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Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata, Sherri Shepherd, John Leguizamo ... see more see more... , Debbie Reynolds , Debra Monk , Nate Mooney , Adam Paul , Fisher Stevens , Ana Reeder , Patrick Fischler , Ryan Michelle Bathe , Leonardo Nam , Annie Parisse , Daniel Mastrogiorgio , Gavin-Keith Umeh , Louis Mustillo , Harry O'Toole , Rex the Hamster , John Joseph Williams , Jennifer Vos , Marla Sucharetza , Angela Pietropinto , Alexis Treadwell-Murray , Jack Erdie , Jake Andolina , Joshua Elijah Reese , Tommy Lafitte , David L. Early , Robert Oppel , Bo Graham , Carnel McMorris Jr. , Olga Merediz , Michael Laurence , Jared Burke , Lisa Ann Goldsmith , Jarrod DiGiorgi , David Flick , Jared Pfennigwerth , Alexis Ferrante , Alana Hixson , Kathleen Murray

A proud, born-and-bred Jersey girl, Stephanie Plum's got plenty of attitude, even if she's been out of work for the last six months and just lost her car to a debt collector. Desperate for some fast c... read more read more...ash, Stephanie turns to her last resort: convincing her sleazy cousin to give her a job at his bail bonding company...as a recovery agent. True, she doesn't even own a pair of handcuffs and her weapon of choice is pepper spray, but that doesn't stop Stephanie from taking on Vinny's biggest bail-jumper: former vice cop and murder suspect Joe Morelli - yup, the same sexy, irresistible Joe Morelli who seduced and dumped her back in high school. -- (C) Lionsgate

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48% liked it

28,040 ratings

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2% liked it

53 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Julie Anne Robinson

Release Date: January 27, 2012

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DVD Release Date: May 15, 2012

Stats: 1,591 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,591)


  • fb100000145236770
    May 25, 2012
    fb100000145236770
    In the world of romantic comedies there are good,bad,and ugly. Sure some can be great,but overall if a romantic comedy is good,it's usually just that, good. "One for the Money" falls hard in the ugly category. Stephanie Plum(Kathriene Heigl) is out of a job and in need of mone... read morey,so she takes a job working as a bounty hunter. Her first case is finding and bring in her ex(joe, Jason O' Mara),who happens to be a cop accused of murder. Along the way, he tries to prove his innocence,she tries to collect her bount, and all sorts of wacky hijinks occur. First, Heigl is horrible in this. Her accent changes, her character is both stupid and boring, and she is much better looking as a blonde. Joe, her male counterpart is boring, a bad actor, and he's too much of a tool to like. The action is poorly directed,and really I can't think of anything good to say about this. My wife fell asleep,and I doubt she will lose any sleep if she doesn't finish this. Do yourself a favor and skip this crap, you can do much better for your money.
  • April 15, 2012
    She's looking for a few not-so-good men.

    Not so great. The movie is kinda boring and the plot really is nothing to die for. This is not Katherine Heigl best film and I think her status as an actress is going downhill and i'm not talking about her beauty.

    Jersey girl Stephanie ... read morePlum after losing her job, is broke. Needing a job she is told that her cousin, a bail bondsman, needs someone to help out in the office. But all he has are skip tracers. She learns that Joe Morelli, a guy she knew intimately years ago, is one of them. She eventually finds him but wasn't really prepared so he gets away. Another bounty hunter, Ranger tries to teach her. Eventually she finds him again but he claims he is innocent of the crime he is accused of and he is trying to prove his innocence. Eventually Stephanie thinks he's telling the truth so she stakes out the person who can help him but she only finds herself in trouble and Morelli saves her. She tries to find someone who can prove his innocence but problem is shortly after meeting with them they're killed or attacked.
  • February 9, 2012
    This is an entertaining movie and Heigel is perfect as Stephanie Plum. Okay, official critics, it's not Citizen Kane, but it isn't pretending to be...can't you see the difference between art and entertainment? Nice to see a movie where the women is the hero!
  • February 1, 2012
    This is what you get when Gerard Butler passes on your film. I hated "One for the Money" the first time when it was called "Bounty Hunter".

