"Two Bits" was a noticeable change for Al Pacino, casting him as a man getting his grandson (Jerry Barone) to rectify an age-old matter in 1933 Philadelphia in exchange for a chance to go to the movies. Watching the movie, one gets a sense of the poverty characteristic of the Great Depression, but also how people understood that they had to try and go on no matter what. I realize that some people may consider it bad taste - if not unethical - to use the Great Depression for the setting of a nearly magical story, but I wish to assert that the movie did a very impressive job portraying the setting without getting sappy; then again, how could an Al Pacino movie be sappy? I recommend it. Also starring Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.
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lee_eisenberg1 January 2007
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geotchak4 August 2002I am a Al Pacino fan, recently i made it a point to watch all of the movies he has made. After watching Two Bits, it really made me realize the value of money; the work that little Genero was willing to do for five cents, for ten cents, the lady that lady that stole ten cents worth of potatoes from the local grocer! This was not Pacino's best work but i did enjoy watching it.
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lewwarden23 June 2006This movie was passably interesting but I found the readers' comments even more interesting. Obviously both readers, writer, director, et al. are of today's generation of takers who don't have the least idea about what life was life in those terrible days. The central figure, a 12 year old boy who wants to go to the movies, is repeatedly seen trying to cadge a quarter from his dying grandfather.
Out of compassion, a grocer who is overextended giving credit to his impoverished neighbors and forgives their small thefts, gives the kid a nickel for a job the kid never does. A compassionate doctor, who himself is nearly as bad off financially as his patients, gives the kid a dime for a job the kid never does. Finally the kid badgers his mother into giving him her last dime for attending to his grandfather's dying wish. This the kid does, in a really great scene. But he gets to the theater too late for the twenty five cents early admission price. Now the price is fifty cents, a seemingly hopeless sum.
This was an absurd price for a movie ticket in those days. I recall ten or fifteen cents for a kid and two bits for adults. But fifty cents then was a good pay for a day's hard work by a man. As Steinbeck wrote of those days regarding a California farmer's view of fair wages: "A red is any son of a bitch who wants five cents an hour when I'm paying four." I got forty cents per month per customer for getting up at 4:00 am delivering newspapers door to door, and had to pay the company for the papers whether the customer paid me or not.
Back to the movie -- Then the grandfather dies and, miraculously, the kid finds a quarter in the dirt nearby. And off he goes to the theater, splurging the whole fifty cents. Not a penny's worth of character development here, although the opportunity to do so was palpable.
What a message to send the spoiled brats of today who seem to think they have a God-given right to live off of their parents and grandparents until the old folks die. When that happens we're going to have a hell of a depression. Which we need like a hole in the head.
Today homeless people are living in parks and riverside camps and in alleyways behind restaurant dumpsters in the same terrible conditions and nearly the numbers we had during the depression era. The only difference is the modern stainless steel shopping carts they commandeer to move their possessions. But nobody seems to bother counting them, much less doing anything about their plight. We just don't want to see them and so, miraculously, they aren't there.
This play could have been redeemed if the kid had foregone his utterly selfish obsession to go to the movie, and had paid the doctor and the grocer the unearned 15 cents they had given him, and had given his mother back her dime plus the two bits he "inherited" from his grandfather. Or would that have been a politically incorrect message to send to the children of today?
Twelve year is not by any means too young for a child to be aware of the economic burdens parents have today, and certainly wasn't the case back in the thirties. I vividly remember when I was about 12 and spent a summer on my grandfather's ranch -- which he had lost long before to the mortgage holder who let him and grandma live there until he died on the land he and his parents had owned for nearly a century.
He taught me how to play poker, so well in fact that by the time my vacation was over, I had a pretty fair stack of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters which I kept stacked on the kitchen table with the sugar bowl and salt and pepper shakers.
I really felt bad about taking the money -- although God knows the old man had lost his ranch in large part because of his gambling and hell-raising youth -- and so when my folks picked me up I "forgot" my small hoard of possibly three-four dollars, which was big money to me too. Later I got a letter from my grandmother noting my gesture, but letting me know that my grandfather was deeply hurt because a 12 year old kid had felt sorry for him.
