Mississippi Grind
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''Mississippi Grind'' is a 2015 American
comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...
film written and directed by
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck Anna Boden and Ryan K. Fleck are an American filmmaking duo. They are best known for their collaborations on the films ''Half Nelson (film), Half Nelson'', ''Sugar (2008 film), Sugar'', '' It's Kind of a Funny Story (film), It's Kind of a Funny ...
. It stars
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over  billion. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
,
Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his breakout role in ''The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987) and since then he has had roles in films such as '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010) ...
,
Sienna Miller Sienna Rosie Diana Miller (born December 28, 1981) is an American-British actress. Born in New York City and raised in London, she began her career as a photography model, appearing in the pages of Italian ''Vogue'' and for the 2003 Pirelli cal ...
,
Lio Tipton Lio Tipton (born Analeigh Tipton; November 9, 1988) is an American actor and fashion model. Tipton is known for being the last eliminated on Cycle 11 of ''America's Next Top Model'' and for their roles in the films ''Crazy, Stupid, Love'' (2011 ...
,
Robin Weigert Robin Weigert (born July 7, 1969) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for portraying Calamity Jane on the television series '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award f ...
, and
Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard (; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards (tying the record for the most acting Emmys won by an African-American performer, along with Regina King), ...
. The film was released by
A24 A24 is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. It is based in New York City. A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges. Pr ...
on September 25, 2015.


Plot

Gerry, a struggling gambler and real estate agent, meets Curtis, an itinerant younger gambler, at a casino in
Dubuque, Iowa Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Il ...
. Curtis buys Gerry a drink; hours later, Gerry returns the favor, leading to a night of heavy drinking. After an unsuccessful real estate showing, at the dog track, Gerry and Curtis win big, but Gerry gambles it away. At a bar, they drunkenly attempt to bet $1,000 on a game of pool and are kicked out. Curtis tells Gerry it's almost "
Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...
time" – a phrase he uses whenever he leaves town. In the parking lot, Gerry is stabbed in an attempted mugging. Gerry's loan shark, Sam, threatens him to pay the money he owes her. Running into Curtis, Gerry proposes a gambling trip down the Mississippi, culminating in a New Orleans poker game with a $25,000 buy-in. The game is being held by Curtis' former acquaintance, Tony Roundtree. He agrees, spotting Gerry $2,000. Before hitting the road, Gerry steals the petty cash from his office. Arriving in St. Louis, Curtis reunites with Simone, a prostitute. After Gerry's successful poker session on a riverboat casino, he and Curtis spend the night with Simone and fellow prostitute Vanessa. While Gerry bonds with Vanessa, Simone reminds Curtis she has been taken advantage of by a gambler before, and remains unwilling to run away with him. In
Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...
, Gerry plays well at
Texas Hold 'em Texas hold 'em (also known as Texas holdem, hold 'em, and holdem) is one of the most popular variants of the card game of poker. Two cards, known as hole cards, are dealt face down to each player, and then five Community card poker, communit ...
but loses everything on the final "river" card. Lying to Curtis that he won $7,000, he asks to go to
Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...
to see his ex Dorothy and estranged daughter, Wendy. Wendy is at school; when Dorothy catches him stealing money, she asks him to leave. Curtis and Gerry go to the
Tunica, Mississippi Tunica is a town in and the county seat of Tunica County, Mississippi, United States, near the Mississippi River. Until the early 1990s when casino gambling was introduced in the area, Tunica had been one of the most impoverished places in the Uni ...
casino, where Curtis' VIP card is rejected; asking Gerry for money, he discovers his lie. Disappointed, Curtis provokes strangers in the bathroom into assaulting Gerry, who later admits to his problems with money, and his belief that Curtis is his good luck charm. Reaching New Orleans, they sell Gerry's car, going to a horse race, and lose almost everything on a longshot. Curtis splits their funds equally, giving Gerry $100 for a bus ticket home. But then he collects his winnings, $5000, having bet on a different horse instead. Gerry fails to talk his way into the high-stakes poker game using Curtis as his in, as Tony clearly dislikes him and gets punched in the nose. Curtis gets thumped after a pickup basketball game. Offering strangers $100 for a game, he expects them to rob him when he loses and says he has no money; to his surprise they just take the $100. Curtis then visits his mother Cherry, a cabaret performer, leaving her most of his winnings. At a casino, Gerry bets the last of his money first on a slot machine then on roulette and wins. Curtis arrives at Gerry's blackjack table and loses his remaining money, but Gerry shares his chips. Their winnings continue to grow as they play craps, and Curtis calls Simone, who proclaims his love for her. Convinced they cannot lose, Gerry and Curtis bet their entire $285,000. Over an expensive dinner, Gerry and Curtis discuss their plans, having won a half-million dollars. Curtis wants a white Cadillac but when asked repeatedly all Gerry can come up with is he wants to do something nice for his daughter. In the morning, Curtis finds Gerry has gone, leaving his half of the money with a note: "It's Machu Picchu time". Curtis flirts with the hotel clerk; asked if he is going anywhere special, he replies, "Peru", offering to take her with him. In the final scene, Gerry buys back his car from the dealer he sold it to, telling the man he "got lucky." Sitting in his own car again, he turns it on and hears the gambling tips CD he left in the stereo. As the CD describes the mark of a confident player (sitting back, relaxed shoulders), Gerry's slouching posture transforms into a confident one and an American flag can be seen reflected upside down in the windshield.


