can't put restrictions on how they spend the $125 billion we're giving them because... they might not take it!
[the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs upon hearing that the 9 bank CEOs may refuse to take free money from the federal government if they had to be held accountable for how they spent it]

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Connections

Features Closing Bell (2002)

User Reviews

Too Big to Fail and Too Big to Trivialize

"Too Big to Fail" addresses the subject of modern-day mega corporations whose failure, however deserving, might be of such catastrophic dimensions that it must be avoided, if at all possible, whatever the cost. The subject matter, the US financial crisis of 2008, is profound and enormous, in terms of its shock at the time and continuing consequences, to trivialize. The main characters – William Hurt, Paul Giamatti, for instance – become aware of the distinct possibility of spiraling into a 21st century version of The Great Depression. We are awestruck by such a possibility. The plot forces at work are both economic and political, both having profound influences. Politics? As usual, it is the Art of the Possible. Economics? A very difficult-to-comprehend arena, neither art nor science. The story leads us, step by step, as numerous characters play their role on this stage. The message: How could they have been so stupid? The filmmakers have hit the nail on the head.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 May 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Too Big to Fail

Filming Locations:

JC Studios, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Deuce Three Productions, HBO Films, Home Box Office (HBO)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1