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The Grifters (1990)

R  |   |  Crime, Drama, Thriller  |  4 January 1991 (USA)
7.0
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Ratings: 7.0/10 from 19,765 users   Metascore: 86/100
Reviews: 89 user | 53 critic | 18 from Metacritic.com

A small-time conman has torn loyalties between his estranged mother and new girlfriend--both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play.

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(novel), (screenplay)
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Title: The Grifters (1990)

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Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
Robert Weems ...
Racetrack Announcer
...
...
Richard Holden ...
Cop
...
...
Irv
...
Mintz
Sandy Baron ...
Doctor
Lou Hancock ...
Nurse
...
Joe
Noelle Harling ...
Nurse Carol Flynn
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Storyline

Lily works for a bookie, placing bets to change the odds at the track. When her son is hospitalized after an unsuccessful con job and resultant beating, she finds that even an absentee parent has feelings for her child. This causes her own job to go wrong as well. Each of them faces the down side of the grift. Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Seduction. Betrayal. Murder. Who's Conning Who?

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

4 January 1991 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Svindlarna  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Gross:

$13,446,769 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The short opening narration is done by Martin Scorsese. See more »

Goofs

In the train, when Roy is grifting the sailors, you can see that he is only rolling one die at a time. However, you can distinctly hear him drop two dice (out of the frame) to the table at the end of the game. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Voice-over: Around the country the bookies pay off winners at track odds. It's dangerous when a long shot comes in. Unless you have somebody at the tracks to lower those odds.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Jeff Goldblum/Aerosmith (1993) See more »

Soundtracks

DO YOU DO YOU LOVE ME
Performed by Dreamworld
Words & Music by Pete Theodore and Emilie A. Bernstein (as Emily Bernstein)
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Worth it
13 October 2001 | by (Los Angeles) – See all my reviews

"The Grifters" is a quality piece of work that shows you a world you don't often see. It's a seedy little world, but a fun one to spend two hours in.

Whenever I pass this film on cable, I always stop to watch a few minutes (and often more) because it contains some fantastic acting. Anjelica Houston, John Cusack and Annete Bening act their little tushies off. Cusack's portrayal of a low-level grifter with an Oedipal complex the size of Texas is some of his best work. Based on "American Beauty," everyone knows that Bening can act, but anyone who saw "The Grifters" knew that long ago. She does a bang-up job as (let's be frank) a con-artist slut.

This movie does have a few implausibilities, but nothing that spoils it. Otherwise, nothing but good things to say about this one. Recommended.


20 of 22 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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