Movie review: ‘The Color of Money’

FloridaGator80
A promotional photo from the movie ‘The Color of Money.”

I’ve written reviews of sequels before, but very few sequels are worth your time. However, you’ll find that “The Color of Money” has the quality and panache to be a worthy sequel. It is from 1986 and co-stars Paul Newman and Tom Cruise. “The Color of Money” is the sequel to billiards-themed “The Hustler” from 15 years earlier that starred Newman and Jackie Gleason. In this sequel, although he’s beacon of energy in the film, Cruise takes a back seat to Newman as former pool hustler “‘Fast’ Eddie Felson,” but Cruise does equally excellent work. In any case, you don’t need to have seen the original (and that one’s a truly “old” film today) to appreciate “The Color of Money.” You won’t be disappointed in any way. Oh, by the way, unless you’re a fan of director Martin Scorsese, you might not remember that this is one of his efforts.

‘The Color of Money’
(1986; 119 minutes; rated R; directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Paul Newman, Tom Cruise and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio)

OF COURSE, COLOR THEM GREEN FOR MONEY

(NOTE: I expanded this review with additional opinion and trivia and the updating of links on Sept. 14, 2026.)

I’ve written in another review that I believe Tom Cruise should have been nominated and won the Academy Award for best actor for “Rain Man” in 1988. Instead, Cruise didn’t even get a nomination, although the film won four Oscars and was nominated for four others. Dustin Hoffman was totally overrated as the title character and best actor Oscar winner, but Cruise did a much better job and deserved the nomination and statue. Now, today, I’m turning my attention to Cruise and his work with another screen legend, Paul Newman, in “The Color of Money.”

For “The Color of Money,” which is the sequel to 1961’s billiards-based “The Hustler” with Newman and the iconic Jackie Gleason, Cruise should have been nominated, but not won because, unlike Hoffman’s effort in “Rain Man,” Newman’s performance in “The Color of Money” is deserving for the best actor Oscar that he did win. At the least, Cruise deserved a statue for best supporting actor for “The Color of Money” as he is the co-star and the requisite screen time. It’s just like he deserved an Oscar for “A Few Good Men,” where Jack Nicholson got the Oscar nomination for supporting actor. Tom was left on the sideline as the lead actor and more-deserving nominee.

A promotional photo from the movie ‘The Color of Money.”

Sigh. But it wasn’t to be either in “The Color of Money.”

Sorry, Tom, but those are three statues you should have on the mantle at home. Sorry, Paul, but this is one that you should have had along with being “Butch Cassidy” along with Robert Redford in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” but was passed over.

The story of “The Color of Money” focuses on Newman as “‘Fast’ Eddie Felson.” He was a pool shark back in the day and was most famous for going against “Minnesota Fats” (played by Gleason) as shown in “The Hustler.” In “The Color of Money,” Newman is a “stakehorse” (financial backer) of a good player and gets a split of his or her winnings. Newman encounters Cruise, who plays “Vincent ‘Vince’ Lauria,” who all too easily dispatches Newman’s top player at the time “Julian,” who is played by actor’s actor John Turturro.

A promotional photo from the movie ‘The Color of Money.”

However, Cruise’s nearly unmatchable ability with a cue stick in the game of Nine-ball isn’t what grabs Newman’s soon-to-be infatuation with the youngster. The older man sees what a character Cruise represents at a pool table: He’s brash, he’s cocky, he’s eager and he’s so hyper that he never stops moving. Newman immediately knows that here’s a player that everyone will want to play and have nearly no chance of beating.

So, Newman ingratiates himself first with Cruise’s girlfriend, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as “Carmen,” and then smooth-talks his way into the couple’s life. The trio then goes “on the road” to sharpen Cruise’s game on the way to a tournament in Atlantic City while Newman teaches him about pool scams and the value of keeping secret just how good he plays 9-ball.

However, Cruise doesn’t like losing, even though such play is a set-up to make more money when he wins the tournament. Cruise even comes across the best “money player” in the game and a chance to show how far behind he is and an even bigger payout when he plays him in Atlantic City. Cruise nearly succumbs to his blazing desire to win, but finally manages to keep in character.

Newman finally backs off from Cruise as his own personal fire about returning to competitive billiards continues to smolder and then rises to a flame. Newman then gets taken by a hustler played by Forest Whitaker before getting on track with an eye exam and practice.

