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Thin Ice

Original title: The Convincer
  • 2011
  • 15
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
5.5K
YOUR RATING
Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Michelle Arthur, Michael Paul Levin, Joe Minjares, David Harbour, Kathryn Lawrey, and Scott Crouch in Thin Ice (2011)
An insurance agent looking for a way out of frigid Wisconsin is blackmailed by an unstable locksmith in the theft of a rare violin that belongs to a retired farmer.
Play trailer2:23
12 Videos
14 Photos
Dark ComedyHeistScrewball ComedyWorkplace DramaComedyCrimeDramaMystery

A dishonest insurance salesman's life quickly disintegrates during a Wisconsin winter when he teams up with a psychopath to steal a rare violin at the home of a reclusive farmer.A dishonest insurance salesman's life quickly disintegrates during a Wisconsin winter when he teams up with a psychopath to steal a rare violin at the home of a reclusive farmer.A dishonest insurance salesman's life quickly disintegrates during a Wisconsin winter when he teams up with a psychopath to steal a rare violin at the home of a reclusive farmer.

  • Director
    • Jill Sprecher
  • Writers
    • Jill Sprecher
    • Karen Sprecher
  • Stars
    • Greg Kinnear
    • Billy Crudup
    • Alan Arkin
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.2/10
    5.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Jill Sprecher
    • Writers
      • Jill Sprecher
      • Karen Sprecher
    • Stars
      • Greg Kinnear
      • Billy Crudup
      • Alan Arkin
    • 37User reviews
    • 58Critic reviews
    • 60Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos12

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 2:23
    U.S. Version
    Thin Ice
    Trailer 2:18
    Thin Ice
    Thin Ice
    Trailer 2:18
    Thin Ice
    "Take the Violin"
    Clip 1:07
    "Take the Violin"
    "Curds"
    Clip 0:39
    "Curds"
    "Aruba"
    Clip 1:12
    "Aruba"
    "Second Opinion"
    Clip 0:57
    "Second Opinion"

    Photos14

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    Top cast70

    Edit
    Greg Kinnear
    Greg Kinnear
    • Mickey Prohaska
    Billy Crudup
    Billy Crudup
    • Randy
    Alan Arkin
    Alan Arkin
    • Gorvy Hauer
    Lea Thompson
    Lea Thompson
    • Jo Ann Prohaska
    John Paul Gamoke
    • Man at Coffee Shop
    David Harbour
    David Harbour
    • Bob Egan
    Jennifer Edwards-Hughes
    • Sherri
    • (as Jennifer M. Edwards)
    Scott Crouch
    • Casino Emcee
    Peter Moore
    Peter Moore
    • Phil Peters
    Michelle Hutchison
    Michelle Hutchison
    • Judy Vandenhoevel
    James Michael Detmar
    James Michael Detmar
    • Glen Vandenhoevel
    • (as James Detmar)
    Michael Paul Levin
    Michael Paul Levin
    • Chuck Stankel
    Kathryn Lawrey
    • Hotel Clerk
    Joe Minjares
    • Hotel Manager
    Michelle Arthur
    Michelle Arthur
    • Karla Gruenke
    Peter Thoemke
    Peter Thoemke
    • Frank Richie
    Bob Balaban
    Bob Balaban
    • Leonard Dahl
    Alan Johnson
    Alan Johnson
    • Bill Morton
    • Director
      • Jill Sprecher
    • Writers
      • Jill Sprecher
      • Karen Sprecher
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews37

    6.25.5K
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    Featured reviews

    7StevePulaski

    The kind of film you feel bad to complain about

    Even if I disliked Thin Ice, I'd still have major sympathy for co-writer/director Jill Sprecher, who seemed to have went through hell and high water just to get this film a release. Thin Ice was originally released to Sundance under the name "The Convincer," in a one-hundred and fourteen minute cut that received strong reception from audiences and critics. However, the studio that purchased the film insisted that the score be redundant, the editing reworked, and the pace of the film increased, making the picture ninety-three minutes instead of one-hundred and fourteen. Sprecher, obviously embarrassed and frustrated, has basically given up on Thin Ice and likely looks at it as a sore spot on her career.

    That note alone should make one hesitate before publishing something negative about the film. It makes me consider my position as an online film critic deeper, too. Here I am, a viewer of many movies a year (last year almost five-hundred) by choice, and I don't always take into account the effort it takes to make a picture and the stress that numerous people likely go under. Thin Ice is a perfect example of a film I hesitate to review because I feel as if I have not seen the real thing. The ninety-three minute cut has received mixed reception, contrary to the original films near-acclaim.

