21 Page #2

Synopsis: Ben Campbell is a young, highly intelligent, student at M.I.T. in Boston who strives to succeed. Wanting a scholarship to transfer to Harvard School of Medicine with the desire to become a doctor, Ben learns that he cannot afford the $300,000 for the four to five years of schooling as he comes from a poor, working-class background. But one evening, Ben is introduced by his unorthodox math professor Micky Rosa into a small but secretive club of five. Students Jill, Choi, Kianna, and Fisher, who are being trained by Professor Rosa of the skill of card counting at blackjack. Intrigued by the desire to make money, Ben joins his new friends on secret weekend trips to Las Vegas where, using their skills of code talk and hand signals, they have Ben make hundreds of thousands of dollars in winning blackjack at casino after casino. Ben only wants to make enough money for the tuition to Harvard and then back out. But as fellow card counter, Jill Taylor, predicts, Ben becomes corrupted by greed a
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director(s): Robert Luketic
Production: Sony/Columbia Pictures
  1 win & 5 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.8
Metacritic:
48
Rotten Tomatoes:
35%
PG-13
Year:
2008
123 min
$81,159,365
Website
3,331 Views


- All right.

All right.

Now, who can explain Newton's method

and how you use it?

You can use it to solve nonlinear equations.

That's impressive. That's really good.

I mean, I'm very impressed by that,

especially since my class

is called Nonlinear Equations.

All right, now somebody tell me something

I don't already know.

Anyone?

Bueller. Anyone? Bueller.

Newton stole it.

- I'm sorry?

- Newton stole it.

Joseph Raphson published

this same method 50 years earlier.

And if the start value is too far removed

from true zero, then it fails.

- I'm sorry, what's your name?

- Ben. Ben Campbell.

Ben.

So Ben Campbell suggests

that Joseph Raphson

was the original author of this method.

Well, if that's the case,

then why didn't he get any credit?

Well, for one thing,

Newton had a better publicist.

And for another, after 1700,

we know very little about Raphson

other than the fact that he discovered the

Kabbalah about 300 years before Madonna.

All right, now, let's give Ben a chance

for some extra credit, shall we?

We're gonna call this

the game show host problem, all right?

Ben, suppose you're on a game show.

And you are given a chance to choose

from three different doors, all right?

Now, behind one of the doors is a new car.

Behind the other two, goats.

Which door would you choose, Ben?

Door number one?

Door number one.

Ben chooses door number one.

All right, now, the game show host,

who, by the way,

knows what's behind all the other doors,

decides to open another door.

Let's say he chooses door number three.

Behind which sits a goat. Now...

Ben, game show host comes up to you.

He says, "Ben, do you want to stay

with door number one

"or go with door number two?"

Now, is it in your interest

to switch your choice?

- Yeah.

- Well, wait.

Remember, the host knows where the car is

so how do you know

he's not playing a trick on you?

Trying to use reverse psychology

to get you to pick a goat?

Well, I wouldn't really care.

I mean, my answer's based on statistics.

Based on variable change.

Variable change?

But he just asked you a simple question.

Yeah, which changed everything.

Enlighten us.

Well, when I was originally

asked to choose a door,

I had a 33.3/ chance of choosing right.

But after he opens one of the doors

and then re-offers me the choice,

it's now 66.7/ if I choose to switch.

So, yeah, I'll take door number two,

and thank you for that extra 33.3/.

Exactly.

People, remember,

if you don't know which door to open,

always account for variable change.

Now, see, most people

wouldn't take the switch

out of paranoia, fear, emotions.

But Mr. Campbell, he kept emotions aside

and let simple math get his ass

into a brand-new car!

Which is better than that goat

you've been driving around campus.

All right, everybody.

That's the end of the day.

Thank you very much.

Your graded papers are down here

at the end.

You can pick them up on your way out.

I am invincible.

Guys, Jill Taylor, 10 o'clock.

Man. That's brutal.

You know,

you should just ask her out, man.

It's not like she's a rocket scientist

or anything.

Oh, wait, she is.

