Blank Check is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Rupert Wainwright and starring Brian Bonsall, Karen Duffy, Miguel Ferrer, James Rebhorn, Tone Lōc, Jayne Atkinson and Michael Lerner. It was released on February 11, 1994 by Walt Disney Pictures.
Plot[]
The story begins with convicted bank robber Carl Quigley (Miguel Ferrer) escaping from prison. Soon after his prison break, Quigley enters a warehouse and recovers $1,000,000 he had hidden there sometime before his arrest (although it is not established exactly how he obtained the money).
The film then cuts to 12-year-old Preston Waters (Brian Bonsall), whose father (James Rebhorn) works as an investor for a living and is very frugal with money — so much so that when Preston is given a blank check from his grandmother for his birthday, his dad fills it out for only $11.00. When invited to classmate Butch's birthday party at an amusement park, Preston doesn't want to go because Butch acts more like a bully than a friend (unbeknownst to Preston's parents) and because Preston's father only gave him enough money for tokens to go on the kiddie rides.
Quigley visits bank president Edward Biderman (Michael Lerner) in his bank office to discuss his plan, threatening Biderman's family if he does not comply with it. Quigley leaves Biderman the stolen money, as the bills were consecutive and traceable, telling Biderman his plan to swap the stolen bills without suspicion. Quigley explains that his assistant, Juice (Tone Loc) will be stopping by Biderman's office with a check to be cashed for $1,000,000 the next day at 1:00 P.M.
After the meeting, Quigley runs over Preston's bicycle in a Jaguar XJ while Preston was riding out of the bank's parking lot chasing after Butch who stole his birthday check. Pressed for time as he sees a police car patrolling the area, Quigley gives Preston a signed blank check and tells him to give it to his dad so they can buy him a new bike. Instead, Preston fills out the check for $1,000,000 by printing it on his computer. He goes to the bank the next day and is directed to Biderman's office by a teller (as the teller thought Preston was joking and she could not cash a check that size herself). Thinking that Preston is Quigley's assistant, Juice, Biderman cashes his check with $1,000,000 from a safe behind a painting.
As Preston is leaving the bank, the real Juice enters Biderman's office with another check for $1,000,000. Realizing that Biderman mistook Preston for Juice, the trio begins a frantic search for Preston. Meanwhile, he embarks on an extreme shopping spree over the course of 6 days, buying a castle-style house (by outbidding Quigley using the voice box on his computer over the phone) along with many other expensive items (limousine service, go-kart track, water slide, etc.). He spends $999,667.83 of the original $1,000,000. Preston covers himself by saying he is making these purchases for a millionaire known as "Macintosh" (named after the brand of Preston's computer) who lives in the castle house. He also makes friends with Henry who is Preston's limo driver and best friend.
The entire time, Preston was being investigated by FBI agent Shay Stanley (Karen Duffy) (working undercover as a teller at Biderman's bank and Preston's crush) for money laundering, as the bills he was using to make his purchases were Biderman's watermarked ones.
At a birthday party Preston throws for Mr. Macintosh that forced him into debt (it was actually his birthday) leaving only $332.17 in his account, he is forced into a showdown with Quigley, Juice and Biderman. After the trio manage to capture him and demand to know what happened with the money, he admits Macintosh is a false name, to which Biderman suggests that Quigley can use Preston's purchases and the Macintosh name to give himself a new identity.
When the trio is confronted by the FBI at Preston's castle house, Quigley claims to be Macintosh. However, with the FBI knowing that Mr. Macintosh had been using the watermarked bills, they arrest Quigley, Juice and Biderman. Shay and Preston decide to call each other in a few years the former kisses the latter goodbye before parting ways and Preston and Henry say their farewells. After Preston gets home his family throws him a birthday party. His father apologizes for being so harsh with him when it came to money. Preston's family surprises him with a cake and ask him to make a wish. Preston thinks he already has everything he wished for, until he sees Shay's flyer at the bank and decides to make a wish about her.
Cast[]
- Brian Bonsall as Preston Waters
- Karen Duffy as Shay Stanley
- Miguel Ferrer as Carl Quigley aka Mr. Macintosh
- Tone Lōc as Juice
- Michael Lerner as Edward Biderman
- James Rebhorn as Fred Waters
- Jayne Atkinson as Sandra Waters
- Michael Faustino as Ralph Waters
- Chris Demetral as Damien Waters
- Rick Ducommun as Henry
- Maxwell Strachan as Quincy Carmichael
- Alex Zuckerman as Butch
- Alex Morris as Riggs
- Debbie Allen as Yvonne
- Mary Chris Wall as Betty Jay
- Angee Hughes as Woman in Parking Lot
- Frank Williamson as Preston's computer (Macintosh)
Videos[]
1994 TV Trailer for the movie "Blank Check"