The Grand

"A comedy about the fine art of losing."

2007 1h 44m EN

😐

5.8

MID

🥫

40%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.9

IMDB

★5.8TMDB · 100🥫40%Rotten Tomatoes●57Metacritic★5.9IMDB · 6,158

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The Grand is in the tradition of improvisational comedies like Best In Show and This Is Spinal Tap. The story is set in the world of professional poker and follows six players who reach the final table of the world’s second most famous high stakes tournament, the Grand Championship of Poker.

“A comedy about the fine art of losing.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Woody Harrelson
One Eyed Jack Faro
Werner Herzog
The German
Dennis Farina
L.B.J. Deuce Fairbanks
David Cross
Larry Schwartzman
Cheryl Hines
Lainie Schwartzman
Richard Kind
Andy Andrews
Chris Parnell
Harold Melvin
Jason Alexander
Dr. Yakov Achmed

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Zak Penn
Writers: Matt Bierman, Zak Penn
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

Released 19 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Zak Penn, shot by Anthony Hardwick. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Stephen Endelman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Abby Schwarzwalder shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Woody Harrelson and Werner Herzog and Dennis Farina carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A comedy about the fine art of losing.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0427998 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Zak Penn directs. Anthony Hardwick behind the camera. Stephen Endelman scores. Abby Schwarzwalder cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 19 years ago.
2Directed by Zak Penn, shot by Anthony Hardwick. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Stephen Endelman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Abby Schwarzwalder shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Woody Harrelson and Werner Herzog and Dennis Farina carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "A comedy about the fine art of losing.".
7IMDB entry: tt0427998 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Anthony Hardwick
Original score: Stephen Endelman
Editing: Abby Schwarzwalder
Production design: Shepherd Frankel
Costume design: Valerie Laven-Cooper
Makeup / hair: Diana Brown
Stunt coordinator: Tim Mikulecky
Runtime: 104 min · 1h 44m
Status: Released
Budget: $5,400,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Grand (2007)
Rotten Tomatoes: 40% 🥫 Rotten
Metacritic: 57/100
IMDB rating: 5.9/10 · 6,158 votes
MPAA: R
US box office: $115,879

Also by

Zak Penn

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Kenneth Axel Carlsson2014-12-30
★ 3.5/10
This movie is centered around a poker tournament (called... the Grand, obviously). Build as a documentary, we follow a bunch of people; Jack Faro (Woody Harrelson) who own (or owned) a casino that he got from his grandpa, but has been staying at a rehab facility of late; Harold Melvin, a nerd who lives with his mother, and drinks a lot of Brain Juice; Lainie, a housewife who is getting a little tired of her husband, Fred (Ray Romano); Larry, Lainie's brother who is... a little out there, and always a step behind his sister; Deuce Fairbanks (Dennis Farina), an elderly gentlemen (a cowboy really) who speaks his mind and likes to remember the olden days; The German (Werner Herzog), a crazy german who feel compelled to kill at least one animal each day, and therefore arrive with... a lot of the; Andy Andrews, who won a seat at the Grand, more or less, by accident. Just your average poker players... or maybe not. This is a movie afterall, so of course the characters needs to be... quirky. Also, this is clearly a comedy (and not an actual documentary, but I think you had guessed that). I kinda like these characters, flaws, weirdness and all. Oh, and there are other players as well. The movie is not filmed entirely as a documentary, but goes back and forth between the genres. Most of the time, the camera is handheld, making for very lively images, but there are also interviews with our six main characters, where they tell their stories. In theory, it is a good idea, but in reality, it seems more like a gimmick than anything else. I read somewhere that when they sad down at the final table, they did not have a script, and actually, didn't know who would win. I like movies that use improvisation, but honestly, I've seen better movies than this one. Last words... a short ride, with its moments, but not much of a movie. It'll be forgotten by the morrow. Want to see a good movie about poker, go see Matt Damon and John Malkovich battle it out in Rounders.

Production companies