Bagman (film)
Encyclopedia
Casino Jack is a 2010 biographical political satire
film starring Kevin Spacey
and directed by George Hickenlooper. The film focuses on the career of Washington, D.C.
lobbyist and businessman Jack Abramoff
, who was involved in a massive corruption scandal
that led to the conviction of himself, two White House
officials, Rep.
Bob Ney
, and nine other lobbyists and congressional staffers. Abramoff was convicted of fraud
, conspiracy
and tax evasion
in 2006, and of trading expensive gifts, meals and sports trips in exchange for political favors.
Abramoff served three and a half years of a six-year sentence in federal prison, and was assigned to a halfway house
. He was released on December 3, 2010.
In 2010, Spacey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best actor for his depiction of Abramoff in the film, eventually losing to Paul Giamatti
for his role in Barney's Version
.
, Canada, including McMaster University
and downtown Hamilton. The film was scheduled for release in December 2010 and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
This was Hickenlooper's final film. He died on October 29, 2010, seven weeks before its scheduled December 17, 2010, national opening.
with the consensus: "Kevin Spacey turns in one of his stronger performances, but Casino Jack is a disappointingly uneven fictionalized account of a fascinating true story." Roger Ebert
awarded Casino Jack three out of four stars, stating that "Casino Jack is so forthright, it is stunning."
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
film starring Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
and directed by George Hickenlooper. The film focuses on the career of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
lobbyist and businessman Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff
Jack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
, who was involved in a massive corruption scandal
Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal
The Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal is a United States political scandal relating to the work performed by political lobbyists Jack Abramoff, Ralph E. Reed, Jr., Grover Norquist and Michael Scanlon on Indian casino gambling interests for an estimated $85 million in fees. Abramoff and Scanlon...
that led to the conviction of himself, two White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
officials, Rep.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Bob Ney
Bob Ney
Robert William Ney is an American politician from the U.S. state of Ohio. A Republican, Ney represented Ohio's 18th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 until November 3, 2006, when he resigned...
, and nine other lobbyists and congressional staffers. Abramoff was convicted of fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, conspiracy
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
and tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
in 2006, and of trading expensive gifts, meals and sports trips in exchange for political favors.
Abramoff served three and a half years of a six-year sentence in federal prison, and was assigned to a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
. He was released on December 3, 2010.
In 2010, Spacey was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for best actor for his depiction of Abramoff in the film, eventually losing to Paul Giamatti
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti is an American actor. Giamatti began his career as a supporting actor in several films produced during the 1990s including Private Parts, The Truman Show, Saving Private Ryan, The Negotiator, and Man on the Moon, before earning lead roles in several projects in the...
for his role in Barney's Version
Barney's Version (film)
Barney's Version is a 2010 Canadian comedy-drama film directed by Richard J. Lewis, based on the novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler...
.
Production
Filming took place in June 2009 in various locations across Hamilton, OntarioHamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Canada, including McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
and downtown Hamilton. The film was scheduled for release in December 2010 and premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.
This was Hickenlooper's final film. He died on October 29, 2010, seven weeks before its scheduled December 17, 2010, national opening.
Cast
- Kevin SpaceyKevin SpaceyKevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
as Jack AbramoffJack AbramoffJack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine... - Kelly PrestonKelly PrestonKelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
as Pam Abramoff - Rachelle LefevreRachelle LefèvreRachelle Lefevre is a Canadian actress. She has starred in the television series Big Wolf on Campus and had recurring roles in What About Brian, Boston Legal, and Swingtown. She played the vampire Victoria in the first two films of the Twilight saga, before being replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard...
as Emily J. MillerEmily J. Miller-Career:Miller first gained national attention as a State Department press aide who, on May 16, 2004, ordered a cameraman to stop filming an interview with then-Secretary of State Colin Powell from Jordan on NBC's Meet the Press with Tim Russert... - Barry PepperBarry PepperBarry Robert Pepper is a Canadian actor. He is best known for playing roles like Sergeant Michael Strank in the Clint Eastwood film, Flags of Our Fathers, Private Daniel Jackson in Saving Private Ryan, Roger Maris in 61*, Ned Pepper in True Grit and for his recent role as Robert F...
as Michael ScanlonMichael ScanlonMichael Scanlon, AKA "Sean Scanlon", is a former communications director for Rep. Tom DeLay, lobbyist, and public relations executive who has pleaded guilty to corruption charges related to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal... - Jon LovitzJon LovitzJonathan "Jon" Lovitz is an American comedian, actor, and singer. He is best known as a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1990.-Early life:...
