2016 film by Stephen Gaghan
Gold
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by
| Stephen Gaghan
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Written by
| |
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Produced by
| |
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Starring
| |
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Cinematography
| Robert Elswit
|
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Edited by
| Douglas Crise
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Music by
| Daniel Pemberton
|
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Production
companies
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Distributed by
| |
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Release date
|
- December 30, 2016
(
2016-12-30
)
(United States)
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Running time
| 121 minutes
[2]
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Country
| United States
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Language
| English
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Budget
| $20 million
[3]
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Box office
| $14.9 million
[2]
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Gold
is a 2016 American
crime
drama
film directed by
Stephen Gaghan
and written by
Patrick Massett
and
John Zinman
. The film stars
Matthew McConaughey
,
Edgar Ramirez
,
Bryce Dallas Howard
,
Corey Stoll
,
Toby Kebbell
,
Craig T. Nelson
,
Stacy Keach
and
Bruce Greenwood
. The film is loosely based on the true story of the 1997
Bre-X
mining scandal, when a massive gold deposit was supposedly discovered in the jungles of
Indonesia
;
[4]
[5]
[6]
however, for legal reasons and to enhance the appeal of the film, character names and story details were changed.
[7]
[8]
Principal photography
began on June 29, 2015, in
New York City
,
New Mexico
and
Thailand
. The film had a
limited release
in the United States on December 30, 2016, before going wide on January 27, 2017. It received mixed reviews from critics and grossed nearly $15 million against a $20 million budget. The film received a
Golden Globe
nomination for
Best Original Song
.
Plot
[
edit
]
In 1981, Kenny Wells helps to run a prospecting company, Washoe, with his father whom he clearly admires. But seven years after his father dies, the business and Kenny are nearly broke after having lost the office, so Kenny and his colleagues now work from his girlfriend's bar.
Kenny, now living with his girlfriend, Kay, has a dream that leads him to
Indonesia
where he meets up with geologist Michael Acosta. Both are struggling financially, but Kenny manages to convince Mike to go into business to acquire a gold prospect. Kenny then flies back to America and raises the promised money to finance their venture.
Unfortunately, the exploration program struggles and fails to show any gold, so the workers soon leave until Mike persuades them to come back with the promise of freshwater. Kenny contracts
malaria
and is bedridden for the next few weeks. When he finally wakes up, Mike reveals that they have had a strike and now have a huge gold deposit.
After celebrating, Kenny goes back to America where he sets up a new office for Washoe and is approached by a major Wall Street bank. Mike accompanies Kenny to their meeting and, after a disagreement, decides to bring some of the bank associates to Indonesia in order to show them the mine. This wins the bank over and it invests $20 million in Washoe, leading the venture to become a public company. Washoe proves to be a huge success and increases 70 points in its first day on the stock market.
Kenny's life becomes celebratory as he goes from one party to the next, but Kay, fearing that he will be tricked and cut out, argues with him and then leaves after seeing him flirting with another woman, Rachel Hill. He is interrupted by Mark Hancock, a high-profile executive of a major mining company, who approaches him regarding buying the company. Kenny meets with him the next day and is offered $300 million for a portion of the mine, but his company's name would be removed. Offended by this, Kenny declines the offer and storms out. The next day on his way into the office Mike phones to tell Kenny that the Indonesian Government has closed the mine; it is also revealed that a previous US president sits on the board in Hancock's company and that he is a friend of the Indonesian president
Suharto
.
Kenny is disconsolate and seems to be defeated, but Mike flies to the US and offers a plan to win their mine back. They manage to convince the president's son to join them in business after Kenny proves himself by stroking a
tiger
. The mine is reopened with Washoe receiving 15% of what now is a $30 billion business.
Kenny thinks of going back to Kay but, seeing her flirting with another man at her new job, decides against it. Kenny is then told that he has been honored with a golden pickaxe, the greatest prize for a prospector. The evening of the presentation comes, and he goes with Mike, who walks out during Kenny's speech.
The next day something has gone wrong as Kenny drives to his office and has to push his way through an angry crowd of people. It is then announced that Mike had faked the whole mine as he planted gold in the samples using a method called '
salting
'. The gold that he planted was in fact 'river gold' that had been seen earlier in the film. Mike had traded freshwater for the people's river gold so that he could fake the gold mine. Mike is reported to have fled.
Kenny is then questioned by the
FBI
. He retells his story from a chair in his hotel room that he now cannot afford. The FBI agents seem to believe him and state that Mike was later captured by the Indonesian authorities while on the run and then possibly forced to jump out of a
helicopter
, some 1000 feet above the
jungle
. The corpse had its hands and face chewed clean off by wild animals, so Acosta's death is never proven. The agents also say that both the
Indonesian minister
and Mike dumped their stocks before the scandal broke and that Mike possessed 164 million US Dollars when he fled.
