The Cooler

This article is about the film. For the night club, see The Cooler (night club). For the TV episode, see The Cooler (Adventure Time). For other uses, see Cooler (disambiguation).
The Cooler
Theatrical release poster
Directed byWayne Kramer
Written by
Produced by
  • Sean Furst
  • Michael A. Pierce
Starring
CinematographyJames Whitaker
Edited byArthur Coburn
Music byMark Isham
Production
companies
  • ContentFilm
  • Pierce/Williams Entertainment
  • Furst Films
  • Gryphon Films
  • Dog Pond Productions
  • Visionbox Pictures
  • Zero Gravity Management
Distributed byLions Gate Films
Release dates
  • January 17, 2003 (2003-01-17) (Sundance)
  • November 26, 2003 (2003-11-26) (United States)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$4 million[1]
Box office$10.4 million[2]

The Cooler is a 2003 American crime drama film directed by Wayne Kramer, from a screenplay by Frank Hannah and Kramer. The film stars William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Shawn Hatosy, Ron Livingston, Estella Warren, Paul Sorvino, and Alec Baldwin. It follows a casino "cooler" whose mere presence at the gambling tables usually results in a streak of bad luck for the other players.

The Cooler had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2003, and was released in limited theaters in the United States by Lions Gate Films on November 26, 2003. Baldwin and Bello were nominated for Golden Globe Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards for their supporting performances, with Baldwin receiving, as of 2024, his only Academy Award nomination.

  1. ^ "The Cooler (2003) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  2. ^ "The Cooler". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 25, 2022.