    This beloved Janet Evanovich novel was horribly adapted for the big screen by the writing team of Stacy Sherman, Karen Ray and Lix Brix... read moreius and directed in an edit first ask questions later fashion by Julie Anne Robinson (The Last Song). Starring Katherine Heigl (Knocked up) in her worst role since "The Ugly Truth", and two other actors nobody has ever heard of, Jason O'Mara and Daniel Sunjata, this film centers around an unemployed woman named Stephanie Plum, who goes to work for her incestuous cousin as a bounty hunter. And lo and behold her first assignment is to trail a local cop turned fugitive, whom we discover Stephanie had a one night stand with in High School. Sounds like a set up for your run of the mill chick-flick, romantic comedy right? Well, while on paper "One for the Money" does have potential, one of the biggest problems with this movie is how (about five minutes in) audiences will notice how it seems as if there was tons of back-story that while severely germane to the plot and the events throughout, is never addressed, giving viewers the feeling as if they had walked into the theater mid-movie (or that "One for the Money" is a sequel of some sorts). For example: Random characters seem to come in and out of this movie as if the we are supposed to know who these people are; from a woman Stephanie talks to on the phone throughout the film who is never formally introduced, to a rapist and a fight promoter, who are both pivotal to the climax of the film, but are in all of two scenes a piece.

    More problems: On a purely entertainment level, "One for the Money" gets to the point where once the exposition is exhausted, and we know everyone's name (after the first fifteen minutes) audiences are forced to sit thought Katherine Heigl nonchalantly collecting evidence, flirting with the two male leads, talking with prostitutes and dealing with her eccentric family. While all of that sounds better than said bounty hunter storyline, it's not! As I said before, the potential for a decent storyline could have been achieved, if not for a countless number of undeveloped supporting characters, as well as multiple plotlines with no beginning or end. Suffice to say, the meat of this story comes off as quite boring, unnecessary and at times confusing. Another aspect of the film that is majorly flawed is the characters Stephanie interacts with. They are so one-dimensional, that when something bad happens to the strange pothead Asian character or the prostitute character is left for dead, NOBODY CARES. Why? Because audiences are not allowed to form any sort of connection to anyone on-screen because of some awful character development.
    It isn't like "One for the Money" has any raunchy scenes that may upset the older crowd, or overtly violent scenes that may upset the rom-com (romantic comedy) crowd, or a lot of jokes about feminine hygiene that may upset the male crowd, BUT maybe it should have because this is truly the type of film that while things happen, none of the events are of any memorable significance. And I haven't even addressed the fact that this comedy isn't funny at all (another aspect I blame fully on the writing) or how the film is drenched with obnoxious Jersey-isms that get tired real quick. At the end of the day, if you haven't read any of the Stephanie Plum books in the Evanovich series, then you will not know (or care) about what is going on, if you like romantic comedies, you really will find it hard to see any kind of chemistry with anybody in the love triangle between Heigl, O'Mara and Sunjata (due to some fairly forgettable dialogue) and if you are a fan of Heigl, even you will be shocked at how easily she slips in and out of her alleged "Jersey" accent.

    Final Thought: Even if you think you know what you are getting with "One for the Money" because you are a fan of the book series, you will inevitably be disappointed with the treatment of the source material. Furthermore, it may or may not (depending on whether or not you have seen the movie) upset audiences to discover that "One for the Money" more than likely will be the first and last of the Stephanie Plum series to be adapted to the big screen, simply because of the negative box office return it is more than likely to receive. So, because this is the type of film I am talking about when I make brash statements such as: "it is a shame that there are so few good roles for women nowadays", skip "One for the Money".

    Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland

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  • January 29, 2012
    Unexceptional but enjoyable comedy drama is missing much of a punch but moves along briskly. Heigl is adequate in the lead but lacks a certain grittiness that the part calls for. Debbie Reynolds is sassy as the grandmother
  • January 31, 2012
    Divorced and just out of work, Stephanie Plum(Katherine Heigl) is in desperate need for cash after the repossession of her red sports car. Luckily, her cousin Vinnie(Patrick Fischler) has an opening at his business. Granted, it is bail bonds, but after three years selling linge... read morerie at a department store, Stephanie feels more than qualified in dealing with low lifes and confident she can bring in Joe Morelli(Jason O'Mara, for once not playing a time traveling detective) who she "gave her cannoli to"(never heard that one before) and later tried to run over with her car. However, it does not go as well as she thought. So, she puts on a more sensible pair of shoes and enlists for further training with Ranger(Daniel Sunjata), a fellow bounty hunter.

    "One for the Money" is not quite the end of civilization you may have heard it was. Admittedly, it is uneven, staying on the silly and broad end of the spectrum, but not so much as to end up as caricature. While Katherine Heigl is no Rosalind Russell, she is still an appealing presence, heading a likable cast that has fun with the material. The movie is not entirely mindless either as it is about a woman trying to prove herself by trying to separate herself from her past, operating on familiar turf, while learning from her mistakes along the way.(Plus, Stephanie wears a Rangers shirt.) See, not everybody gets to be Mallory Kane right off the bat.
  • March 23, 2012
    This latest romantic comedy (which is more of a thriller that comedy) based on the novel of the same name by Janet Evanovich could be one of the worst adaptations of a successful book. Directed by Julie Anne Robinson, the screenplay was terribly written by Liz Brixius, Karen McC... read moreullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith. Doesn't matter how much I enjoy watching Katherine Heigl it is something I would not recommend. I saw some of the ratings going up to 90% from the fellow RT reviewers and I am really surprised. All I saw is the main character wandering from one lead and suspect to the next, each one duller than the last. If you want that "déjà vu" feel, movie is full with cliché settings (a boxing gym, an Italian pork store) and cliché lines (You're out of your league!,''How's that workin' for ya?'').

    In the movie, Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) is out of work and out of cash and in desperation turns to her disreputable cousin Vinnie, of Vinnie's Bail Bonds, for work. Of course, like in a movie, despite having no equipment, training or particular skill she becomes a bail enforcement agent, chasing after Vinnie's highest stakes bail jumper: Joe Morelli, a former vice cop who is wanted for murder, who also happened to seduce and dump Stephanie back in high school. Now, I can see the appeal of the story for the audience which left the high school and did most of the waitressing jobs for the last 5-6 years without having a boyfriend and blaming the high-school sweetheart for ruining the "good life", but if you're not in that category, please, skip this one!

    One For the Money was the first novel by Janet Evanovich featuring the bounty hunter Stephanie Plum and it is a long-time best-seller, appearing for 75 consecutive weeks on the USA Today list of 150 best-selling novels, peaking at number 59... and this movie is nothing like it! Katherine Heigl is so talented and I am saddened that she decided to waste that huge potential on a movie which will have you groaning between yawns.
  • February 10, 2012
    One step removed from being a Lifetime TV Movie starring Angie Harmon and Meredith Baxter, this uneven Money won't live to see Two for the Show. Oh, it's not that the story, based on Janet Evanovich's novel, isn't worthy of an on-screen dust-up. The dialogue sounds like it was pr... read moreobably snappy...on paper, that is. On film, it could've used a vervy pop culture-infused touch-up a la Quentin Tarantino's work on Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch, which became the beyond excellent Jackie Brown. Instead, poor casting and a screenplay that's sadly P to the G despite clocking a '13' makes for One unfortunate bounty.