My grandfather taught me to play a pretty good game of poker too, which I put to good use in the Army and later when I had to play "poker" with the insurance companies for much higher stakes. Like the man used to sing, "You've got to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em."
Anyhow, TWO BITS was a big disappointment to me for these reasons. Obviously, I'm not at all happy with the state of affairs in our society these days. If you want more lectures along these lines, see our website (www.networkcentralca.net) based on the 1976 blockbuster movie NETWORK where Paddy Chayefski -- also a Depression era child -- famously satirized and forecast the sorry state of affairs of our news media and economy. Some day a more vital culture, whether Chinese or Mexican or Muslim, is going to eat us alive, and if you are around then and don't know why, remember TWO BITS.
Lew Warden -
BleekersPorkSword20 September 2004If you have experienced loss of someone close this movie will surely have an effect on you. It's a wonderful look at a relationship between a boy and his grandfather in the depression era. As always Al Pacino (the best actor who ever lived) is brilliant and heartwarming in this sincere yet all together different role for him. A short but bittersweet film that will take you on a sad but very personal journey. I've seen this film about 10 times and have never made it all the way through without crying. This is a beautiful film in todays blockbuster big movie era. No special effects just emotions. Definitely better than 5.8 out of 10 I would say more like 8 out of 10. Mary Elizabeth and Al are magnificent-
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leplatypus23 October 2013My summary rewrites the famous U2 song from their "War" album because it's appropriate to describe the mood of this movie. In a way, it's a peaceful, almost happy last moments between a boy and his grandfather.
Compared to my recent watching of the Swedish "Svinalängorna", it's almost a day and night for a same situation. Here, there isn't tension, cry or shouts. Maybe this difference comes that Al is really warmly with his grandson unlike Noomi was distant and cold with her mother.
It may not be the best part of Al but so far, it's the one in which he is almost totally disabled as he doesn't move: he can rely only with his hands and his eyes and in a look similar to the old Godfather at the end of Part III, he manages to pass emotion. The good surprise of the movie is that it has a lot more to offer: it's also a sort of "stand by me" in the big depression as the young boy learns life lessons from unexpected and unusual moments: It's subtle and intelligent as the boy's quest for 25 cents mirrors the demands of the jobless. It has also a clear, colorful vision of the 30s that finally looks like the 50s except for the TV and the music. Its final message about enjoying life whatever happens is hopeful at least.
Personally, it parallels also my life as I can also pinpoint my grandparents death with events as grandpa died on Christmas day and grandma died on my nephews birthday. Next, the movie closes as the boy's family urges him kindly to go away from the dead body of his grandfather in a way to protect him. Mine, precisely my mother, slapped me because i didn't want to see the dead body of my grandfather to protect me! -
socrates427 January 2019TWO BITS is a somewhat entertaining story about an old man and his grandson. Al Pacino stars as the grandfather. He is wonderful in this role, as usual. The story is a little bit different than most movies, but not too different. It's enjoyable and just the right length.
It's a good movie for a slow Sunday afternoon, if that makes any sense. I wasn't crazy about it, and it's not the kind of thing I kept thinking about for days afterward. But it's worth a watch if you're in the mood. Recommend for Pacino fans. -
Jakeroo26 November 1998Not much action here, but a nice little drama in a big day for grandpa and grandson.
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Lucky-6321 January 2000A movie about how life itself is better than any movie. At least, if you live in the movies. Or better still, it seems to say, in a movie theatre which is IN a movie. Unlike real-life movie theatres.
The acting in this movie is not so good. The story-line is pretty predictable. The script shines in the humorous dialog between Al Pacino, the dying grandfather, and the boy, which is where the magic happens. Everything else is, eh. -
MovieLuvaMatt5 July 2003I tend to be a sucker for coming-of-age dramas like these, and this is one of the good ones. The premise of a boy wanting to accumulate 25 cents to go to the movies is simple but engaging and effective. Modern day viewers might look at his quest as stupid and redundant, but that's easy to say when you have enough money to go the movies every weekend. To this little boy, it's his dream to go to the new local cinema on opening day. Plus, in the days of the depression, the cinema meant much more than it does now. Nowadays, people don't respect the institution. You see people put their feet up on the chairs in front of them, throw popcorn at the screen, shamelessly talk amongst themselves and to give a thoroughly modern example, let their cell phones ring. I think it was Gene Siskel, who said the most beautiful sight is seeing a movie audience as the screen shines over them and their eyes are glued to the screen. Cinema just had that magical feeling to people. So though I was born five decades later, I was still able to put myself in the main character's shoes.
