Working with a movie: Casino Jack (p. 213)
Approach
The object of this work is to illustrate the way interest groups and lobbyists influence
politicians at the federal level in Washington, D.C. The example used is a rather extreme one,
but in no way untrue, based as it is on an actual case. It will deal with the following issues:
Lobbying and Money, Lobbying and the Law, Lobbying and Government, Lobbying and
Ethics.
Introduction
The film Casino Jack from 2010 is 1 hour and 48 minutes long. It is a political satire about
influence peddling and lobbyist in Washington, D.C. It is based on the true story of Jack
Abramoff, one of the most influential lobbyists of the 2000s, also known as “The Man Who
Bought Washington” (see page 211). The action takes place in the years between roughly
2004 and 2006. It revolves around Jack’s relationship to two clients; Native American tribes
seeking his help to influence Congressional legislation dealing with gambling casinos on their
territory and SunCruz Casinos, seeking legislation to legalize their gambling activities on ships
in the Caribbean. Put simply, in the course of the picture Jack succumbs to greed and
delusions of grandeur which gradually draw him into fraud, embezzlement and murder.
Once exposed, his activities created a greater scandal, damaging the careers of many of the
politicians he had helped and influence through the years.
The film was rated “R” for “Restricted” by the Motion Picture Association of America
(MPAA). This means that anyone under 17 who wanted to see it at a cinema was required to
have an “Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian along.” It was given this rating because it
contains “perverse language, some violence and brief nudity.”
Cast of characters
Kevin Spacey
Barry Pepper
Kelly Preston
Rachelle Lefevre
Jon Lovitz
Ruth Marchell
Graham Green
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Jack Abramoff
Michael Scanlon
Pam Abramoff
Emily J. Miller
Adam Kidan
Susan Schmidt
Bernie Sprague
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Getting Started:
Form groups of three. The film depicts Washington D.C. during in the early 2000s Here are
some terms, people and events connected to that time. Do you recognize any of them? Are
any of them still relevant or active in politics today? Feel free to use the internet to find
information about them.
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George W. Bush
9/11
Space Shuttle Columbia
Karl Rove
Patriot Act
Hurricane Katrina
Tom DeLay
Plame Affair
Deep Throat
Grover Norquist
Lawyergate
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Dick Cheney
Watching the film:
Watch the film until Scene 3, which begins with Jack playing racket ball with his partner,
Michael Scanlon, while they discuss House Majority leader Tom DeLay. Having seen the film
this far, take a break and discuss the following points in group. One member of the group
writes down your conclusions.
1. You have now been introduced to the most important characters in the film. Who do
you find most interesting? Besides Jack himself, who do you think will be most
central to the development of the further action of the film?
2. Sum up what Jack says to himself at the very start of the film when he is brushing his
teeth. What do you think of his speech?
3. The film makes it clear at the very start that Jack will be going to jail for his actions.
Why did the director and writer choose to do that, do you think? Why make most of
the film a “flashback”?
4. This film is a political satire making fun of the political process of lobbying. What
examples of this can you find in the film thus far?
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After you have seen the whole film:
Keep the same groups and work with at least one of the points below
Lobbying and Money
1. There is a great deal of money changing hands in this film. Which amounts can you
recall? From whom to whom was this money moving?
2. Jack and Michael have a wealthy lifestyle. What do you see in the film that makes this
clear?
3. At one point, Jack and his boss have the following exchange:
Jack – “(Lobbying is) not about friends, Manny. It’s about ideas.“
Manny – “And you guys on the Right used to have ideas, but now that
communism is gone, all you think about is money.”
How does the film illustrate Manny’s point?
4. What is Jack’s justification for pursuing money? Is it only being rich that motivates
him?
Lobbying and the Law
1. At the start of the film Jack is taken to a cell where he meets a cellmate named Snake
and the following dialogue takes place:
Jack – “What 'er you in for, Snake?”
Snake – “Assault and battery. Resisting arrest. Chicken shit beef like that. How
'bout you? ”
Jack: “Oh, me. I work in D.C. I'm a lobbyist.”
Snake: “Lobbyist. That against the law? “
Why is this dialogue ironic?
2. At the start of the film Jack gives us a great deal of information about what a lobbyist
is and does. Summarize what you remember about this information. What does he
think of his job?
3. Who finally gives the federal government inside information about what Jack and his
partner Michael have been up to? Why?
4. What Jack was found guilty of and sent to prison for?
Lobbying and Government
1. Why is Tom DeLay, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, an important
person for Jack to know? What kind of influence does he have on Congressional
legislation?
2. Jack’s first boss, Manny, hired Jack because he knows George W. Bush. How? How
does Jack make use of this connection in the film?
3. Jack is a Republican. Why is this useful for him at the time the film takes place? How
far back do his Republican ties go?
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4. Towards the end of the film Jack is called up in front of a Congressional committee to
testify about his actions. There is a “dream sequence” when he attacks the politicians
interrogating him. What does he say? Why doesn’t he actually say these things in
reality? (And incidentally, do you know what the “Fifth amendment” is?)
Lobbying and Ethics
1. How does Jack justify his actions to himself and others? Give a few examples. What
do you think of these justifications?
2. At one point in the movie Jack is in prison explaining lobbying to his fellow convicts:
Jack – “The right of individuals, groups, and corporations to lobby the Federal
Government is protected by the right to petition in the First Amendment of
the United States Constitution.”
Snake – “So what’s the problem?”
Jack – “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Judging from what you have seen in this film, do you think Jack honestly doesn’t
know? What do you think the problem is?
3. There is a conflict between other lobbyists and Jack. Many of them think he is
bringing unwanted attention on them – putting them in “the limelight.” Why would
they be afraid of such attention?
4. Jack and his partner were judged to be both unlawful and unethical in their actions
in this film (and in reality). But how would an ethical lobbyist avoid such actions? Is it
possible to be an ethical lobbyist? (Don’t be too quick to judge, now. We are talking
about the right of the people to influence their elected representatives.)
Writing
1. The following statements are taken from actual reviews of the movie. Pick the one
that fits your opinion best or the one you most disagree with, and then write a short,
persuasive essay promoting your view:
- Super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff is the colorful subject of Casino Jack – a slick and
undeniably entertaining true-life D.C. crime story, boasting a robust Kevin Spacey
performance.
- Casino Jack is so forthright, it is stunning.
- The overall message of Casino Jack has become familiar. Corporate and industry
lobbyists are the real rulers in Washington, and their dollars are the real votes.
- The problem with the whole movie is that it lies halfway between serious
documentary and wild comedy.
- It is Spacey's performance that contains most of the movie's mystery; although
Abramoff's actions left little room for justification, in Spacey's performance, there
is some.
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The facts really get in the way of the portrait here, and we are left hungry for
more Spacey and more insight into a man with the hubris to wonder if he has
disappointed God.
- Casino Jack fails at its most critical mission: Laying out in clear detail exactly how
and when Abramoff broke the law.
2. See if you can find out what happened to Jack after he got out of jail in 2010. Then
write a short report on him as if it were for his parole board, stating why you believe
he deserves to remain out of prison among the public or should be returned to jail.
3. Have there been any scandals in the lobbying business recently? If you find one,
write a short newspaper article about it as if you were a reporter from The
Washington Post.
4. Write a short description of the political environment in Washington, D.C., based on
the knowledge you have gained from this field. Conclude with your evaluation of how
accurate you believe this portrait to be.
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