The movie then plays out to a predictable confrontation with Newman and Cruise facing each other in the tournament finals. You’ll already figure out what happens, but it is all handled well and has a nice, if a most predictable twist.

Here’s a look at the top of the cast:

  • A promotional photo from the movie ‘The Color of Money.”

    Newman is an incredible nine-time Oscar nominee and one time winner for acting (yes, for this one; and two other honorary statues). He earns his honor here for the smooth portrayal of an older legend who is driven to find himself again. Like his peer Robert Redford, Newman appears to do this so effortlessly that you never get the feeling about what competence and emotional energy it takes to do so well in such a role. Newman is just tremendous as “‘Fast’ Eddie” and it appears he isn’t trying at all. Of course, he is also a nine-time Golden Globe winner and eight-time nominee (he didn’t win for “The Color of Money,” but was nominated), knocks this one out of the park. He was just as good in “The Sting” and even better in his most significant and remembered role in 1967’s “Cool Hand Luke.” He didn’t win for either of those, either. I thought he did well in the overrated crapfest and POS so-called “journalism” film “Absence of Malice.” Newman died at 83 in 2008 of lung cancer. Click here for all of his Oscar awards … or you can click here for his Golden Globes history …

  • A promotional photo from the movie ‘The Color of Money.”

    A three-time Oscar nominee, Cruise is simply Cruise in “The Color of Money.” He’s a bundle of energy; he’s easily driven to emotion; and he’s … well, Tom Cruise with 1980s hair. Just as he got bypassed for “Rain Man” and “A Few Good Men” (he was just as good as the outstanding performance from Nicholson), he was passed over for this one. Still, Cruise delivers a wonderful performance here and you wouldn’t mind seeing him in every scene. I’ve enjoyed Cruise in a variety of roles from “Risky Business” to “Top Gun” to “The Firm” and even in “Taps” as a psychotic cadet. Frankly, Cruise doesn’t make many bad flicks and you’ll always get your money’s worth with any of his efforts from the “Mission: Impossible” film franchise to “All the Right Moves” as a high school football player. Finally, I thought he was solid in the NASCAR-themed “Days of Thunder” (click here to read my review).

  • A promotional photo from the movie ‘The Color of Money.”

    An Oscar nominee for “The Color of Money,” Mastrantonio was only in her second film after an uncredited shot in one and as “Tony Montana’s” sister in the dark, violent and iconic remake of “Scarface” with Al Pacino. However, Mastrantonio plays this one a little too understated and, while she was solid, didn’t manage to elevate the character. Still, she doesn’t disappoint in this one and her effort earns a passing grade. Although with a great start out of the big screen box, Mastrantonio has mostly notched TV credits in the past decade or so.

As for the supporting cast …

  • A promotional photo from the movie ‘The Color of Money.”

    A Primetime Emmy nominee, Helen Shaver does a so-so turn as Newman’s girlfriend “Janelle,” but doesn’t make the character memorable or worthy of much note. Newman’s character needed a love interest and you find her with Shaver. Shaver was nominated for the tee-vee series “The Penguin” and was in “The Amityville Horror” as well as the interesting but forgotten tee-vee movie “The Park is Mine” with Tommy Lee Jones in which a guy holds New York’s Central Park hostage to raise awareness of veterans’ issues. She had 90 acting credits over five decades, with the last in 2018.

  • A Primetime Emmy winner and nominee, Turturro is excellent in the tiny role of “Julian,” who is Newman’s stakehorse guy before Cruise comes into the picture. Turturro, who was nominated for two Golden Globes, doesn’t have much to work with, but he makes the character of “Julian” more than just window dressing. He won his Emmy for an episode of TV’s “Monk” and one of his early, noticeable roles was in the flick “To Live and Die in L.A.” (click here to read my review). Turturro was solid in the poker flick “Rounders” (click here to read my review) as well as in Robert Redford’s quietly outstanding “Quiz Show.” He also had a bit part in “The Flamingo Kid” (click here to read my review) and has 115 acting credits at the date of the original post of this review since his first in 1980.
  • Bill Cobbs plays pool parlor manager “Orvis” and is a prolific supporting actor with more than 190 credits over six decades since his first credit in the original “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” in 1974 (click here to read my review). Cobbs is smooth, cool and understated in making “Orvis” a character you remember for Cobbs’ acting and not the character’s foibles or actions. Cobbs is a wonderful actor who knows how to do such a job. He was a bartender in “Trading Places” with Eddie Murphy (click here to read my review); he has done TV series such as “Kate and Allie,” HBO’s outstanding “The Sopranos” and “A. Law;” he was in the Disney flick “First Kid” (click here for my review); and was great in a small part in the dark inner-city crime drama “New Jack City” with Wesley Snipes (click here to read my review). He even had a bit part in one of my favorite “interesting” flicks: “Demolition Man” with Snipes and Sylvester Stallone (click here to read my review). Cobbs died at 90 just nine days following his birthday in 2024.
  • A promotional photo from the movie ‘The Color of Money.”