Joseph Stefano, known mostly for his screenplay for "Psycho," wrote this nice character-driven drama that took me on a journey. Of course, that's also thanks to the child actor who played the main character. He has a certain authenticity to him that not all child actors have. If a child actor can say his lines like he means them and deliver emotions without dialogue, he's doing a good-enough job. Not only that, but he holds his own opposite the brilliant Al Pacino. Like always, Pacino gives a powerful performance, and I felt the character he played was different and unique. This time he's not a gangster or a cop. Though he has a supporting role, he makes his screen time memorable. Mary Elizabeth (I'm not gonna attempt to say her last name) is great as well.
The situations our protagonist gets into are sometimes funny, sometimes sad. As trivial as his quest to get 25 cents may seem, I wanted him to accomplish it. The ending is sad, though not unexpected. Mainly, it's the richly developed characters and their interactions that make this a solid film.
My score: 8 (out of 10) -
Davalon-Davalon17 March 2022I will assume this movie is based on a true story. It seems like someone's memory of their youth. And someone's nostalgic view of their youth might be fascinating to them, but there's no guarantee that others will feel the same. No, I take that back; there is a guarantee that others will not feel the same. I certainly did not feel anything except a slight revulsion for this disturbing "memory."
In this bizarre, wandering, slow, meaningless movie, Gennaro, a young Italian boy (played by Jerry Barone--very cute, but no inherent talent) is living through a hot summer with Luisa, his widowed mother (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and his dying grandfather (Al Pacino, who, at 55, had to be covered in old-age make up). It's 1933, Philadelphia. A new movie theater, La Paloma, has just opened in town and is being advertised by a truck driving round and round and round and round, announcing that it is "air-cooled." To Gennaro, it sounds like the greatest thing in the world to escape the miserably hot summer. The only problem is that he will need "two bits" (25 cents) to buy a ticket go in.
Getting those two bits is Gennaro's only goal in life on this particular day. It seems he "must" get to the theater by 6pm, although I cannot distinctly recall why. He knows that Gramps is holding a quarter in his hand or has one on his body, and he is fixated on getting it. Gramps is sitting outside Luisa's house on a little patio. He is sick (from what I don't know) and he talks about dying constantly. He and Gennaro have lots of chats, none of them interesting. Gennaro cannot understand why Gramps won't give him those "two bits" -- and neither could I. If Gramps was dying (and he was), and the kid wanted to go to the movies, I don't understand why Gramps was holding on to the money. On the other hand, Gennaro only seems to have a surface interest in Gramps's well-being. He isn't scared or tearful or worried about Gramps dying; he just wants Gramps's "two bits."
So, since Gramps won't give Gennaro the money, Gennaro spends the movie trying to get the two bits in whatever way he can. These ways include disturbing experiences with cleaning up the basement for the town's doctor, encountering the doctor's sex-starved wife who gives off the impression that she'll give Gennaro the money he needs if he'll "just come up to her bedroom" (the kid was 12!), a grocer (who takes pity on him and gives him a nickel), a return to the doctor's wife (who has now hanged herself), and more chats with Gramps.
As the movie goes on, Gramps promises to give Gennaro the money if he'll do a favor for him. The favor is: apologize to the girl that allowed Gramps to have sex with her before he got married so that he would not be a virgin. The fact that it destroyed this girl's life has now apparently come back to haunt Gramps. The fact that the girl (now an elderly woman with her own family) lives about 5 minutes away (meaning Gramps had endless opportunities to apologize himself) doesn't seem to have never registered in Gramps's brain until today. So, Gennaro walks two or three blocks to the woman's house, demands to see her, charges into the house, where the woman and her family are eating dinner, and basically blurts out what Gramps told him to say. The woman will not forgive Gramps until Gennaro kisses her on her lips! Now, why would that woman want that kid to kiss her? And in what way would that allow her to "forgive" Gramps? It was a chilling moment and really creepy in the worst possible way.