as Adam KidanAdam KidanAdam Kidan is an American businessman, the former owner of SunCruz Casinos and former president of Atlantic & Pacific Mattress Co. He was one of lobbyist Jack Abramoff's business partners, and became a national figure when his involvement in one of Abramoff's illegal lobbying ventures came to... - John David WhalenJohn David WhalenAfter attending the Boys' Latin School of Maryland, he was awarded a Presidential Appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Despite his desire for a career in entertainment, he decided to uphold his commitment to the United States and complete his degree in Oceanography at Annapolis and...
as Kevin A. RingKevin A. RingKevin A. Ring is a former lobbyist and Republican Congressional staffer. He was a figure in the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal scandal. After leaving Team Abramoff at Greenberg Traurig in 2005, he joined Barnes & Thornburg LLP law firm in Washington, DC... - Yannick BissonYannick BissonYannick Bisson is a Canadian film and television actor.-Career:Born in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, Bisson moved to Toronto as a teenager and there he began acting lessons; he has been acting since the age of 13. His big break was in CBC's critically acclaimed 1984 movie of the week Hockey Night with...
as Oscar Carillo - Graham GreeneGraham Greene (actor)Graham Greene is a Canadian actor who has worked on stage, and in film and TV productions in Canada, England and the United States.-Early life:...
as Bernie Sprague - Eric SchweigEric SchweigEric Schweig is a First Nations actor best known for his role as Chingachgook's son Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans .-Early life:...
as Chief Poncho - Maury ChaykinMaury ChaykinMaury Alan Chaykin was an American-born Canadian actor. Best known for his portrayal of detective Nero Wolfe, he was also known for his work as a character actor in many films and on television programs.-Personal life:...
as Big Tony - Christian CampbellChristian CampbellChristian Bethune Campbell is a Canadian stage and screen actor. He is married to actress America Olivo.-Personal life:Campbell was born in Toronto, Ontario. Campbell's mother, Marnie , is a yoga instructor and psychologist from Amsterdam, Netherlands...
as Ralph ReedRalph E. Reed, Jr.Ralph Eugene Reed, Jr., is a conservative American political activist, best known as the first executive director of the Christian Coalition during the early 1990s. He sought the Republican nomination for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Georgia but lost the primary election on July 18, 2006,... - Spencer GarrettSpencer GarrettSpencer Garrett is an American actor who has appeared in television programs, television films, films, and a few blockbuster productions like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Public Enemies, and Air Force One....
as Tom DeLayTom DeLayThomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in... - Joe PingueJoe PingueJoe Pingue is a Canadian actor.His film credits include The Boondock Saints, Pushing Tin, Repo Men, The Book of Eli and Knockaround Guys....
as Anthony Ferrari - David Fraser as Karl RoveKarl RoveKarl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
- Jeffrey R. Smith as Grover NorquistGrover NorquistGrover Glenn Norquist is an American lobbyist, conservative activist, and founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform...
- Daniel KashDaniel KashDaniel Joshua Kash is a Canadian actor and director.He was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of Canadian opera singer Maureen Forrester and violinist/conductor Eugene Kash. He is also the brother of actress Linda Kash. He studied at the Drama Center in London, England and has appeared in dozens...
as Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis - Conrad PlaConrad PlaConrad Pla is a Canadian actor and former professional kickboxer. He is probably best known for starring in the Canadian television series ReGenesis....
as Agent Hanley - Hannah Endicott-Douglas as Sarah Abramoff
- Ruth MarshallRuth MarshallRuth Marshall is a Canadian actress from Toronto, Ontario. She is best known for her role in the hit television series Flashpoint. She graduated with a degree in English from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec and then returned to Toronto to pursue a career in acting.She has appeared the...
as Susan SchmidtSusan SchmidtSusan Schmidt is an investigative reporter with the Wall Street Journal. She is best known for her work at The Washington Post, where she worked from 1983 until recently. While at the Post, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 2006, for her probe into and exposure of... - Reid Morgan as Brian Mann
Reception
Casino Jack has received mixed reviews from critics. It has been given a 36% "rotten" rating according to Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
with the consensus: "Kevin Spacey turns in one of his stronger performances, but Casino Jack is a disappointingly uneven fictionalized account of a fascinating true story." Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
awarded Casino Jack three out of four stars, stating that "Casino Jack is so forthright, it is stunning."
External links
- Casino Jack production website at Hannibal Pictures