Matchstick Men is a 2003 American black comedy crime film directed by Ridley Scott and based on Eric Garcia's 2002 novel of the same name. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, and Alison Lohman. It premiered on September 2, 2003, at the 60th Venice International Film Festival and was released by Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States on September 12, 2003.
Overview
The film follows Roy Waller (Nicolas Cage), a con artist from Los Angeles who suffers from severe Tourette syndrome and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Alongside his partner and protégé Frank Mercer (Sam Rockwell), Roy runs short cons, selling overpriced water filtration systems to unsuspecting customers. The plot centers on Roy's unexpected reunion with a teenage daughter, Angela (Alison Lohman), whom he never knew existed, and the long con the pair attempt to pull on a businessman named Chuck Frechette (Bruce McGill).
Production
The film was produced by ImageMovers, Scott Free Productions, Rickshaw Productions, and LivePlanet, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. The screenplay was written by Ted Griffin and Nicholas Griffin. Cinematography was handled by John Mathieson, editing by Dody Dorn, and the musical score was composed by Hans Zimmer. The film had a production budget of approximately $62 million.
Cast
- Nicolas Cage as Roy Waller
- Sam Rockwell as Frank Mercer
- Alison Lohman as Angela
- Bruce Altman as Dr. Harris Klein
- Bruce McGill as Chuck Frechette
- Sheila Kelley as Kathy
- Beth Grant as Laundry Lady
- Melora Walters as Heather, Roy's former wife (uncredited)
- Jenny O'Hara as Mrs. Schaffer
- Steve Eastin as Mr. Schaffer
- Fran Kranz as Slacker Boyfriend
Release and Reception
The film opened in 2,711 theaters in the United States and Canada, grossing $13.0 million in its opening weekend and finishing in second place behind Once Upon a Time in Mexico. It ultimately grossed approximately $36.9 million domestically and $65.5 million worldwide.
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 83% approval rating based on 183 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The site's consensus reads: "Breezy and well-acted, Matchstick Men focuses more on the characters than on the con." Metacritic assigned the film a score of 61 out of 100 based on 38 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.
Film critic Roger Ebert awarded the film 4 stars out of 4, describing it as "so absorbing that whenever it cuts away from the plot, there is another, better plot to cut to." He also recommended the film for several Oscar nominations, particularly for Nicolas Cage's performance and the screenplay.
Related Usage
The term "Matchstick Men" also appears in the title of the 1968 Status Quo song "Pictures of Matchstick Men," the band's first hit single. Additionally, the term is associated with the British painter L. S. Lowry, who is known for his distinctive "matchstick men" figures in his industrial landscape paintings.