    Regardless, I find Thin Ice - in and of itself - a solid crime caper. The story centers around Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear), a third rate insurance salesman in a dire financial predicament, looking to invest in something that will increase his reliability, win back his wife, and get him out of the frigid, merciless conditions the Wisconsin cold has brought him. He teams up with another man to try and sell Gorvy Hauer (Alan Arkin), an elderly, senile farmer, insurance despite knowing the man doesn't have much money at all. When Mickey discovers he has an expensive-looking violin, he has it appraised only to realize it is slightly rare and valued at $25,000.

    This seems all well and good until Randy Kinney (Billy Crudup), a local con-man with an unstable temper, discovers Mickey's plans and, in the process, kills one of Gorvy's neighbors. Now, in an effort to save his own skin, Mickey must work with Randy to cover up the murder, while trying to turn a profit from Gorvy, and sneakily sell his violin for what soon becomes an unruly amount of money.

    One film that will cross nearly every mind that watches this film is Fargo, the Coen brothers classic. The entire picture seems like a spin off of the film, from the similar plotpoints to the locational weather to the darkly funny direction the film takes. Despite this, Sprecher and her sister Karen do a bold job of making this film stand on its own, simply because of the way events are piled on each other in a rapid-fire order and how the twist is tacked on at the end.

    The acting, however, is the film's strongest feature, with Kinnear, Crudup, and Arkin being on top of their game in terms of convincing performances. Kinnear is a great everyman, but he has a way about playing a man who has a bigger, brasher internal view of himself in contrast to the way he actually appears. This kind of character's mannerisms are seen in the wonderful Little Miss Sunshine, where he played a father hellbent on selling success advice in a cheap twelve-step book. Here, he plays a deadbeat husband hellbent on selling insurance in a cheaply wrapped package and achieves the same level of success.

    Meanwhile, Crudup's character is a tricky one to pull off. He is a character that requires the actor playing him to go from collective to explosive in a matter of seconds akin to a time-bomb. This works tremendously in contrast to Kinnear's "gotta keep everything subtle and cool" persona. Finally, it should come as no surprise Arkin is great here, but the role is made more special because it shows Arkin as something he rarely is - gullible.

    Ultimately, there are issues in Thin Ice that need to be addressed. The pacing is a bit too fast and the opening is a tad sluggish when it should look to grab our attention. However, these are issues that I am almost certain wouldn't exist if the original cut had been released like it should've been. The product we are left with is pretty solid and an easy thing to recommend, but the entire thing almost feels like a cliffhanger that has no writer to complete it.

    Starring: Greg Kinnear, Billy Crudup, and Alan Arkin. Directed by: Jill Sprecher.
    7richard-1967

    What genre movie is this? I'm not sure, but watch it for the acting

    This is a flawed but still watchable film that seems to steal characters and plot from the Coen Brothers' Fargo, yet manages to succeed. At least to an extent.

    The problem may be - as we were told at our cinema previewing club - that the director lost final cut here, and found herself with a movie she no longer can even comment on, with 15 minutes cut, the film re-edited, and a score she never intended - and one that doesn't work well.

    The result is a somewhat uneven, too dark black comedy. Or is it a drama? Or perhaps a "caper" movie? I'm not quite sure.

    When it comes to the acting, though, this is a great film. Greg Kinnear plays a character too reminiscent of Wm. H. Macy's turn in Fargo, but he makes the most of it, though - team player that he is - he's outshone by more spectacular performances. Alan Arkin, for one, who also did it to Kinnear in Little Miss Sunshine. But the "steal the show" performance is by Billy Crudup, always sexy (my wife says he's "hot") and interesting to watch, and here at his very best. Bob Balaban is spot on as a violin dealer, and the rest of the cast is excellent.

    Worth seeing for many, but mostly for those performances.
    7bob-rutzel-1

    Pretty Good

    Insurance agent Mickey (Greg Kinnear) is blackmailed by Locksmith Randy (Billy Crudup) over the theft of a valuable violin owned by Gorvy Hauer (Alan Arkin).

    The movie setting is winter in Wisconsin and although we see some ice and snow from time to time, we wished there were more wintry scenes. You see, they kind of help cool us when we are watching this in the summer heat wave we have now. Bummer.

    Returning to our story, we see that Mickey is in debt and is willing to steal Gorvy's violin as Gorvy isn't aware of the true value. Enter Randy and the cover-up begins, but both are surprised by a neighbor who feels something isn't right and threatens to call the police. What to do? What to do?

    That is as far as I will go because the rest is complicated. We like Mickey and hope he can find a way to make things right. However, because most of this happens in the beginning, we see that there is a lot more story (read movie) to go and things get even more complicated and go progressively worse for Mickey. Okay, okay, I went a little further but, we see there is enough time for Mickey to make things right. That is our hope.

