This film was written in 1935 by screenwriter Endre Bohem shortly before his death. He never completed the script. It sat on a shelf in his archives for 55 years. Finally in 1990, his son, Leslie Bohem, found it and immediately fell in love with the concept. He completed the script, updated it for a more modern audience, and filmed it with director Keva Rosenfeld. In the film, a $20 bill is minted and sent to a bank. A mother with her hands full uses an ATM machine, drops the bill in her hassle, and the story begins. The rest of this film follows the bill through the hands of 12 complete strangers who, through various ways, pass the bill to one another. Along the way, the note weaves in and out of the lives of a street person, an aspiring writer, two thieves (a hilarious Steve Bucemi and Christopher Lloyd), and a stripper who also...well, I won't ruin it for you.
However, besides the inventive concept, it is fun to see many of today's brightest stars, when they were just starting out in the industry. Look for such faces as David Schwimmer(NBC's "Friends"), Elisabeth Shue(Leaving Las Vegas), William H. Macy(Fargo, Wag the Dog), Brendan Fraser(The Scout, George of the Jungle), and Steve Bucemi(Reservoir Dogs, The Big Lebowski).
This is a great film to watch with a group of friends. One tip, though. Don't keep pausing the film, or you might lose track of who has the bill.