By the time Gennaro completes his task, Gramps is definitely on the way out. He has spent the entire day sitting outside, where apparently he never has to use the facilities. He can barely stand and apparently has spent these last several weeks (Months? Years? Who knows?), sitting outside and reflecting on his past (and it doesn't seem that he has done much with his life). Luisa's main purpose is to care for him, while she apparently also works a job for which she gets little money. Luisa's obnoxious, righteous sister Carmela also appears to take her place at Gramp's "chairside," eschewing the advice of a second doctor to get Gramps inside and into a bed. Carmela, who knows nothing, but thinks she knows everything, screams at the doctor that "his family knows best what to do" and that "we aren't going to take advice from you." She did it in a cruel, callous way. She was also cruel and judgmental of Gennaro and it struck me that the kid never really knew love in his life, even though he has a brief tender moment with his mother and even though he tells Gramps that he loves him. (The problem is: the boy said the lines he was supposed to, but I never believed him. He was doing what they told him to do.)
Finally Gramps dies, and once he does, his grip loosens on the "two bits," the kid grabs the quarter (because it's now after 6pm-- and as he learned earlier when he tried to go to La Paloma, he'll need 50 cents to get in, because the price goes up after 6pm), and enters the theater. We don't know what movie is showing, and it doesn't matter, because apparently the theater is like heaven on earth, which is something that I guess was imparted to him by Gramps and is discussed in a voiceover as the kid disappears into the dark theater.
From the beginning, the movie has totally unnecessary voiceovers from Gennaro as a "middle-aged man" to "explain" what was going on. They were pointless and disappear for the majority of the movie. I don't understand why some people feel compelled to use voiceovers. The majority of them do not enhance the story, nor do they make things "clearer."
At the start of the movie there are some amusing scenes of a wedding and funeral converging on the same church, while Gennaro sits on the sidelines and watches. That was the most interesting scene, but the boy is only a bystander. These "slice-of-life" scenes have no connection with the rest of the story.
I am sure that the people involved in this project thought this was a charming "coming-of-age" story. It is not. It is the story of a somewhat obtuse kid who can only think about how to get those "two bits" so he can go into the "air-cooled" La Paloma theater (to see what, I don't know, and no one else does either). It was written by the same man who wrote "Psycho," hence (I guess) the two chilling moments where the kid sees the woman who hanged herself, and where the kid is forced to kiss the angry old woman whose life was destroyed because Gramps promised her love if she gave himself to her.
I give it two stars because the wedding/funeral scene was entertaining and an effort was made to convey the era. But otherwise, despite Al Pacino's gifts as an actor, this was two thumbs down. -
ccthemovieman-14 September 2006This movie reminded me of some foreign films I own, low-key films which feature nice storytelling. There are no good guys vs. bad guys, no action, no blood, no sex: just a story of a day back in the Depression era in South Philadelphia.
The story centers around a young boy "Gennero" (Jerry Barone) trying to raise "two bits" (25 cents) to see a movie. It features his dying grandfather, played nicely by Al Pacino. Along the way the 12-year-old encounters interesting people and events. Pacino dishes out the usual grandfatherly advice and well meaning-but-on-Biblical theology ("God puts a brick on your house in heaven every time you do a good deed and he takes one away when you are bad.") Some have criticized Pacino for taking this role. I guess they want him to be a cop in every film. Well, he's a great actor and shows his diversified talents well in here. Whatever.....this film is loaded with charm and a nice story that's like a good book: hard to put down once you start.
At 84 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome, either. Even though there is little profanity, I would not recommend this as family fare because the film touches on a disturbing doctor and his wife.
Overall, I really enjoyed this movie and glad to see it's out on DVD now, too. -
lost_paradise225 August 2010You never get tiered from watching this movie.
first this movie succeeds to touch your heart and make it wonder with the little boy Gennaro "Jerry Barone" He did his part very well, with his pure wondering face and great acting managed to make this movie one of the best drama screen ever.
