Owning Mahowny Movie Review
There are a ton of great gambling-themed books, TV series and movies which you can watch and read! This time, our focus is on a Canadian movie title from 2003 – Owning Mahowny. Based on real-life events and the mischievous nature of compulsive gambling, we think that you will learn a lot in our dedicated Owning Mahowny movie review.
In this article, we’ve included interesting information about the movie and the Owning Mahowny true story that inspired the making of the Canadian film. We’re going to give a brief plot introduction, as well as a little bit about the cast. We’ve also added info about compulsive gambling as a mental illness and how it is portrayed in the movie. Interested? Continue reading our Owning Mahowny movie review!
Owning Mahowny Film – Movie Plot
The story takes place in Toronto, Canada, where we meet Dan Mahowny (Philip Seymour Hoffman). He is a quiet and honest bank employee, who seems like a normal person to his co-workers, friends and his girlfriend Belinda (Minnie Driver). Little do they know, Dan is a compulsive gambler who steals from the bank where he works so that he can gamble. Everything goes out of control because he chooses to trust the wrong guy – a casino boss called Victor (John Hurt), who encourages Dan to be a little more ‘daring’.
| IMDB Rating | 7.1/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 79% |
| Metacritic Metascore | 70% |
| Released | 25 September 2003 |
| Box Office | $10,000,000 (estimated) |
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| Director | Richard Kwientniowski |
| Screenplay | Richard Kwientniowski |
| Stars | Philip Seymour Hoffman, Minnie Driver, John Hurt |
| Running Time | 1h 44min |
If this doesn’t seem enough for you, we’ve also included an Owning Mahowny movie trailer in the article below. Let’s move on to the Owning Mahowny true story now!
Owning Mahowny – True Story
The Owning Mahowny full movie is based on a real-life accident in Canada back in the early 80s. Brian Molony was the manager of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Because of his work position, Molony had access to significant resources in the bank. The gentlemen had a serious gambling addiction, which led to him stealing over $10,000,000 from his employers.
The story of Molony was told in the book ‘Stung’ by Gary Ross, which became a bestseller since its publishing in 1987. Brian Molony was arrested and served six years in prison after pledging guilty. All the casino funds were recovered by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
Compulsive Gambling in Owning Mahowny
In the Owning Mahowny film, compulsive gambling is accurately depicted. An average person at first sight, who controls his addiction around people who know him until he is in a setting where he can be his true self. As Gary Ross says in an interview, Hoffman in the role of Mahowny perfectly assimilates Malony – “a yawning emptiness that nothing except gambling was able to fill”.
Compulsive gambling is a serious mental illness that can lead to a series of bad decisions and a huge money loss, even insanity. And when there is someone that encourages you to play more, you are falling deep down the rabbit hole where it is hard to get back up.
How to Gamble Responsibly?
The Owning Mahowny full movie definitely gives a realistic view on what compulsive gambling may lead to if not taken care of in the beginning. There are a lot of online and land-based organizations that offer professional help for players who show signs of gambling addiction. BeGambleAware.org is probably the most well-known such organization that provides detailed information about gambling addiction, as well as therapy sessions both online and in person. Here are a few tips from us as well:
- Set a budget for yourself when playing.
- Stay well-hydrated and avoid hard alcohol, as this may trigger you to gamble more.
- Have someone you know around you that will stop you if you go too far.
- Inform yourself and people around you about compulsive gambling.
- Do not hesitate to seek help from a professional.
Where to Watch Owning Mahowny Film
It is fantastic that you can find books and movies online wherever you are! Owning Mahowny is also a popular movie title that can be watched online. There are a few sites that stream the film, you can even watch it on Prime Video on Amazon. Sadly, you won’t be able to organize an Owning Mahowny Netflix movie night. The Canadian Owning Mahowny film is no longer available, however, there are other superb titles you might find interesting, including Molly’s Game and 21. Also, here’s the Owning Mahowny trailer as promised:
Final Verdict
Owning Mahowny is one of the top-rated gambling movies that the audience enjoys watching. Philip Seymour Hoffman does a fantastic job of getting into the role of a compulsive gambler and presenting the reality of what life is like with addiction. The movie is not currently available on Netflix, but you can find it on Amazon and other streaming sites.
We hope you find our Owning Mahowny movie review interesting and informative. For more gambling movie reviews, it would be fantastic if you check out our gambling movies and tv shows section. You will also find a lot of other gambling-related topics that we know you might enjoy reading. We also have a selection of superb articles about live and online gambling laws that you should definitely have a look at.
FAQ About Owning Mahowny Film
Owning Mahowny is a Canadian movie masterpiece! Ande yet, we might have missed mentioning some interesting facts about the movie earlier in the review. We’ve added this Owning Mahowny FAQ section, where you will find the answers to popular question about the movie, book and Malony himself.
Similar Articles
