Lie. Cheat. Steal. Rinse. Repeat.|Sep. 12, 2003|United States | United Kingdom|116 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Comedy;Crime;Drama;Thriller
Description: Roy Waller is a Los Angeles-based con artist grappling with severe Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Alongside his partner and protégé, Frank Mercer, Roy runs a fraudulent lottery scheme, selling overpriced water filtration systems to unsuspecting victims. After Roy suffers a violent panic attack, Frank advises him to seek help from psychiatrist Dr. Harris Klein.
Under Klein’s care, Roy begins therapy and medication. During sessions, Roy recalls his past relationship with his ex-wife, Heather, who was pregnant at the time of their divorce. At Roy’s request, Klein contacts Heather and discovers that Roy has a 14-year-old daughter, Angela. Roy and Angela meet, and her vibrant spirit brings new energy to his life. Inspired by her, Roy agrees to join Frank in a high-stakes con targeting Chuck Frechette, an arrogant businessman. Their plan revolves around a classic pigeon drop scam.
One evening, Angela arrives at Roy’s house after a fight with her mother, deciding to stay for the weekend. While exploring his belongings, she inadvertently prompts Roy to reevaluate his choices, a topic he discusses with Klein. Later, Angela returns home late, sparking an argument with Roy. Over dinner, Roy confesses his life as a con artist and reluctantly teaches Angela a small con at a local laundromat. Though they succeed in tricking an older woman into sharing her “lottery winnings,” Roy makes Angela return the money.
While bowling with Angela, Roy is interrupted by Frank, who reveals that Chuck’s flight to the Caymans has been moved up, leaving little time to execute their plan. Roy reluctantly allows Angela to assist in distracting Chuck during the con. Afterward, Chuck realizes he’s been scammed and chases them into a parking garage, but they manage to escape. Roy later discovers that Angela has a criminal record and asks her to stop contacting him.
Cast director: Ridley Scott
Cast actor: Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce Altman, Bruce McGill, Jenny O’Hara, Steve Eastin, Beth Grant, Sheila Kelley, Fran Kranz
Original name: Matchstick Men