21
Drama
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment  (4/28/2008) 123 mins PG-13

6.8 (40,465 votes)
Mickey Rosa (Kevin Spacey) is an MIT mathematics professor who recruits the brightest minds on campus to his classes. Dr. Rosa secretly teaches the trade of counting cards to the brightest kids in the hopes of cashing in on the casinos in Las Vegas. Ben (Jim Sturgess) is a mathematical genius, who quickly learns the secrets of the trade. Ben trades in the rigor of academia and Boston for the glamour of Las Vegas. Ben's skill is evident when slowly wins a large amount of cash. Along with him as part of the card-counting team are several classmates; Jill (Kate Bosworth), Miles (Josh Gad), Fisher (Jacob Pitts), Choi (Aaron Yoo), Cameron (Sam Golzari) and Stemple (Spencer Garrett). The team employs an intricate, yet legal, system of signals in order to best determine which tables are statistically in favor of the player. The card-counters start to beat the casinos by getting huge pay outs du...

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Cast and Crew
Jim Sturgess  ......  Ben Campbell
Kevin Spacey  ......  Mickey Rosa
Kate Bosworth  ......  Jill Taylor
Laurence Fishburne  ......  Cole Williams
Aaron Yoo  ......  Choi
Liza Lapira  ......  Kianna
Director  .....  Robert Luketic
Producer  .....  Brett Ratner; Kevin Spacey; William S. Beasley; Dana Brunetti; Michael De Luca
Writer  .....  Peter Steinfeld; Allan Loeb
Notes
Goofs:
Continuity: During the first meeting with Ben, the cards that Micky deals alternate from face up, face down, and missing altogether. (more)

Trivia:
Boston University students were used as extras in many of the classroom scenes. (more)

Filming Locations:
Back Bay, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (more)

Quotes:
[a man is being beaten brutally by Cole Williams and his partner, Terry]
Cole Williams: You think you can beat the system? This *is* the system... beatin' you back!
[Cole smacks the counter in the face]
Cole Williams: You wanna count cards, you do it in Atlantic City! Get him up.
Terry: [growling] Let's go. Get up! On your feet!
Cole Williams: Count to five. Count to five!
Card Counter: [disillusioned] What?
Cole Williams: Count to five so that you don't have brain damage, you can go home.
Terry: Start with One.
Card Counter: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
[...]
(more)

Awards:
1 win & 4 nominations (more)