Kenny returns to Kay's house where he apologizes and later looks through his mail received since they have been apart. He opens one envelope and finds the napkin Mike and he signed as a contract, reading "50?50". Beneath the napkin is a deposit slip for $82 million to First Bank of Gibraltar, Queens Lane Branch, United Kingdom.
Cast
[
edit
]
- Matthew McConaughey
as Kenny Wells, based on
Bre-X
CEO
David Walsh
.
[9]
[10]
[11]
- Edgar Ramirez
as Michael Acosta,
[12]
a geologist based on Michael de Guzman.
- Bryce Dallas Howard
as Kay,
[13]
Wells' longtime girlfriend.
- Joshua Harto
as Lloyd Stanton,
[14]
the businessman's bank account manager.
- Timothy Simons
as Jeff Jackson,
[9]
a Wall Street banker who is coaxed by the duo to inspect the potential value of the company in the jungles of Borneo.
- Michael Landes
as Glen Binkert
[15]
- Corey Stoll
as Brian Woolf,
[13]
a New York investment banker.
- Toby Kebbell
as Paul Jennings,
[13]
an FBI agent.
- Bruce Greenwood
[13]
as Mark Hancock, boss of a major competitor.
- Stacy Keach
as Clive Coleman
[13]
- Bill Camp
as Hollis Dresher
- Rachael Taylor
as Rachel Hill, an aggressively flirtatious finance hotshot.
- Macon Blair
as Connie Wright
- Bhavesh Patel
as Bobby Owens
- Patrick Duggan
[16]
as Waldorf-Astoria Doorman
- Craig T. Nelson
as Kenny Wells, Kenny's father.
- Danny Winn as the Angry Investor
[17]
- Jackamoe Buzzell as Kay's Boss - American Home
- Jirayu Tantrakul as Darmadi 'Danny' Suharto
- Ed Trucco
as Bartender
Production
[
edit
]
Development
[
edit
]
The project was first announced by
Deadline
on April 12, 2011, as a treasure hunt film titled
Gold
in the vein of
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
, written by
Patrick Massett
and
John Zinman
as a writing sample and developed by
Paul Haggis
, who showed it to
Michael Mann
.
[18]
Mann liked the script and joined as director and producer for his banner Forward Pass, which Haggis would also produce along with
Michael Nozik
.
[18]
Later in August 2011,
Variety
reported that
Christian Bale
was being eyed for the lead role, and it was one of several projects he had to choose among at the time.
[19]
In March 2012, Mann exited the project due to his involvement in the development of the film
Big Tuna
and an untitled cyber thriller film (later titled
Blackhat
).
[20]
On October 17, 2012, Black Bear Pictures came on board to fully finance and produce the film.
[21]
Black Bear's
Teddy Schwarzman
and
Ben Stillman
would produce the film along with Haggis and Nozik through their Hwy61, and Massett and Zinman would also produce the film.
[21]
On May 16, 2013,
TheWrap
reported that
Spike Lee
replaced Mann to direct the film when Mann left to start production on his untitled cyber thriller film that was eventually titled
Blackhat
.
[20]
On August 22, 2014,
Deadline
confirmed that
Matthew McConaughey
would be next starring in the film
Gold
.
[10]
On January 28, 2015, it was announced that the film would be directed by
Stephen Gaghan
, replacing Lee, and it would be shot in June 2015 in
New York City
,
New Mexico
and
Thailand
, while the film's foreign sales would be handled by Sierra/Affinity.
[22]
Producers would be Schwarzman and Nozik, along with Massett, Zinman and McConaughey, while Haggis would executive-produce along with Richard Middleton.
[22]
On February 12, 2015, Sierra/Affinity sold the film to international distributors at
European Film Market
in
Berlin
.
[23]
Edgar Ramirez
was added to the cast on March 18, 2015, to play the role of geologist Michael Acosta.
[12]
On March 30, 2015,
The Weinstein Company
acquired the film's US distribution rights for $15 million, and the film would release domestically through company's
TWC-Dimension
label.
[24]
On May 15, 2015,
Michelle Williams
was set to star alongside McConaughey, to play his character's wife.
[25]
Joshua Harto
signed-on on June 3, 2015, to play Lloyd Stanton, the businessman's bank account manager.
[14]
Timothy Simons
was added to the cast on June 12, 2015, to play a
Wall Street
banker who is coaxed by the duo to inspect the potential value of the company in the jungles of
Borneo
.
[9]
Michael Landes
also signed-on on June 29, 2015, to star in the film.
[15]
On August 28, 2015,
Bryce Dallas Howard
was confirmed to cast in the film for the female lead role of Kay, Wells' longtime girlfriend,
[13]
replacing Michelle Williams.
