The Runner (1999)

You won't be disappointed!

Powerful

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

John Goodman is a supporting actor in this movie the same way that Atlas supported the Earth in Greek mythology. First, let us dispel any notion of realism. Goodman plays a sport gambler who beats the house so often that he has his own cadre of runners and soldiers. (In real life such men ARE the casino sport books). Instead of examining this fascinating character, we are thrust into the lives of the pretty boy/girl leads Arquette and Ellard. The end result was an obvious "producer's instrument" designed to advance young cinematic careers as much as make a buck. The Runner (Ellard) should have been The 'Sportwonk' (Goodman). Missed exciting themes were How does he beat the books? How does he get his info? Is he mobbed up? What is the life of a winning sports gambler like? Still, the finale is very exciting and worth the price of rental. If you like OC, buy it.

I certainly did not expect much from this film, so i was quite blown away at how good it actually was. given that i saw it just one week after returning from Vegas made it that much more enthralling. You can say that The Runner is a movie about the gambling lifestyle, the same way Field of Dreams is a movie about baseball, that is that the gambling aspect is just a vehicle to a very interesting character study. And the characters in this film are VERY interesting indeed. you will find yourself caring about the fate of these characters more than almost any movie you have ever seen, and for my money that is a key criteria in a rewarding movie watching experience. With all the dogs out there you could see, this one is definitely worth a look. 8.5/10

Maybe the acting is a little rude, maybe the directing is a little anonymous, maybe there's a little too much "Leaving Las Vegas" influence on the story (which maybe is not the worst thing you can say about the script). But, if only all the (many) films about gambling had been so honest about the abysses of horrors where gamblers live every second of their lives, then maybe people would have a more realistic, less charming idea of them.The story is so honest about the losing that I really think the writer talks about personal experience. I do.

Unsettling story of a loser addicted to gambling who is hired as a runner by a sadistic man well aware that his new hire will never be able to follow a single rule: no gambling.Ron Eldard does a wonderful job as Edward Carrington, making his character believable, sympathetic and infuriating all in a single breath. You root for the guy when he pulls himself out of a hole he's dug for himself and then feel like taking him aside and beating the crap out of him when he digs himself right back in. Never have I felt so helpless and uncomfortable watching a character's life fall to pieces on screen.John Goodman and Courtney Cox are also very good. John Goodman's sweet guy disposition is nowhere to be found here, tucked away to allow an intimidating brute of a man to surface. Courtney Cox shines and shows the kind of range that has only been hinted at on "Friends".Definitely worth seeing and not easily forgotten.Vegas and gambling have never looked less glamorous.