The Winner (1996 film)

Last updated

The Winner
The Winner (1996 film).jpg
DVD cover
Directed by Alex Cox
Screenplay byWendy Riss
Based onplay "A Darker Purpose"
by Wendy Riss
Produced byKen Schwenker
Starring
CinematographyDenis Maloney
Edited byCarlos Puente
Music by Daniel Licht
Production
companies
MDP Worldwide
Village Roadshow Pictures-Clipsal Films Partnership
Distributed by Live Entertainment (US)
Film Four Distributors (UK)
Release date
  • July 25, 1997 (1997-07-25)
Running time
92 minutes
CountriesUnited States
Australia
LanguageEnglish

The Winner is a 1996 film directed by Alex Cox and written by Wendy Riss based on her play A Darker Purpose. [1] Most noted for its quirky cast (Vincent D'Onofrio, Richard Edson, Michael Madsen, Billy Bob Thornton and Frank Whaley) and art department, including production designer Cecilia Montiel.

Contents

The film was substantially re-edited by its executive producers, Mark Damon and Rebecca De Mornay, and the original score – by Cox's longtime collaborators Pray for Rain – was replaced by a jazz score. Cox requested that his name be removed from the credits.

Plot

Phillip is a naive nobody with an uncanny knack for winning in a casino. Not much caring if he wins or loses, Phillip goes on a weeks-long hot streak in Las Vegas that ultimately comes to the attention of a lot of people who want his money.

Lusting after it most is Louise, a lounge singer and con artist who seduces Phillip in the Liberace museum, then lies to him that she is $150,000 in debt from medical and funeral expenses for her parents.

Her ex-husband Wolf wants a piece of the action as well. He just happens to be Phillip's brother, and is lugging around the corpse of their own dead father. Louise's current boyfriend Jack is another interested party, as is a loan shark, Kingman, and a mob hit man, Joey, who's perfectly willing to shoot innocent bystanders in the casino if it'll get him what he wants. Phillip seems helpless against them, but there may be more to him than meets the eye.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Bob Thornton</span> American actor, filmmaker, singer and songwriter (born 1955)

Billy Bob Thornton is an American film actor, filmmaker, singer, and songwriter. He received international attention after writing, directing, and starring in the independent drama film Sling Blade (1996), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. For his role in A Simple Plan (1998) he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is also known for his film roles in One False Move (1992), Dead Man (1995), U Turn (1997), Primary Colors (1998), Armageddon (1998), Monster's Ball (2001), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), Bad Santa (2003), and Friday Night Lights (2004). He has written a variety of films including A Family Thing (1996) and The Gift (2000) and has directed films such as Daddy and Them (2001), All the Pretty Horses (2000), and Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012).

<i>Sling Blade</i> 1996 US drama film by Billy Bob Thornton

Sling Blade is a 1996 American drama film written, directed by and starring Billy Bob Thornton. Set in Arkansas, it is the story of intellectually challenged Karl Childers and the friendship he develops with a boy and his mother. Karl was released from a psychiatric hospital where he had grown up due to having killed his mother and her lover when he was 12 years old. It also stars Dwight Yoakam, J. T. Walsh, John Ritter, Lucas Black, Natalie Canerday, James Hampton, and Robert Duvall.

<i>Bad Santa</i> 2003 film directed by Terry Zwigoff

Bad Santa is a 2003 American Christmas black comedy crime film directed by Terry Zwigoff, written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and starring Billy Bob Thornton in the title role, with a supporting cast of Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, Lauren Tom, John Ritter, and Bernie Mac. It was Ritter's last live-action film appearance before his death on September 11, 2003. The film was dedicated to his memory. The Coen brothers are credited as executive producers. The film was released in North America on November 26, 2003, and was screened out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. It received positive reviews and was a commercial success.

The following is a list of players and managers (*), both past and current, who appeared at least in one regular season game for the Chicago White Sox franchise.

The following is a list of players, past and present, who have appeared in at least one competitive game for the Boston Red Sox American League franchise, known previously as the Boston Americans (1901–07).