    There are many twists and turns in here and you need to keep up. We keep rooting for Mickey, but things go further and further south for him. Greg Kinnear plays Mickey to perfection. We feel his pain even though he did something wrong. The acting performances of the rest of the cast are perfect, but it is Mickey we care about and he needs to find a way out of the mess he helped create. We can only hope

    We see Randy as a normal person, but when he gets surprised by something that doesn't go right, he loses it big time for a while and then he reverts back to being quiet and normal again. This happens 2-times in the movie. I guess this is the comic relief within. Pretty good though. Kind of reminds us of William H. Macy in FARGO when he beats the hell out of his vehicle when his plans are upset. These temper tantrums are great scenes. Kudos.

    The key to the whole movie is Arkin's Gorvy, who is naïve and agreeable to insurance suggestions by Mickey's new agent hire, Bob (David Harbour). Alan Arkin is becoming a real acting treasure in his later years and we like his screen presence. Okay, okay, the real key to the movie is Mickey and his greed. You will see why. Okay? Tough room.

    Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: No.
    8johnsullivan724

    Good movie, great acting

    It takes some time to get going, granted, but when it does it's good, real good. Greg Kinnear is fantastic as is Billy Crudup and Alan Arkin. It pulls you into it's eerie intensity and takes you on a bit of a ride, sometimes comical. This is listed as a comedy??? Somewhat, but more a crime drama with some comedy. I actually felt real uncomfortable with the tension created in this film and how it develops is really cool. btw -I know it was edited from the original version of "The Convincer" and people who seem close to, or fans of, the Sprecher's, knock it pretty bad. Understandably, I guess in a way , but for most of us seeing it in the newer edit, like I said it's a good movie. Jus' sayin'.
    7blanche-2

    Fargo-esque in a way

    I have to say I really enjoyed "Thin Ice" even though it had a few problems. It certainly didn't have any cast problems: Greg Kinnear, who somehow always surprises me; Billy Crudup, whom I adore; and Alan Arkin, an absolute treasure. Also on hand were Lea Thompson, David Harbour, and Jennifer Edwards Hughes.

    The movie is compared to Fargo because it takes place in Wisconsin in the winter and the major theme is a guy doing something dishonest and getting in way over his head.

    The comparisons really stop there. This is a good movie on its own. It's not perfect but it is entertaining.

    Insurance agent Mickey (Greg Kinnear) is blackmailed by Locksmith Randy (Billy Crudup) over the theft of a valuable violin owned by Gorvy Hauer (Alan Arkin).

    Mickey (Kinnear) is an insurance man, and when we first see him, he's giving a lecture at an insurance convention. While he's there his wallet is stolen and of course, it contained credit cards. But he gets the wallet back with the cash gone and the cards intact.

    While he's at the convention, he meets a man, Bob Egan (Harbour) who hasn't taken his insurance exam yet. He has been offered a job with an unfavorable split; Mickey betters it and hires him.

    Bob is good at his job and introduces Mickey to a potential client, Gorvy (Arkin) who lives on a farm. He has tons of stuff, a lot of which is from his ill sister, and Bob wants him to have insurance. While he's there, Mickey sees an appraisal for a violin of Gorvy's. The appraisal is $25,000. Mickey decides to steal it.

    What follows is one complication after another, which involves Mickey with an ex-con (Crudup) and some other unpleasantness.

    Apparently this film was taken from the director and edited without his input. The film has imperfections, but the script by the Sprechers is good, possibly inspired by Fargo and a couple of other films.

    The acting was wonderful on all accounts, but I have to say Crudup was amazing. It was a showier role than Kinnear's, and though Arkin was excellent, I had seen him do that kind of thing before. Crudup as a bad-tempered sleaze was outstanding.

    Highly recommended. You can pick a film like this apart but it's so entertaining, why bother.

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Alan Arkin and Greg Kinnear had appeared together previously in 'Little Miss Sunshine ' (2006).
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Mickey Prohaska: [narrating] There is a saying. Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see. Good advice. People will try to convince you of anything.

    • Alternate versions
      The film premiered out of competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival under its original title "The Convincer"; that version was edited by Stephen Mirrione and featured an original score by Alex Wurman and Bela Fleck. It was subsequently reedited by Lee Percy and re-scored by Jeff Danna. The new version has been retitled Thin Ice (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Leave Our Worries
      Written by Christopher A. Corley and Jon D'Agostino

      Performed by Serendipity

      Published by Astonishing Music (BMI) /

      Music Expressions ASCAP

      Courtesy of Crucial Music

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Thin Ice?Powered by Alexa
    • What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Unrated Director's Cut?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 24, 2013 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • ATO Pictures (United States)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Convincer
    • Filming locations
      • Greyhound Station - 166 University Ave W, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
    • Production companies
      • ATO Pictures
      • Werc Werk Works
      • Spare Room Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $790,421
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $183,527
      • Feb 19, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $790,421
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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    Alan Arkin, Greg Kinnear, Michelle Arthur, Michael Paul Levin, Joe Minjares, David Harbour, Kathryn Lawrey, and Scott Crouch in Thin Ice (2011)
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