The game of blackjack, and gambling in general, has been an appealing yet rather controversial topic in the high-end studios and production houses of Hollywood. And while it has stirred up more than enough situations, it has managed to inspire even more storylines, including some of the greatest projections on the silver screen. The following list of memorable blackjack movies attempts to present them in their true value, and to prove you need to see them sooner rather than later.
21
As much as you might have been expecting this movie to be left out, there is practically no other way to build a list of memorable movies without it. The blackjack strategies and card counting capabilities portrayed in it are as real as it gets, mainly because the motion picture was inspired by the real-life story of a similar group of MIT students that cleaned out the house on more than several occasions.
Stacy’s Knights
There is more than blackjack in this scenario, but considering that the build-up, as well as the revenge action, revolves around the game in question, which makes it worthy of a spot on this list. One of the main characters is played by Kevin Costner – he is a mentor to the protégé played by Andra Millian. However, throughout the dirty games of corrupted casinos, Costner is killed and Millian takes it upon herself to avenge him by cleaning them out in blackjack.
The Hangover
This 2009 projection is predominantly a comedy, but definitely includes some drama, parody and crime along the way. In this pool of themes, The Hangover has also managed to provide an insight into the character’s blackjack skills – more specifically, those of the character played by Zach Galifianakis. With his general behaviour, stature, and table manners, this scene is homage to the Rain Man, and thus making The Hangover more than a passing laugh.
Rain Man
Speaking of the movie, it is important to mention that it also bears a combination of themes, and while blackjack doesn’t dominate in the fore, it is definitely one of the scenes that made the movie what it is – legendary. Dustin Hoffman has rightfully been rewarded for his acting skills, and seeing the scene with its second participant – Tom Cruise – only further proves its brilliance.
The Last Casino
Should you decide to watch the last movie title on this list after the first one, you will definitely get the feeling of déjà vu. Namely, The Last Casino is in fact a predecessor of the widely successful box office hit 21, made back in 2004 by a Canadian production.
All the elements of the story are definitely present, along with the backstory of Mickey Rosa and the reasons that made him lead MIT students to those lengths in order to get some money. Nonetheless, there is a reason it is on the list, so it’s best that you get a copy of this documentary-styled story and witness the ‘memorable’ for yourself.
