''Two Bits'' is a 1995 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by James Foley and starring

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (born November 17, 1958) is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut in the 1980 revival of ''West Side Story'', and went on to appear in the 1983 film '' Scarface'' as Al Pacino's character's si ...

and Jerry Barone. It is written by

Joseph Stefano Joseph William Stefano (May 5, 1922 – August 25, 2006) was an American screenwriter, known for adapting Robert Bloch's novel as the script for Alfred Hitchcock's film '' Psycho'', and for being the producer and co-writer of the original ''The ...

, who considered the film a personal project, with a semi-biographical story. The title refers to the American slang term for a quarter dollar: "

two bits ''Two Bits'' is a 1995 American drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified wi ...

Plot

It is a hot summer day in 1933 in

South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west."." ''City of Philadelphia''. Retrieved November 8, ...

, where 12-year-old Gennaro lives with his widowed mother and ailing grandfather. His grandfather sits outside holding on tight to his last quarter. He has promised the quarter to Gennaro so that the boy can buy a ticket to a plush new movie theater. However, grandpa is not ready to pass on the quarter, nor is he ready to die. He has some unfinished business with a woman from his past, and he enlists Gennaro to act as his emissary.

Cast

Reception

Awards

The film was nominated for two

Young Artist Awards The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

: Best Family Feature and Best Young Leading Actor (Jerry Barone).

References

External links

* * * 1995 films 1995 drama films American drama films Films directed by James Foley Films set in Philadelphia Films with screenplays by Joseph Stefano Films set in 1933 Films scored by Carter Burwell 1990s English-language films 1990s American films {{1990s-US-drama-film-stub