“Mad Money” (Overture Films)
Script Is Petty Cash, But the Cast Is A Treasure
Sometimes the genius is in the casting. Such is definitely the case with “Mad Money,” a run of the mill crime caper film that is made better than average entertainment by the whole hog enthusiasm of the cast. Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, Ted Danson and especially Diane Keaton are determined to mine every laugh, chuckle and snicker out of the script and they do.
Bridget Cardigan (Keaton) is an everyday housewife living the good life with her husband Don (Danson). Their children are grown and they are having a good time, until the bottom drops out and Don loses his job. Their bills are piling up and neither one can find a job. Out of desperation Bridget takes a job as a janitor at the Federal Reserve Bank.
One day she observes money being destroyed. This sets her to thinking and she decides money that is going to be destroyed is money that won’t be missed. She convinces two of her co-workers, Nina (Latifah) and Jackie (Holmes) to partner up with her and they begin to steal the money.
Of course they have many close calls and watching Keaton huff and puff her way through these makes the movie totally charming. Keaton is a comic jewel and she knows how to make her character lovable and endearing. If she weren’t so totally likeable the movie just wouldn’t be what it is.
You also have to give credit to Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes. Nina is the most sensible of the group and Latifah exudes intelligence and common sense. Holmes plays an airhead and she does it with such freedom that Jackie too wins you over.
Danson, Adam Rothberg and Roger Cross play the men in their lives. Danson is the only one who gets any really good lines but all three play their supporting roles with enthusiasm. Christopher MacDonald has some good moments as an attorney
The movie is rated PG-13 for profanity.
Diane Keaton keeps having to lift so-so movies up by her charm. One of these days she is going to get a great role in a great movie. But until then we will have to be satisfied with her being great in not so great movies. Annie Hall lives!
I scored “Mad Money” a wealthy 6 out of 10.
