The Color of Money is more or less a sequel to
the Hustler(1961), Newman´s breakthrough film. It´s many many years since Eddie Feltson was at the top of his game. The Hustler has gotten old and gone sour. That is untill he meets Vincent Lauria and sees a bit of himself as a younger man. He takes Lauria on and is gonna coach him to the top. Along the way he has to overcome hius own sense of failure and Lauria´s stubborness in refusing to play his game down in order to
con the other
pool hall players.
Directed by:
Martin Scorsese
Paul Newman .... Fast Eddie Felson
Tom Cruise .... Vincent Lauria
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio .... Carmen
Helen Shaver .... Janelle
John Turturro .... Julian
Paul Newman won the Oscar for Best Actor
Elizabeth Mastrantonio was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar
Tom Cruise did his own trick shots for the film, except for one in which he had to jump two balls to sink another.
kto9 has let me know that The Color of Money is based on a book by Walter Tevis, who also wrote The Hustler and The Man Who Fell to Earth as well as Mockingbird.