Many gambling addiction stories start out innocently enough—a trip to the casino here or there, a few good wins, then a loss or two. Then something happens. The same chemicals in the brain that cause a person to become addicted to alcohol or drugs soon start to react to the act of gambling. When Joan Boothe accompanies husband-reporter David to Las Vegas, she begins gambling to pass the time while he is doing a story. Encouraged by the casino manager, she gets hooked on gambling, to the point where she 'borrows' David's expense money to pursue her addiction. This finally breaks up their marriage, but David continues trying to help.
The following are our top five favorite gambling movies. There was plenty of debate about which movies should make this list, and in what order, but we got there eventually.
We are quite certain that there are plenty of you that will disagree with our choices, but hopefully, you’ll understand why these movies stand out for us.
This 1961 film easily stands the test of time and is at the top of our list for many reasons. It’s based on a novel of the same name (written by Walter Tevis) and was directed by Robert Rossen. Paul Newman is the star, playing pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson.
Felson’s dream is to prove that he’s the best pool player in the country and to do that he has to beat the legendary player Minnesota Fats.
The two meet early on in the game, with the rest of the film building up to a later rematch. Although the core theme is about gambling on pool games, there’s much more to this movie.
The story follows a journey of discovery for Felson and, as the director himself said, it’s “.really about the obstacles he encounters in attempting to fulfill himself as a human being.” True love game online.
Despite minor criticism at the time regarding some aspects of the movie, it was largely very well received. It received nine Academy Award nominations, winning two. This is a very well written movie with some top class acting, and it fully deserves its reputation as a classic.
In our opinion, this is the best poker movie ever made. Released in 1965 it tells the story of a young poker player, Eric “The Kid” Stoner, and his wish to establish himself as the player to beat. To earn his reputation as the best he has to beat Lancey “The Man” Howard, who happens to be in town. The role of Stoner is played brilliantly by Steve McQueen.
Much like The Hustler, there’s a great deal more to this film than the main theme. Indeed, many reviewers at the time of released compared it to The Hustler. It’s an excellent portrayal of what the high stakes poker and gambling culture was like during the Depression era, but it’s also a tale of friendship, ambition, and morals.
Some of the characters are a little clichéd and the final scene, though gripping, does seem a little unbelievable. However, minor criticisms aside, this is a great movie. Maybe there will be a better poker film made in the future, but for now The Cincinnati Kid cannot be beaten in our eyes.
3Owning Mahowney
There are not many gambling movies that accurately portray the obsession of a compulsive gambler. In our opinion, there are none that do it as well as Owning Mahowney. Featuring a fabulous performance from Phillip Seymour-Hoffman and strong supporting roles from John Hurt and Minnie Driver, the 2003 movie is based on the true story of Brian Molony. Molony embezzled over $10 million from his employees and gambled it all away.
In the film, the central character is Dan Mahowny. Working for a bank in Toronto, Mahowny is promoted to assistant branch manager and trusted implicitly by his boss. His boss is unaware that Mahowny is a compulsive gambler who is stealing from accounts to fund his gambling habit and regular trips to the casinos in Atlantic City.
This isn’t a lighthearted movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it does a great job of showing the range of emotions Mahowny goes through and the far reaching effect that gambling has on his life and those around him.
If you enjoy crime drama movies and gambling movies, then Casino is pretty much the perfect film for you. It was certainly easy for us to find a place in our top five for this one.
It was released in 1995, was directed by Martin Scorcese, and was loosely based on the on the non-fiction book of the same name. The cast includes Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Sharon Stone.
The plot revolves largely around Sam “Ace” Rothstein, a Mafia associate summoned to Las Vegas to run a casino on behalf of members of the Mob. Although successful, things don’t run too smoothly when enforcer Nicky Santoro is sent to protect the business. It’s a Scorcese film so, as you would imagine, there’s plenty of action and plenty of bad language. It’s also an absolute must see.