Cast

*
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over  billion. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
as Curtis Vaughn *
Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his breakout role in ''The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987) and since then he has had roles in films such as '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010) ...
as Gerry *
Sienna Miller Sienna Rosie Diana Miller (born December 28, 1981) is an American-British actress. Born in New York City and raised in London, she began her career as a photography model, appearing in the pages of Italian ''Vogue'' and for the 2003 Pirelli cal ...
as Simone *
Lio Tipton Lio Tipton (born Analeigh Tipton; November 9, 1988) is an American actor and fashion model. Tipton is known for being the last eliminated on Cycle 11 of ''America's Next Top Model'' and for their roles in the films ''Crazy, Stupid, Love'' (2011 ...
as Vanessa *
Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard (; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards (tying the record for the most acting Emmys won by an African-American performer, along with Regina King), ...
as Sam *
Jayson Warner Smith Jayson Warner Smith is an American actor who began his career in 2010 and is known for portraying Gavin in the television series '' The Walking Dead''. He is also known for his role in ''Rectify'' as Wendall Jelks and as Cooper in ''The Vampire ...
as Clifford *
Robin Weigert Robin Weigert (born July 7, 1969) is an American television and film actress. She is best known for portraying Calamity Jane on the television series '' Deadwood'' (2004–2006), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award f ...
as Dorothy *
Marshall Chapman Marshall Chapman (born January 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter and author. Biography Early life Marshall Chapman was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. She was the daughter of a cotton mill owner. After she attended ...
as Cherry *
Jane McNeill Jane McNeill-Balter, professionally credited as Jane McNeill, is an American stage, film and television actress, best known to television audiences for her recurring role as Patricia on the second season of '' The Walking Dead''. Life and ca ...
as Kate *
Indigo Indigo is a deep color close to the color wheel blue (a primary color in the RGB color space), as well as to some variants of ultramarine, based on the ancient dye of the same name. The word "indigo" comes from the Latin word ''indicum'', m ...
as Dora *
James Toback James Toback (; born November 23, 1944) is an American film director and screenwriter. His screenplay for '' Bugsy'' won the 1991 Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for best screenplay of the year and was nominated for both the Academy Aw ...
as Tony Roundtree * Jason Shaffette as Chuck