[26]
The other cast added included
Corey Stoll
,
Toby Kebbell
,
Bruce Greenwood
, and
Stacy Keach
.
[13]
Daniel Pemberton
composed the film's score.
[27]
Filming
[
edit
]
Principal photography
on the film began on June 29, 2015, in
Thailand
.
[28]
From mid-August to mid-September, the film shot in the
Albuquerque, New Mexico
area, before moving on to
Reno, Nevada
for exterior scenes.
[29]
[30]
Early October, filming began in
New York City
in
Manhattan
.
[31]
Release
[
edit
]
Originally scheduled to open wide on December 25, 2016, it was pushed back to opening wide on January 27, with the December 25 release staying a
limited release
in order to qualify for awards.
[32]
[33]
The film's limited release was then pushed back to December 30, 2016, four days after its presumed date.
[1]
The Weinstein Company agreed to spend $20 million on marketing the film.
[34]
Reception
[
edit
]
Box office
[
edit
]
The film was a box office bomb, it grossed $7.2 million in the United States and Canada and $7.6 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $14.8 million, against 20 million dollars budget.
[2]
In the United States and Canada,
Gold
was released alongside
A Dog's Purpose
and
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
, and was projected to gross around $3 million from 2,166 theaters in its opening weekend.
[35]
It ended up grossing $3.5 million, finishing 10th at the box office.
[36]
The film dropped 60% in its second weekend, grossing $1.4 million and finishing 14th at the box office.
[37]
Critical response
[
edit
]
On review aggregation website
Rotten Tomatoes
the film holds an approval rating of 43% based on 185 reviews, with an average rating of 5.23/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "
Gold
boasts an impressively committed performance from Matthew McConaughey, but it's just one glittering nugget in an otherwise uneven heap of cinematic silt."
[38]
On
Metacritic
, the film holds a rating of 49 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
[39]
Audiences polled by
CinemaScore
gave the film an average grade of "B?" on an A+ to F scale, while
PostTrak
reported filmgoers gave the film a 67% overall positive score.
[36]
Accolades
[
edit
]
Music
[
edit
]
Below is the track listing to the soundtrack for the film:
[43]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
c
Hazelton, John (January 2, 2017).
"
'Gold': Review"
.
Screen Daily
. Retrieved
January 2,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
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.
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. Retrieved
August 12,
2017
.
- ^
"Gold on DVD: Top 10 facts about the element ahead of Matthew McConaughey film release"
.
Daily Express
. June 5, 2017
. Retrieved
January 10,
2018
.
- ^
Seskus, Tony (January 26, 2017).
"Matthew McConaughey takes on Bre-X, but the real story behind Gold is crazier than fiction"
.
Calgary Herald
.
- ^
Gilligan, Melissa.
"Bre-X investment scandal hits the big screen in 'Gold' starring Matthew McConaughey"
.
Global News
. Retrieved
30 January
2017
.
- ^
Willis, Andrew.
"
'Gold' misses out on rich story behind real-life Bre-X scandal"
.
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. Retrieved
30 January
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.
- ^
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"Gold: The movie about the Bre-X mining scandal that 'isn't about Bre-X'
"
.
The Financial Post
. Retrieved
30 January
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.
- ^
Glasner, Eli.
"
'They couldn't believe it was true:' Bre-X's Hollywood makeover"
.
CBC
. Retrieved
30 January
2017
.
- ^
a
b
c
Ford, Rebecca (June 12, 2015).
"
'Veep' Actor Timothy Simons Joins Matthew McConaughey in 'Gold' (Exclusive)"
.
hollywoodreporter.com
. Retrieved
July 1,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 22, 2014).
"Does TV Hurt Movie Careers? 'True Detective's Matthew McConaughey Coveted For 'The Stand' And 'Gold'
"
.
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. Retrieved
July 1,
2015
.
- ^
"Bre-X tale rich with Hollywood drama: Jennifer Wells - The Star"
.
Toronto Star
. 30 December 2016.
- ^
a
b
Ge, Linda (March 18, 2015).
"Edgar Ramirez Joins Matthew McConaughey in Mining Drama 'Gold'
"
. thewrap.com
. Retrieved
March 23,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
Hipes, Patrick (August 28, 2015).
"Bryce Dallas Howard Joins Matthew McConaughey In 'Gold'
"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
August 29,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Pedersen, Erik (June 3, 2015).
"Josh Harto Finds 'Gold'; Raul Castillo Joins 'Special Correspondents' ? Film Briefs"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
June 8,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Sun, Rebecca (June 29, 2015).
"Michael Landes Joins Matthew McConaughey in 'Gold' (Exclusive)"
.
hollywoodreporter.com
. Retrieved
July 1,
2015
.
