It’s 5:00 in the morning and “The Color of Money” is playing on the television. I had fallen asleep on the couch, but my eyes crack open as I hear “Fast Eddie” say, “You don’t know whether to take it or not, do you?” proposing a $500 challenge match bet to Carmen, the girlfriend/manager of Vincent (played by Tom Cruise).
I didn’t like this movie the first time I saw it as I was ignorant to the subtlety of its messages. But now, after studying with the very man who the story is fashioned around, I’m able to clearly identify the genius of its story line. For me now, it’s more of a movie about how the choices we make define our character.
In the big pool tournament scene near the end of the movie, Eddie makes an interesting choice to walk over to Vincent and gives him back a “pay off” envelope. The subtlety is that Vincent knows this will taint Eddie’s victory and leave him with a feeling of being cheated. We know this by Vincent’s core reaction in a later scene when Vincent shouts, “YOU USED ME!” Eddie “As-Ises” the moment by responding:
“You bet I did. But at least you’re not back there in some storage room stocking shelves. Let’s call it a wash.”
In the middle of his next semi-final match, as he lines up a shot, he sees his reflection in the object ball. He backs off, breaks down his cue stick, walks over to Vincent and puts the pay off money back in his arms. Eddie decides to forfeit the match and his chance at victory and the 50k first place prize, refusing to compromise himself in winning the game. Interestingly, he displayed the thing that he preached at the beginning of the movie when he said, “You need to know whether to take the bet or not.” I believe that through the course of his relationship with Vincent, he changed. He learned the value of the opposite of another one of his earlier statements. Which was “money won is worth twice as much as money earned.”
This time, “the take,” meant that he not only didn’t earn it, but that he himself was being hustled in a way. He was now “the mark,” that he had so often made other people. The mark not for money, but for his pride and character. I believe that Vincent wanted to show off what he had been taught, throw it in the face of Eddie to give him a taste of what he had to sacrifice, and give him a taste of what it’s like to be used.
Determined not to be anybody’s mark, he refocuses his efforts on training, raising his standards and getting back into competition. He also makes the choice of not letting himself be bought. Which, by the way, is a choice you gotta have the courage to make if you want to be great.
The game of poker is tough man, it’s not for sissies. You got to be able to handle losses and not cry about it, but pick yourself up, brush yourself off and get back in the ring.
You gotta have integrity with yourself and others or you’ll continued to get hustled and used like an old beat up cue in some run down pool hall.
I like the symbolism of the balabushka cue stick used in the movie. It both, represents and inspires at the same time, perfection in the man who is aware of what he is holding. Nothing major. Really. It’s only your destiny that hangs in the balance.
It’s 6:30 am now as the birds begin to chirp and I’m tired. It’s been a long journey. Forgive me, please, for wanting to roll over and go back to sleep. Carpe Diem Eddie, I miss ya.
Kenna