Production

On August 15, 2012,
Jake Gyllenhaal Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal (; ; born December 19, 1980) is an American actor. Born into the Gyllenhaal family, he is the son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, and his older sister is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal. He beg ...
was in talks to join
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck Anna Boden and Ryan K. Fleck are an American filmmaking duo. They are best known for their collaborations on the films ''Half Nelson (film), Half Nelson'', ''Sugar (2008 film), Sugar'', '' It's Kind of a Funny Story (film), It's Kind of a Funny ...
on their gambling project; the duo would direct the film ''Mississippi Grind'' penned by themselves. On January 7, 2013,
Ben Mendelsohn Paul Benjamin Mendelsohn (born 3 April 1969) is an Australian actor. He first rose to prominence in Australia for his breakout role in ''The Year My Voice Broke'' (1987) and since then he has had roles in films such as '' Animal Kingdom'' (2010) ...
joined the cast of the film to star opposite Gyllenhaal. On February 1, 2013, it was announced that Panorama Media would produce the road trip drama ''Mississippi Grind'', with Electric City Entertainment producing. On June 27, 2013,
Ryan Reynolds Ryan Rodney Reynolds (born October 23, 1976) is a Canadian-American actor. He is one of the highest-grossing film actors of all time, with a worldwide box-office gross of over  billion. He began his career starring in the Canadian teen ...
joined the cast of the film to play the lead as a gambler, replacing Gyllenhaal in the cast. On November 6, 2013,
Sienna Miller Sienna Rosie Diana Miller (born December 28, 1981) is an American-British actress. Born in New York City and raised in London, she began her career as a photography model, appearing in the pages of Italian ''Vogue'' and for the 2003 Pirelli cal ...
agreed to a starring role in the film alongside Reynolds and Mendelsohn, with production to start in January 2014 in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. On January 8, 2014, there was a casting call for extras to film some scenes at Mobile Greyhound Park in
Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...
. On January 27, 2014,
Lio Tipton Lio Tipton (born Analeigh Tipton; November 9, 1988) is an American actor and fashion model. Tipton is known for being the last eliminated on Cycle 11 of ''America's Next Top Model'' and for their roles in the films ''Crazy, Stupid, Love'' (2011 ...
signed on to the film.


Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as actor ...
began on January 19, 2014 in
Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...
,
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
and went on through March 2014. The shooting was also done in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
and
Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-sma ...
,
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. On February 4, Reynolds and Miller were spotted filming scenes on the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. On March 11, 2014, the crews were spotted filming scenes at
Mobile Greyhound Park Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile (b ...
in Mobile.


Release

The film had its world premiere at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
on January 24, 2015. On January 28, 2015,
A24 A24 is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. It is based in New York City. A24 was founded in 2012 by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel and John Hodges. Pr ...
and
DirecTV Cinema DirecTV Cinema (previously known as Direct Ticket, Blockbuster Ticket, Blockbuster Pay-Per-View Movies, and DirecTV Pay-Per-View) is DirecTV's video on demand and pay-per-view platform for film content. Films are released as is done on other pay- ...
had acquired distribution rights to the film. The film went onto premiere at the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ( cs, Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary) is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become ...
on July 4, 2015. and
Melbourne International Film Festival The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is an annual film festival held over three weeks in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1952 and is one of the oldest film festivals in the world following the founding of the Venice Film Fest ...
on August 1, 2015. The film was released through
DirecTV Cinema DirecTV Cinema (previously known as Direct Ticket, Blockbuster Ticket, Blockbuster Pay-Per-View Movies, and DirecTV Pay-Per-View) is DirecTV's video on demand and pay-per-view platform for film content. Films are released as is done on other pay- ...
on August 13, 2015, before being released in a
limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
on September 25, 2015. It was scheduled to be released on
video on demand Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of o ...
on October 13, 2015. It was selected to be screened in the Gala Presentations section of the
2015 Toronto International Film Festival The 40th annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 10 to 20 September 2015. On 28 July 2015 the first wave of films to be screened at the Festival was announced. Jean-Marc Vallée's ''Demolition'' starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Naom ...
.


Critical reception

On
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on reviews from 119 critics, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Well-acted and steeped in Southern atmosphere, ''Mississippi Grind'' is a road movie and addiction drama that transcends each of its well-worn genres."
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, which uses a
weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
, assigns a score of 77 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


Notes


References


External links

*
Official screenplay
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mississippi Grind 2015 films 2015 independent films 2015 comedy-drama films 2010s American films 2010s buddy comedy-drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s road comedy-drama films American buddy comedy-drama films American road comedy-drama films A24 (company) films Films directed by Anna Boden Films directed by Ryan Fleck Films scored by Scott Bomar Films set in Arkansas Films set in Memphis, Tennessee Films set in New Orleans Films set in St. Louis Films shot in Mobile, Alabama Films shot in New Orleans Gambling films Poker films