    An Oscar winner-to-be, Forest Whitaker plays “Amos,” who hustles Newman back to reality. It’s a small role, but a most effective effort by a wonderful actor. Whitaker would go on to win playing scumbag Ugandan leader Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland” and I liked him in a pair of popular films from 1982: “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “TAG: The Assassination Game” (click here to read my review). He also did a solid job with Robin Williams in “Good Morning, Vietnam.”

On a final cast note, professional pool player Keith McCready has only one acting credit on the big screen and it is as “Grady Seasons” in this one. Here’s the “best money player” who gets played by Cruise in the film. McCready should have tried Hollywood a bit more, but I guess he did OK at the billiards tables.

I enjoyed what Scorsese did in “The Color of Money.” Other critics weren’t so kind. However, I’ve come to appreciate a film that isn’t so over-the-top with violence and cursing that “The Color of Money” really doesn’t deserve its “R” rating by today’s standard. Scorsese has been quoted as saying its it not his favorite, but it was brought in on budget and on time. Well, I’ll give up the F-bombs and violence from gangsters or another turn of a wormy character played by Joe Pesci for films more like “The Color of Money.”

The wonderful work of Cruise and Newman is a total balance against the violence and profanity of later Scorsese flicks that garnered so much attention. In hindsight, “The Color of Money” is labeled by critics as not one of Scorsese’s better efforts, yet I see it as one of his best. After all, Newman was Newman and a screen legend doing some of his best work and Cruise was Cruise being watchable and an underrated actor. Keep Pesci and Robert De Niro from Scorsese’s other efforts … I’ll take Newman and Cruise any time over them.

“The Color of Money” was the 12th ranked film of 1986 with $52.2 million in ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo. The No. 1 film made Cruise a huge star: “Top Gun” and its box office of $176.7 million. After that, there were a number of excellent films including “Crocodile Dundee” at No. 2 with $116.8 million and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” with $70.1 million. Here are the films from 1986 that I’ve reviewed and each one is more than worthy of your time and effort to find it:

Assorted cast and film notes (via IMDb.com):

  • Cruise’s birth name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV; and Cobbs’ birth name was Wilbert Francisco Cobbs.
  • Both Newman and Gleason wanted Gleason’s character of “Minnesota Fats” (his birth name was Rudolph Wanderone) in the sequel, but, even after inserting the idea into the script after film started, both actors said it was pushing it too much and decided not to have Gleason’s character in “The Color of Money.” Gleason died of cancer at 71 the year after the release of the sequel.
  • The “Balabushka” cue stick given to Cruise by Newman was not a real Balabushka, but was a Joss revamped to look like a Balabushka.
  • “The Color of Money” is the only Scorsese film that did not receive a favorable review from legendary critic Roger Ebert. I guess there wasn’t enough violence and f-bombs to satisfy Roger at the time.
  • Directly from IMDb.com: “Many top pool players of the 80s were part of the cast and/or provided assistance, such as Steve Mizerak (‘The Miz’), who is the hefty player Eddie beats in Atlantic City; Jimmy Mataya (‘Pretty Boy Floyd’), who is accompanying Julian (John Turturro) when he sees Eddie in Atlantic City; Keith McCready, who plays Grady Seasons. Others include Michael Sigel and Ewa Mataya Laurance (Jimmy Mataya’s wife at the time), who acted as pro shot makers and advisors who set up the shots for the actors, and Howard Vickery, the bearded man in the montage of people whom Felson hustles.”
  • Musician Iggy Pop has a bit part in the film.
  • Finally and directly from IMDb.com: “Tom Cruise did his own trick shots for the film, except for one in which he had to jump two balls to sink another. Scorsese said he could have let Cruise learn the shot, but it would have taken two extra days of practice, holding up production and costing thousands of dollars. The shot was instead performed by professional players Andrew Ghiatsidis & Michael Sigel.”

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