In many respects, this 1997 movie isn’t even close to being in the same league as the four movies above. However, it is about gambling, it is great fun, and we love it. It’s from the National Lampoon series of vacation movies and stars Chevy Chase as the lovable, but hapless, Clark Griswold.
The premise of the movie is a simple one. Following receipt of a large bonus from work, Griswold takes the family on a vacation to Las Vegas. Much hilarity ensues, as is the signature of the National Lampoon films.
This movie isn’t very serious; it’s really just a very light-hearted look at what can happen on a trip to Vegas. If comedy is your thing, this is well worth a watch.
In the ethereal world of glitz and glamour that is Hollywood, not everything is as it seems. Most of the TV and film plots that come out of the Hollywood hills these days are either severely exaggerated or just completely outlandish. Characters are over the top, and situations depicted never seem quite believable. While this seems to be a pattern that reigns true over much of Hollywood, there are still those films released that truly remain culpable to their audience and the validity of their films’ subject matter. This feeling of authenticity is important for audiences, but even more so when it comes to films about addiction. With the disease of addiction having such a poor reputation of being completely misunderstood and even reviled by the ignorant, accurate representation on the subject matter is vital. In order to stop perpetuating outdated stigmas and even just flat out false information surrounding addiction, we need accurate portrayals of what addiction is really like. After wading through the good and the bad, here is a list of ten accurate films about addiction.
The Basketball Diaries
Released in1995, The Basketball Diaries is not your typical, run of the mill, coming of age story. It’s the story of a young boy with a talent and passion for basketball growing up in the streets of New York City, navigating through school and home life. The protagonist seems like your average everyday kid, much like all addicts are before they begin using, until he gets hooked on heroin. The reason this is such a great film about addiction is because the natural progression of the disease is clearly depicted. It touches on a variety of different aspects of addiction so often left out of film and TV. As his habit grows, so do his consequences. It’s an interesting narrative in the sense that no matter how talented or gifted someone may be, the disease of addiction knows no bounds. It can happen to anyone. The film follows the protagonist through his rise, fall, and ultimate rebirth in such an honest and raw fashion that the audience can’t help but find empathy for him.
Blow
Originally released in 2001, Blow is a film that follows the life of George Jung, an infamous cocaine kingpin who came to power in the 1970’s and reigned until the mid 1980’s. Though classified as a crime drama, this movie definitely feels more like a film about addiction. It’s biopic nature gives you real insight into the struggles George Jung faced not only judicially, but physically and emotionally with addiction. Despite having so much money and unlimited power, even the possibility of losing everything could not keep George Jung off cocaine. The descent into madness he experiences as a result of the drugs quickly takes over as the main focus of the film, which artfully and truthfully represented the ugly side of a drug that was so popular at that time.
The Wolf of Wall Street
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The Wolf of Wall Street is one of those rare films that maintain such a high re-watch value, and there’s a very good reason why. The story centers on stockbroker Jordan Belfort, and his subsequent rags-to-riches story featuring numerous debaucheries along the incline. This is such an accurate film about addiction because not only is the actual drug displayed in both a graphic and consistent manner throughout the film, but also the side effects and comedowns from the drugs were masterfully replicated by the actors themselves. Most films tend to possess merely subtle suggested drug use or simply depict the actual high. The Wall of Wall Street goes much deeper. It once again drives home that no one is immune to becoming enslaved by addiction. The desperation in Jordan’s voice for the drugs even as his life is in serious danger is haunting, and any addict instantly recognizes that tone as one they’ve used themselves.
Thirteen
Another coming of age film circa 2003, yet this time from the female perspective. Thirteen touches on sensitive subject matter our society likes to shy away from, such as drug use, discovering one’s female sexuality, and real life traumas- the combination of the two may harbinger. This is an accurate film about addiction because it really hones in on the power of peer pressure; how so many addicts start out using. All it took for a seemingly well-rounded girl to descend down the dark road of addiction and other risk-taking behaviors was the encouragement of one bad influence. It’s an accurately frightening look at the vulnerability of pre-teens and just how important the company they keep is.