- ^
Duggan, Patrick (7 October 2016).
"New Trailer For Gold starring Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramirez and Bryce Dallas Howard"
.
flickeringmyth.com
. Aime Cranswick. Archived from
the original
on 29 August 2017
. Retrieved
October 7,
2016
.
- ^
"Interview : Danny Winn"
. 21 October 2017.
- ^
a
b
Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 12, 2011).
"Michael Mann Eyes 'Gold' Hunt As Next Film"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
July 1,
2015
.
- ^
Kroll, Justin (August 24, 2011).
"Christian Bale weighs post-Batman projects"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
July 1,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Sneider, Jeff (May 16, 2013).
"Spike Lee Attached to Direct Former Michael Mann Movie 'Gold' (Exclusive)"
.
thewrap.com
. Retrieved
July 1,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 17, 2012).
"Black Bear Pictures To Finance Mining Scandal Drama 'Gold'
"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
July 1,
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.
- ^
a
b
McNary, Dave (January 28, 2015).
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.
variety.com
. Retrieved
July 1,
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.
- ^
Jaafar, Ali (February 12, 2015).
"Sierra/Affinity Strikes 'Gold' At EFM?Berlin"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
February 16,
2015
.
- ^
McClintock, Pamela; Kit, Borys (March 30, 2015).
"Matthew McConaughey's 'Gold' Lands U.S. Home With The Weinstein Co"
.
hollywoodreporter.com
. Retrieved
July 1,
2015
.
- ^
Kroll, Justin (May 15, 2015).
"Michelle Williams Joins Matthew McConaughey Mining Drama 'Gold' (EXCLUSIVE)"
.
variety.com
. Retrieved
June 8,
2015
.
- ^
Babbage, Rachel (August 29, 2015).
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.
Digital Spy
. Retrieved
August 30,
2015
.
- ^
"Daniel Pemberton Scoring Stephen Gaghan 'Gold'
"
.
Film Music Reporter
. September 5, 2016
. Retrieved
September 5,
2016
.
- ^
"On the Set for 6/29/15: Justin Lin Rolls Cameras on 'Star Trek Beyond', Emilia Clarke Wraps 'Me Before You'
"
.
ssninsider.com
. June 29, 2015. Archived from
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on June 30, 2015
. Retrieved
June 29,
2015
.
- ^
Gomez, Adrian (July 30, 2015).
"McConaughey brings latest project, 'Gold,' to ABQ"
.
Albuquerque Journal
. Retrieved
February 1,
2017
.
- ^
Gomez, Adrian (January 26, 2017).
"McConaughey's latest movie filmed partly in NM"
. Retrieved
February 1,
2017
.
- ^
"Where you can find Matthew McConaughey filming 'Gold' in NYC"
.
onlocationvacations.com
. October 5, 2015. Archived from
the original
on June 12, 2018
. Retrieved
October 8,
2015
.
- ^
Hipes, Patrick (July 21, 2016).
"Matthew McConaughey Movie 'Gold' Stakes Out Christmas Day Release"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
July 21,
2016
.
- ^
Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 21, 2016).
"Matthew McConaughey-Starrer 'Gold' Keeps Awards Window But Moves Wide Release To January 27"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. Retrieved
November 21,
2016
.
- ^
Thompson, Anne (30 March 2015).
"Weinsteins' Dimension Drops Big Bucks on 'Gold' Starring Matthew McConaughey"
.
- ^
"Box Office: Can 'A Dog's Purpose' Still Win the Weekend After Canine Controversy?"
.
Variety
. 24 January 2017
. Retrieved
January 24,
2017
.
- ^
a
b
"Is Controversy Impacting 'A Dog's Purpose' At The Box Office?"
.
Deadline Hollywood
. 29 January 2017.
- ^
Anthony D'Alessandro (February 6, 2017).
"
'Split' Dings 'Rings'; Auds Keep Distance From 'Space'; 'Comedian' Bombs: Sunday Update"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
- ^
"Gold (2017)"
.
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.
Fandango
. Retrieved
May 20,
2020
.
- ^
"Gold Reviews"
.
Metacritic
.
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. Retrieved
February 2,
2017
.
- ^
"Mel Gibson to be Honored with Hollywood Director Award"
.
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. October 24, 2016
. Retrieved
November 2,
2016
.
- ^
"Golden Globes 2017: The Complete List of Nominations"
.
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. December 12, 2016
. Retrieved
December 12,
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.
- ^
McNary, Dave (March 2, 2017).
"Saturn Awards Nominations 2017: 'Rogue One,' 'Walking Dead' Lead"
.
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. Retrieved
March 3,
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.
- ^
"Various Artists - Gold - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack"
.
Amazon
. Retrieved
June 28,
2018
.
External links
[
edit
]