On her deathbed, Frank Singer (Nicolas Cage) swore to his mother he would never get married.
How's that for a believable Plot Line?
Years later, he proposes to his girlfriend Betsy (Sarah Jessica Parker) & arranges to be married in Las Vegas - where both the elusive "Money & Marriage" - lets us down as we promise "Till Death Do Us Part"!
Tell me about it!
Staying at the Bally's Hotel with the frantic amount of anticipation of the nuptials; the spell is broken when a Professional Gambler, Tommi (James Caan) sees Betsy & goes nuts at the resemblance to his late wife & wants her.
I can't tell you how many times that's happened to me!
When the ever persuasive Caan arranges a crooked Poker Game & invites Cage to play - he already knows how he could pay the whole thing off when he loses -- let Caan spend the weekend with Betsy to propose marriage.
Creepy, Yes. In Las Vegas, No!
MY FAVORITE SCENE IN THE MOVIE IS:
After setting him up to win just one Hand; Jack, the Novice says seriously:
JACK
I'm in a regular Game in the city!
Then as Luck & Scams usually go; Jack (Cage) gets the Mother of all Hands (okay, Mother-in-law); a Straight Flush!
JACK
Straight Flush - to the Jack!
TOMMI
Straight Flush - to the Queen!
Cage is trumped by an even better Hand & loses $65,000; which he never had!
Then my favorite line in the whole film after his big loss:
WAITER (to Jack)
Would you like a Fruit Plate?
When Jack gets back to his Bride-to-be; he tries to explain:
JACK
Do you know what a Straight Flush is? It's like..unbeatable!
BETSY
"Like unbeatable" is not unbeatable!
JACK
Hey, I know that now, okay?
A Bet's, A Bet - so Tommi & Betsy fly off to Hawaii & that's when Jack's angst really kicks in; following them...not with a GPS - but with dozens of White-Suited Elvis Impersonators!
And of course; there's a Happy Ending! Oh, not on the Screen - this is a PG!
But they did get a One Hour Room Comp! The other 55 minutes they were playin' the Nickel Slots!
***
"Last night I stayed up late playing Poker with Tarot Cards - I got a Full House & 4 People Died"!
Steven Wright, Comic
"Your best chance to get a Royal Flush in a Casino is in the Bathroom"!
Terrance (V.P. Pappy) Murphy
And Jackie Robinson said:
"Baseball is like a Poker Game. Nobody wants to quit when he's losing & nobody wants you to quit when you're ahead"!
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V.Corso
OS Weekend Fiction Club
Thoth
Blinddream
Procopius
Rob St. Amant
Salon.com
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