    In her latest, this PG-13-rated adventure, a down-on-her-luck Jersey girl named Stephanie Plum (Heigl) convinces her sleazy bail bondsman cousin to give her a job as a bounty hunter, which leads her into an investigation involving a vice cop wanted for murder (O'Hara)-an ex who broke her heart years before.

    Katherine Heigl is good at some roles...it's just that this reviewer hasn't seen them yet. In her defense, the lines, laughs, and lucre are too heavy-handed even for Meryl Streep to bail the material out. Having Irishman O'Mara (great on ABC's cancelled oddity Life on Mars, here...not so much) play wronged Italian cop Morelli doesn't help matters much. Of course, when an actor makes a dated reference by calling his sparring partner "cupcake," it's hardly his fault alone. Director Julie Anne Robinson and her 3 (count them--3!) screenwriters are unable to re-capture the magic that has sustained the popularity of Evanovich's Plum for 18 novels.

    Bottom line: Dog of a bounty hunter.
  • May 21, 2012
    A poor attempt to bring Stephanie Plum to the big screen and Heigl again proves she needs good material to rise to the level of Knocked up and 27 Dresses. The direction is horrible and the acting is so so and by the end it drags and you really don't care. Heigl is not a believabl... read moree action star and if they do a second film, hopefully it is re-tooled from top to bottom.
  • May 17, 2012
    Basically this year's The Bounty Hunter, besides a sexy and curvy Katherine Heigl, this comedy has nothing going for it, lacking an interesting storyline, any real action, and anyone worth watching besides the leading lady. Playing its cards right with sex appeal earns this film ... read morethe very little respect I end up having for it.

Critic Reviews


Roger Moore
March 23, 2012
Roger Moore, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Didn't Jennifer Aniston already do a bounty hunter movie? Talk about sloppy seconds. Full Review

Sheri Linden
January 30, 2012
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times

An ungainly mix of flat-footed gumshoeing and strained attempts at hilarity, all delivered with an unconvincing Joizy vibe. Full Review

Mark Feeney
January 28, 2012
Mark Feeney, Boston Globe

The movie has the by-the-numbers efficiency of a decent TV series, and about as much flavor. Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman
January 27, 2012
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

There have been notable exceptions, but Heigl tends to imbue her characters with an off-putting mix of insecurity and abrasiveness. This film is a prime example. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
January 27, 2012
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

I guess I can't call the movie sexist as it was largely produced, directed and written by women. So I'll settle for calling it dull, corny and amateurish instead. Full Review

A.O. Scott
January 27, 2012
A.O. Scott, New York Times

There is action of a sort -- a car blows up, shots are fired -- and what might pass for witty, sexy banter to someone who once overheard a conversation about an episode of Moonlighting. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
January 27, 2012
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Imagine an Elmore Leonard movie scripted by a bad Nora Ephron imitator, and you'll have an idea of how dead-in-the-Jersey-water it is. Full Review

Melissa Anderson
January 27, 2012
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice

Punitively dull. Full Review

Peter Travers
January 27, 2012
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Everything in One for the Money rings cringingly false. Full Review

Andrew Barker
January 27, 2012
Andrew Barker, Variety

Tedious and tonally inept. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Facts


    • Stephanie Plum: I'm naked.
    • Ranger: I'm on my way.
    • Connie: How are you with the lowlife?
    • Stephanie Plum: Damn skippy!
    • Jackie: Lula, a snack?
    • Lula: You always complainin. It's hot. I'm hungry.
    • Lula: If you want information from Lula, you gon' have to bring her a snack.
    • Lula: We got this good cop bad cop thing going.. Except were hookers.

One for the Money : Watch Free on TV


One for the Money Trivia


  • John Cusak starred in one of the following:  Answer »
  • (Robocop). One of the bank robbers compares the bank robbery to which social-economic system? (especially as he explains the concept of what the money will be used for).   Answer »
  • What happens to Brandon in one of his football games in Two for the money ?  Answer »
  • One of the students was collecting money for Ferris in Ferris Beuler/s Day Off ?  Answer »

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