“Bookies” Theatrical Poster
When it comes to movies about “sports and gambling”, we tend to see the same list of films mentioned. Typical ones like The Hustler (1961), The Color of Money (1986), Eight Me Out (1988), Let it Ride (1989), Diggstown (1992), Hardball (2001) and Two for the Money (2005) – but if there’s one movie that’s considered an unappreciated gem within the most realistic movies of gambling, it has to be Bookies, a 2oo3 thriller directed by Mark Illsley (Happy, Texas).
Bookies centers on four college buddies who become small-time bookies. But when their antics give them a taste of success, things take a turn for the worse when their operation gets the attention of dangerous mobsters.
With names like Nick Stahl (Terminator 3, Sin City), Rachael Leigh Cook (She’s All That, Josie and the Pussycats), Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory, Rosanne), John Diehl (Stripes, Mo’ Money), Julio Oscar Mechoso (Bad Boys, Little Miss Sunshine) and David Proval (Mean Streets, Sopranos), we can only wonder why the film never made it to U.S. theaters after its Sundance premier in 2003, but thankfully the film was discovered by a lucky audience on DVD and cable.
It’s a shame Bookies never hit the big screen, because like some of the more well-known movies of the same subject, the film features a plot that’s just as engaging and fast-paced. And don’t let the poster fool you, because this isn’t a teeny-bopper flick, it’s more along the lines of something more gritty like 2001’s Blow. Pay attention to the scene where one player turns a basketball team around. It’s a brilliant sequence!
Bookies mainly revolves around basketball, which begs the question: What if a movie was made around the subject of online Betting Sites? Let’s face it, with technology growing at such a fast pace – and people not having to to leave their house to visit a smoke-filled casino – a movie that centers around Online Gambling would be a blast!
The past, present and future of gambling movies has always been a success for moviegoers all around the world. Just look at recent ones, such as Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game, which grossed a worldwide total of $59.3 million (the film is based on the true story of Molly Bloom, played by Jessica Chastain, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world’s most exclusive high-stakes poker game).
I personally look forward to more of these types of film. Who doesn’t like a roller-coaster ride filled with ups, downs and every type of cinematic thrill you can think of. After all, it’s human nature to get entertainment out of someone else’s conflict and comprising situation. It’s a sub-genre where the ending isn’t always happy and where the hero doesn’t always win.
Don’t miss the original Trailer for Bookies below. Who knows? Maybe it’s time to take that gamble (its DVD couldn’t be that expensive. Heck, maybe its even streaming on one of your subscription services).
