In 2017, Molly’s Game starring Jessica Chastain was released. The critically acclaimed biopic focused on the life of Molly Bloom. A former professional skier, Bloom, following injury and missing out on her dream to represent the USA at the Olympics, moved to Los Angeles and began running poker events for A-List celebrities such as Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio. This later saw her referred to as the “Poker Princess”.
Writer-director Aaron Sorkin, in developing Bloom’s story for the screen, sought to remain faithful to the reality of her life in the spotlight, collaborating with Bloom during the writing process and using her memoir as the basis for the film. However, in adapting the events of her life, Molly’s Game does enjoy a degree of creative license, fictionalizing some characters and adding sequences for dramatic effect.
The Facts and the Fiction
A lot of the early part of the film fictionalizes Bloom’s pre-Los Angeles life in order to develop her character and create an emotional bond between the audience and the main character. While she was an experienced skier, the opening scene, where a skiing accident derails Bloom’s Olympic ambitions, is entirely fictional. Her decision to leave the sport was a personal choice after winning a regional event, not the result of a career-ending fall. The movie also amplifies her father’s role, adding a dramatic courtroom pep talk that is absent from Bloom’s memoir.
However, the film accurately portrays Bloom’s journey from waitress to poker mogul, including the eccentric behavior of her first boss, who introduced her to high-stakes poker. While celebrities such as Ben Affleck did participate in her games, the character of “Player X” condenses several real-life personalities, borrowing some notable details, including Tobey Maguire’s infamous seal-barking incident.
Maguire is also merited with wrestling control of Bloom’s games away from her in the film but this was not the case. Her later legal battles are also heavily fictionalized, as is the character of Charlie Jaffey who Sorkin created for the film. Molly’s Game does though include the most terrifying elements of Bloom’s troubles with those wanting to profit from her entrepreneurial activities.
One of the Best Poker Movies
Following its release, the Golden Globe-nominated Molly’s Bloom joined the list of great modern poker movies such as Rounders and Mississippi Grind. While a basic understanding of the rules of Texas Holdem helps, such as the value of a five-card hand and what terms such as “the flop”, “the turn”, and “the river” mean, these films have enjoyed broad appeal because they’ve introduced compelling character-based drama. Amid the pre-flop betting and Royal Flushes, there’s real humanity in these films that, as well as tension-filled poker stakes and emotionally charged character relationships, continue to make them stand out.
With Molly’s Game, Sorkin, in his directorial debut, created gripping entertainment and laid the foundation for one of Jessica Chastain’s best performances in her powerhouse portrayal of Bloom. With Sorkin’s signature verbal fireworks, the film sparks to life, offering a glimpse inside the glamourous world of A-List celebrity life and big-money poker alongside themes such as Bloom’s resilience in a male-dominated environment.