The story carry a pain of a widow wife, mistakes of an ill old man and a hope of a little child.
Manage to present the different classes among people 'How can this people have money while we are poor, and how can they celebrate while my grandpa. is sick' Genaro said this movie rates 9/10 -
paulabren6 August 2000Lack of action makes the audience pay attention to the characters, their thoughts, their needs and wants -- but especially their relationships with each other. This cast is outstanding in conveying the thoughts and feelings of persons experiencing the pain and suffering of the depression, yet ever remindful of each others' wants and needs. I loved every minute of it!! The second time through -- and I want to buy it to be able to experience it as often as I need this kind of reminder . . . and to share with my family, especially my grandkids.
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stijnvth15 March 2006In my life I only had two real soul-stirring moments. One of those two was due to this film. I believe if you ever lost a person real close to you this is an absolute must see. I very very rarely cry with a movie but Two bits (especially the last phrase) cut right trough me. An amazing performance by Al Pacino but the whole tone was right on the spot. It's done in a way with knowledge of the medium and respect to the delicateness of telling a story, the right way. I don't think after seeing this movie i will ever want to see another James Foley film. Not that i didn't like the experience. But because of the fact that i liked it too much. And every other film by this director could only be worse.
Hats of to the writer: Joseph Stefano. Because beside the fact that the film itself has a decent plot, the final sentence as i said before really blew me away. This movie is readable in different ways so everybody can enjoy it. Only thing is everybody will read different things in it. A must see... -
mycatslyone27 September 2005This film is really good. If you like Italian, if you have a touch of sentimentalism in you, if you like Pacino (who doesn't)& if you're nostalgic for films about yesteryear (1930's, The Great Depression), then this one'll be a treat for you.
Twelve year old Gennaro wants to go to the "air-cooled" La Paloma Movie House. He needs 25 cents but money is hard to come by at this time. The kid is resourceful though. He's willing to work for his goal. Jobs are scarce & people are dying from lack of food & things they cannot afford like medicine. "Grampa Pacino" is on his death-bed out in the back yard but he 'can't die' until he gets forgiven for something he did decades ago. He gets his grandson to ask the person for forgiveness - THEN he can have the 25 cents.
I really like the closeness of these two characters. I don't know where this young Jerry Barone (Gennaro) came from but he's a good actor & he's handsome. (He could probably play Hispanic, too.) So enjoy a bit of the old country with Two Bits. You'll be surprised. There's nothing' sappy about it. It's for everyone... -
petercapozzoli26 September 2005This movie is beautifully done. It is one of my favorites. It is a glimpse at another time. It is a movie about values. The whole movie is about one big day in the life of a boy growing up in the depression in Philadelphia and the wisdom his grandfather passes on. It is a touching and rewarding movie. The hopelessness of the depression comes out effectively in the movie. Gennaro and Tullio are just ordinary kids that aren't perfect. There is an interesting interplay between a child's honest selfishness and the relationship between wanting and needing. Pacino: "Your heart wants, your belly needs." Wanting is good because it requires hope. Many touching lines between Pacino (grandfather) and Barone (Gennaro). There is some humor also. Favorite line: Gennaro- "There's no milk!" See it and find out why I liked that line!
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The last line in the movie had tears falling from our eyes. We LOVED this movie. It kept us interested throughout! The realism of Philadelphia was wonderful, especially since it was supposed to be many years in the past. Acting superb, content holding, message eye opening. all in all, a movie we never expected to be so good, was in fact, heart warming. Joe and Lydia
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quackzy16 December 2019Great movies don't have to include "action." This sweet little movie presents us with the role in which Al Pacino is so sweet and so effective and so different from anything he ever did before or since.
If you ever get the chance, be sure to see it. -
As an Al Pacino fan I thought I'd seen everything he's done. I'd never heard of Two Bits until I saw it today. I found it to be a well-done, heartwarming, bittersweet movie that anyone with a heart should enjoy. This movie proves once again that sometimes the lesser-known, "smaller" movies are truly the best ones.