<i>The Astronaut Farmer</i> 2006 American film

The Astronaut Farmer is a 2006 American drama film directed by Michael Polish, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Mark. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern and Max Thieriot. The plot is about a Texas rancher who attempts to construct a rocket in his barn and launch himself into outer space.

<i>And God Created Woman</i> (1988 film) 1988 film by Roger Vadim

And God Created Woman is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Roger Vadim in his final theatrical release and starring Rebecca De Mornay, Vincent Spano and Frank Langella. It has the same title as the 1956 French film Et Dieu… créa la femme starring Brigitte Bardot, also directed by Vadim, but has a completely different story.

Players in Bold are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Players in Italics have had their numbers retired by the team.

<i>Scissors</i> (film) 1991 film by Frank De Felitta

Scissors is a 1991 American psychological thriller film directed by Frank De Felitta and starring Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, Steve Railsback and Michelle Phillips.

The following is a list of players, both past and current, who appeared in at least one game for the San Diego Padres franchise.

This is a list of players, both past and present, who appeared in at least one game for the New York Giants or the San Francisco Giants.

The following is a list of players, both past and current, who appeared at least in one game for the Cincinnati Reds National League franchise, also known previously as the Cincinnati Red Stockings (1882–1889) and Cincinnati Redlegs (1953–1958). Players in Bold are members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

<i>Law & Order: Criminal Intent</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent premiered on NBC on September 25, 2005, and ended on May 14, 2006.

<i>Law & Order: Criminal Intent</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of Law & Order: Criminal Intent premiered on NBC on September 26, 2004, and ended May 25, 2005. The series remained in its time slot of Sundays at 9 PM/8c, but the season finale episode "False-Hearted Judges" aired on Wednesday, May 25, 2005, at 10 PM ET/9 CT.

<i>Sinatra</i> (miniseries) 1992 CBS biographical drama miniseries directed by James Steven Sadwith

Sinatra is a 1992 CBS biographical drama miniseries about singer Frank Sinatra, developed and executive produced by Frank's youngest daughter Tina Sinatra and approved by Frank himself. Directed by James Steven Sadwith, produced by Richard M. Rosenbloom, and written by William Mastrosimone and Abby Mann. It stars Philip Casnoff, Olympia Dukakis, Joe Santos, Gina Gershon, Nina Siemaszko, Bob Gunton, and Marcia Gay Harden, with some of Sinatra's vocals recreated by Tom Burlinson. It won two and was nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, along with a win and two nominations for a Golden Globe Award. Released on November 8, 1992, it was re-released on a two-disc DVD Warner Home Video on May 13, 2008.

<i>The Judge</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by David Dobkin

The Judge is a 2014 American legal drama film directed by David Dobkin. The film stars Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall with Vera Farmiga, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, Dax Shepard and Billy Bob Thornton in supporting roles. The film was released in the United States on October 10, 2014. It received mixed reviews; critics praised the performances of Duvall and Downey and Thomas Newman's score. However, they criticized the formulaic nature of its script and the lack of development for supporting characters.

<i>Bad Santa 2</i> 2016 film by Mark Waters

Bad Santa 2 is a 2016 Christmas black comedy drama film directed by Mark Waters and written by Shauna Cross and Johnny Rosenthal. A sequel to the 2003 film Bad Santa, the film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Kathy Bates, and Christina Hendricks, and features criminals Willie and Marcus again teaming up to work as Santa and an elf, respectively, this time to rob a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve.

<i>The Kid</i> (2019 film) 2019 film

The Kid is a 2019 American Western film directed by Vincent D'Onofrio, from a screenplay by Andrew Lanham. The film stars Ethan Hawke, Dane DeHaan, Jake Schur, Leila George, Chris Pratt, Adam Baldwin, and Vincent D'Onofrio.

References

  1. "Movie Review - A Saint With a Midas Touch - NYTimes.com". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 18 January 2018.