Owning Mahowny (2003)
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79% of critics liked it
(94 reviews) -
71% of users liked it
(6,123 ratings)
A seemingly ordinary bank employee develops an obsession that could destroy his life and that of those around him in this drama. Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a quiet, unassuming employee of a bank in Toronto; he lives modestly, drives a used car, and is dating one of the bank's… More A seemingly ordinary bank employee develops an obsession that could destroy his life and that of those around him in this drama. Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a quiet, unassuming employee of a bank in Toronto; he lives modestly, drives a used car, and is dating one of the bank's tellers, a sweet but mousy girl named Belinda (Minnie Driver). What no one knows is that Dan has a secret life -- Dan is a compulsive gambler, and after running up massive debts with his bookie Frank Perlin (Maury Chaykin), he begins making regular visits to Atlantic City in the United States, where he often bets (and loses) far beyond his means. Dan's expertise at the bank is rewarded with a promotion to assistant manager; his new responsibilities include approving loans, which gives him the authority to transfer funds in and out of the bank. Needing to cover his debts, Dan starts approving loans to non-existent clients and adding hundreds of thousands of dollars to other accounts, and Victor Fox) (John Hurt), manager of Dan's favorite Atlantic City casino, is more than happy to "help" Dan, comping him to luxury suites and all the attendant amenities and working with him to transfer bank funds into his casino account. As Dan's debts begin to grow into the seven figure range, his dealings become harder to hide, both from the authorities and from Belinda, who has become aware of Dan's addiction to gambling but doesn't know just how far it's grown. Based on a true story, Owning Mahowny was directed by Richard Kwietniowski, who previously worked with John Hurt in the acclaimed Love and Death on Long Island. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Richard Kwietniowski
- Written By
- Gary Stephen Ross, Maurice Chauvet
- Genres
- Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
R,
- In Theaters
- May 2, 2003 Limited
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Classics
Critic Reviews
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Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
Whether or not you think of gambling as a vice, you can bet on Owning Mahowny.
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Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Hoffman makes it impossible for us not to watch and not to enjoy it all on some subliminal level.
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Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Owning Mahowny is an unflashy but fascinating meditation on addiction and greed.
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James Berardinelli, ReelViews
A motion picture that never ceases to be worthwhile.
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, Houston Chronicle
This is a small story, as quiet and unassuming as its main character. And, like Mahowny, it makes few wrong moves and quite a few right ones.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Philip Seymour Hoffman
as Dan Mahowny
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Minnie Driver
as Belinda
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Maury Chaykin
as Frank Perlin
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John Hurt
as Victor Foss
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Sonja Smits
as Dana Selkirk
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Ian Tracey
as Detective Ben Lock
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Roger Dunn
as Bill Gooden
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Jason Blicker
as Dave Quinson
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Chris Collins
as Bernie
- Matthew Ferguson
- K.C. Collins
