This multi-character comedy follows the path of a single twenty-dollar bill in a city neighborhood, focusing on various holders and their intertwining stories, including two convenience store robbers, an estranged father a... more »nd daughter, and a young newlywed couple.Starring: Elizabeth Shue, Steve Buscemi, BrendanFraser, ChristopherLloyd, Linda Hunt, Spalding Gray.« less
Michel D. (michelann) from WALNUT GROVE, MO Reviewed on 10/1/2018...
It could be said what goes around comes around and this slick little film shows how it may well come back to us in time! Lots of familiar faces and plenty of talent kept me guessing who will actually get $20 worth of value from the well worn slip of legal tender that goes through plenty of wear and tear making the rounds of a big city before being literally pieced back together to serve its purpose one last time.
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Movie Reviews
DVD: It's about frickin' time!
Jonathan S. Haas | Redmond, WA United States | 06/18/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've eagerly awaited the release of Twenty Bucks on DVD for several years, and am overjoyed that it's finally here. With so much schlock that gets shoveled onto digitial discs these days it's amazing that such a quality flick took so long.
Twenty Bucks is a series of disjointed vignettes, united by their involvement of the same twenty dollar bill. We follow the double-sawbuck from its initial withdrawal from an automatic teller up through its eventual end. The hapless bill gets shoved inside a fish, stuffed in a stripper's G-string, and used to predict the lottery. Along the way, it touches the lives of several diverse characters, portrayed by an ensemble cast that clearly enjoyed their work. Especially noteworthy are Christopher Lloyd and Steve Buscemi (who is required by law to appear in all of these sorts of movies) as an experienced criminal and his somewhat bewildered apprentice. Some characters appear for a single scene, while others lose the bill and then return to us when the bill returns to them, to tie up their storylines.
It's an enjoyable ride, funny at times, poignant at others, and it deserves a spot in every movie lover's media rack."
Great cast, great concept
Altso Nonaz | Seattle, WA USA | 04/04/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have always thought that any movie with William H. Macy must be a great film (it's a benchmark that has rarely caused me dismay); once again William proves me right. Although Brendan Frasier has a prominent role, this film is creative, interesting and has some genius plot turns. This was on the "Bravo" channel a few weeks ago and I sure wish I taped it...too bad independant films go out of stock so quickly. If you can rent it -- do!"
Hidden Treasure
Timothy Hammond | West Chester, PA United States | 06/15/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Coincidentally or not, it seems that I have been watching a lot of films lately that center around the main theme present in "Twenty Bucks". We are presented with a varied cast of characters and given insight into each of their very different lives, all the while being shown how they, and we for that matter, are all connected.
What seperates "Twenty Bucks" from other films with the same theme and makes it so good is its ability to vary moods quickly and seamlessly. The film does an excellent job of mirroring life by presenting such a wide spectrum of differing events and emotions. Like life, the film is whimsical and light hearted one moment, and tragic and melancholy the next, but never do these transitions seem forced.
Our actions carry repurcussions that affect other lives in ways we can never realize, even if that action is something as seemingly insignificant as a twenty dollar bill moving from one hand to the next. The deep question being asked of us of course is, "Is it all random or is there some underlying destiny that moves us along towards our fates?" Thankfully, "Twenty Bucks" does not attempt to answer that question. Instead, it merely presents us with life and all its triumphs and failures, sadness and joy, and disillusionment and enlightenment, and lets us decide the answer based on our own point of view...do you see these things as random events or is fate involved?"
Watch this movie!
Altso Nonaz | 12/12/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Amazing things about this movie: 1. everybody's in it but nobody's heard of it; 2. anyone will like it, including Great Aunt Matilda; 3. high watchabiltiy, that is, you can stand to watch it more than once in your life; 4. it's really, really good."
Good Cast; Fair Story
Craig Connell | Lockport, NY USA | 06/11/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"This is a series of short stories, detailing what happens to people holding a particularl twenty-dollar-bill as it switches from owner to owner.
Several of the segments are quite good, my favorites being with the holdup men: Christopher Lloyd and Steve Buscemi. (Now there are two interesting character-actors, for you!)
It's not "family fare," so beware of that if that is a concern, but overall it was a decent "rental" DVD. The cast is more interesting and deep than the story.