The Color of Money (1986)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writers:

Walter Tevis (novel)
Richard Price (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sport

Tagline:

The hustler isn't what he used to be, but he has the next best thing: a kid who is

Plot:

Fast Eddie Felson teaches a cocky but immensely talented protégé the ropes of pool hustling, which in turn inspires him to make an unlikely comeback.

Plot Keywords:

Pool | Bar | Pool Hustler | Money | Girlfriend

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Fast Eddie Felson
Tom Cruise	...	Vincent Lauria
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio	...	Carmen
Helen Shaver	...	Janelle
John Turturro	...	Julian
Bill Cobbs	...	Orvis
Robert Agins	...	Earl at Chalkie's
Alvin Anastasia	...	Kennedy
Randall Arney	...	Child World Customer #1
Elizabeth Bracco	...	Diane at Bar
Vito D'Ambrosio	...	Lou at Child World
Ron Dean	...	Guy in Crowd
Lisa Dodson	...	Child World Customer #2
Donald A. Feeney	...	Referee #1
Paul Geier	...	Two Brothers / Stranger Player

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Brazil:12 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Netherlands:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Silver Screen Partners II

Trivia:

Director Cameo: [Martin Scorsese]In the Atlantic City casino, the man walking a dog on a leash. The dog is Scorsese's dog Zoe. Zoe is credited in the closing credits as "Dog Walkby."

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Vincent is playing Grady Seasons in the tournament, at one point, he shoots and misses an easy shot of the eight ball into the side pocket. While the camera moves with the shot, you see that the three ball is still on the table on the other side rail, indicating that he is aiming for balls out of order of nine-ball rules.

Quotes:

Eddie Felson: Money won is twice as sweet as money earned.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Werewolf (#10.4)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

The Day The Rains Came

Amazing Sequel That Was 25 Years in the Making.

Near excellent sequel to "The Hustler" which returns Paul Newman (finally in an Oscar-winning role) as the old wise former hustler who decides to take young jerk Tom Cruise and his hot, but shady girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in her Oscar-nominated role) on the road to take advantage of all pool table challengers. Newman's reprise of his greatest role is truly something to experience. He is at the top of his career in this one, playing a quiet and complicated role of a man who has been tortured by time, loss and missed dreams of total success. Martin Scorsese's subtle and focused direction stays on task throughout and he lets his three outstanding leads do the bulk of the work. Not quite as good as "The Hustler" due to a weaker screenplay and less suspense, but still a very memorable cinematic experience. 4.5 out of 5 stars.