Candy
An Australian indie film released in 2005, Candy is an accurate film about addiction to both drugs and love. The film is divided into three main acts: Heaven, Earth, and Hell, which describe the young lovers at the center of the movie’s journey through addiction. Even the titles of the acts alone vehemently reinforce that same experience with drugs every addict goes through from the first time they use until the last time. The film also examines closely the relationship between drug abuse and romance, which many times unfortunately, go hand in hand.
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Requiem for a Dream
This particular film is extremely graphic in nature in both the depiction of the drug use as well as the various repercussions the characters experience. While some of the physiological reactions to the drugs are a little bit off base, this is an accurate film about addiction in the sense that it portrays very successfully just how dark the path down the road of addiction is. It also shows the different characters experience different consequences as a result of their using, exploring all the different avenues that addiction leads to. The film leaves the viewer with a solemn feeling after witnessing the very graphic final scenes of the movie, driving home the point that using is not glamorous.
Trainspotting
Trainspotting is a 1996 film that follows a group of friends who are members of the London underbelly that try to navigate through life with skewed morals. The main protagonist within the first few moments of the film explains and displays the desperation many addicts are faced with. The depravity and humiliation the characters experience are testaments to the true nature of addiction. The movie is an accurate film about addiction, because the subject matter that’s touched upon (disintegration of relationship, HIV, and even death) is not skated over and very truthfully depicted, as well as the main character’s struggle to find long-term sobriety despite being so desperate for it.
Flight
The 2012 drama is an accurate film about addiction because it gives a very interesting perspective into drug and alcohol abuse. The main character is a seemingly successful commercial pilot, who’s secret struggles with drugs and alcohol are violently brought to the surface after an accident in the sky. Despite him pulling off a miraculous landing, with the loss of life paling in comparison to what should’ve been, it still isn’t enough to take scathing eyes and harsh judgements from the general public off of him. While very sad, this unfortunate judgement and blame is often placed upon addicts by people who don’t want to understand addiction. The movie also shows the realities of living a life as a reasonably functioning drug addict, as there are so many among us who don’t even recognize they have an issue.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Released in 1998, this film centers around two men who embark on a psychedelic drug binge and tear their way through the city of Las Vegas. It is an accurate film about addiction because despite their situation going from bad to worse as more and more mayhem ensues as a result of their drug use; the duo opts to instead ingest more and more psychedelic drugs as a solution to their problems. It very accurately depicts the insanity of addiction, as well as the types of chaotic situations addicts often find themselves in.
Forest Gump
The final movie on this list is none other than the critically acclaimed 1994 drama Forrest Gump. While many would not immediately identify this as an accurate film about addiction, or a film about addiction at all, one of the key story lines in the complex plot of the film is that of none other than Forrest’s love interest Jenny. Jenny is originally depicted as a sweet little girl, how all addicts start out. After a series of unfortunate events befall Jenny, such as abuse and death of her family members, Jenny begins to use drugs as a method to cope with the emotional turmoil. This film accurately shows how some addicts begin using simply because of the external trauma they encounter, and it documents Jenny’s descent into depression and even suicidal ideations. Not even the kindness shown to her by Forrest was enough to pull Jenny back from oblivion, demonstrating the destructive and powerful hold addiction has on addicts.
With so much misinformation continually circulating regarding addiction, it is important to take note and appreciate the films that accurately depict addiction in its true raw, ugly, destructive form in lieu of the fun and glamorous way so much more popular amongst viewers. It’s imperative we see addiction and drug abuse for what it really is in order to better understand what we’re really dealing with. Once we can perpetuate facts, and help people understand it more completely as a whole, we can truly begin fighting back.
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