Well, why don't you ask her?

Because I'm already dating someone.

Yeah, your right hand doesn't count, Miles.

It does the way I use it.

It does the way I use it.

Hey, you know what?

Maybe I don't even want to go out with her.

Yeah, that's funny.

You know, you say

you want a life experience, right?

Well, I'd say getting down with that

would definitely qualify.

Cam!

Boy genius.

You have to follow me now.

- Excuse me?

- You have to follow me now.

Come on.

- Where are we going?

- You'll see.

Our honored guest.

- How you doing, Ben?

- I'm okay.

- You ever been in this room before?

- Yeah.

Organic Chemistry in my freshman year.

- How'd you do?

- Well, I got an A.

- Professor Rosa...

- Micky, please.

Is there a problem with my paper?

Well, you found a more efficient method

for finding true zero than Isaac Newton

and that, my friend, is not so much of

a problem as it is a major ass-kicking.

Although Newton has been dead for over

So, is this some kind of a math club?

Don't be rude, people.

- Kianna.

- Fisher.

- Choi.

- Jill.

- You ever studied blackjack?

- No.

No, really? Well, it's really simple, actually.

You play against the dealer.

You're given two cards.

Face cards are worth 10 points.

The closest to 21 wins.

If you go over, you lose.

If the dealer goes over, they lose.

It's the most popular card game

in the world.

It's a game with memory.

Cards drawn are the past,

ones to come are future.

And the best part, it's beatable.

Are you talking about counting cards?

No. I'm talking about getting very very rich.

You count cards, right? All of you?

As a team, yes.

- When?

- Weekends. And Christian holidays.

- Where?

- Vegas, baby.

So, why are you telling me?

Well, let's just say a spot opened up

on our roster.

How?

Jimmy got a job at Google.

- Jimmy got a job at Google?

- Yeah, it's catchy, I know.

Well, if you're making so much money

at this, then why did he take it?

Ben, I said Google, not Sizzler.

Yeah... This is crazy.

No, Ben. This is profitable.

Yeah, I can't do it. So, I'm sorry.

- Come on, Ben. It'll be fun.

- Yeah, Ben, it'll be fun.

No, it's not that. It's...

I just got a promotion at my job,

so it's kind of not a good time for me.

We pay better.

Look, I can't just go to Vegas on weekends.

Why not? MIT's on cruise control for you,

you've already gotten into Harvard Med.

I mean, what do you have to worry about?

- How did you know that?

- I like to take an interest in my students.

Well, I'm also really involved

in the science competition.

You know, the 2.09 Competition?

Wait, no.

I'm building a car that drives by itself.

Yeah, well, it's something I've been doing

with my friends for over a year,

so it's kind of important.

Ben, let the car drive by itself.

Listen, you not only have a gifted mind,

but you're also composed.

You don't give in to your emotions.

You think logically.

Ben, you were born for this.

You'll have more fun

than you've ever had in your entire life.

It's perfect.

Thank you. But I'm really not the right guy.

So I'm sorry.

Ben.

I hope this little conversation

we just had will remain private.

- No, of...

- No.

You're one of my favorite new students,

and I'd hate to lose you,

if you know what I mean.

- I'm just not sure it's me.

- t's boring.

It's boxy. It's blue. How is that not you?

So, how much is this thing gonna run me?

Oh, well, let's see, the belt's $49.95,

minus 15/.

The jacket's $589.99.

The pants, $285.99, minus 10/ for both.

Unfortunately, the shirt's not on sale,

but I can knock off 5/ from the $69.99.

The shoes were just marked down

from $155,

so you're looking at $1,042.68.

I'm pretty good with numbers.

- Yeah.

- I guess so.

Yeah, so let me know

when I can ring that up for you guys.

- Yes. Thank you.

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Peter Steinfeld

Peter L. Steinfeld is an American screenwriter and television producer. He is best known for writing mystery film Drowning Mona (released 2000), comedy film Be Cool (2005) and drama film 21 (2008). more…

All Peter Steinfeld scripts | Peter Steinfeld Scripts

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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