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movieman_bg13 September 2001The Great Depression has been discussed in one too many movies and "Two Bits" makes almost no exception of the general rule for such a movie: a poor family(usually immigrants), a small child realizing the poverty around him, an older person to guide the child, a sudden understanding of the really important things in life, a little drama, a touching ending, nothing new, nothing bad, unfortunately nothing too good. The exception in the "nothing too good rule" is the usual amazing performance that Al Pacino gives in almost all of his roles. His character, Gitano Sabatoni, touches the viewer deeply, and might even bring a few twinkles in the eyes at the very end. However, one man does not make a team, and Al Pacino could do little to save this movie from mediocrity.
James Foley("Twin Peaks", "Fear") tries to create a deep and touching stroy line, perhaps reaching to the roots of many movie fans. He is not successful, though. The metaphor with the "La Paloma" theater is not that strong and the end could've been made deeper if it had been for a few more words. Anyway, that's not Foley's main problem. The total lack of action in this movie makes it a bit too boring. "Two Bits" is simply too slow to leave a lasting impression. The somewhat strong scenes of grandfather-grandson bonding are immediately followed with aimless roaming around the streets of Philly. Perhaps one of the deepest scenes in the movie(the dancing people on the street) is somewhat lost because the viewer did not expect such a strong message at that time. Simple ideas can be misunderstood when not given in a right time to the viewer. Perhaps the same message "Two Bits" holds(even though much less complicated) is expressed in a brilliant way in "Citizen Kane". In the latter movie however, the viewer is "glued" to the seat at almost every time, whereas in "Two Bits" some people might slip out of their seats.
Anyway, "Two Bits" is worth seeing even if only for Al Pacino's impact. The movie might not be that good as a whole, but it touches a soft spot in many dedicated viewers' hearts. James Foley succeeds in showing the "holyness" of a movie theater to a small kid(or even to an adult). The way "La Paloma" is described, it leaves an impression of something majestic, something sacred, something pure and beautiful. It's a shame that Foley went only so far as to evoke this one picture, for as beautiful as it is, it can't support a whole movie. -
xrellerx20 June 2001This movie made me think of - the much better - King of the Hill where we see the direct environment of a rather poor kid. I don't know how they got Al Pacino for this very mediocre (almost bad) mellow movie about a kid who would do anything for a dime to go to the movies. The plot is about the relationship between the dying grandfather Pacino and the young kid during the depression. The last one was not convincing throughout the movie, but Pacino's acting was again outstanding. The make-up "tried" to make him look like an old grandpa, but it's his acting that makes him look like he was really suffering and could die every second of the movie. From the moment the movie starts i was waiting for the moment he dies and whispers his last words to his grandson. There are original parts in the story, but not enough. This is a movie for Pacino fans and younger kids. A last positive thing: no matter how mellow a movie is, if it contains a story, you can learn from it!
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Doctor_Bombay5 March 1999I love a nice drama as much as anyone, and have always been a sucker for a memoir of a boy reminiscing about that special time spent with Grandpa, long, long ago.
My guess is that the title Two Bits was chosen for this meaningless piece of drivel because `Plug Nickel' and `A Complete Waste of all our Time' were both already taken.
James Foley reasserts his position as number one handholder to the stars'(drama)-the type of guy who is credited as director (with all the associated headaches) even though the project is controlled creatively, entirely, and usually disastrously by a single minded, self-promoting star'(in this case Al Pacino). The directorial talent and skills that seemed so promising in At Close Range' and even After Dark My Sweet' are far in the past now, for Mr. Foley, sadly.
If Mr Pacino saw this as possibly his own personal Death of a Salesman', it's unfortunate that the salesman was no where to be found.
I would talk more about the story if I had the slightest idea what was so important about it to bring it to film-an immigrant boy, his widowed mom, and a crotchety old Grandpa the standard setup for today's derivative and ineffective sitcom.
Pass. Pass. Pass -
cliff-1916 June 2002Most of the Depression stories focus on Jewish families and usually in New York. This one focuses on Italian families in S. Philadelphia. There is a lot of intelligence and insight, but the embarrassingly sentimental spin loses the inherent irony. And that music is probably the most cloyingly mawkish I have ever heard. I would pair this with "Christ in Concrete" to get an emotional balance.