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Things Change (1988) |
Kingdom of Sicily 200 year old silver piastra coin moves around
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The 1988 film "Things Change" is about a group of Mafia gangsters who want a shoeshine man
to confess to a murder. The film is more of a comedy and there is almost no violence.
Gino is an elderly shoeshine man in Chicago. He is taken to see Mr. Green, a high-level Mafia Don.
He offers Gino a large sum of money to confess to a murder and spend three years in prison.
Gino agrees and Mr. Green gives him a large silver coin as a token of friendship.
The coin is passed around various Mafia figures and eventually saves Gino's life.
It was minted from 1795 to 1800 and is 41 mm in diameter and officially weighs 27.5 grams. It is slightly larger than a United States silver dollar. Only the obverse of the coin is shown, the figure on the coin is King Ferdinand IV who was, at various times, King of Naples and King of Sicily.
1. Title
A photograph album cover is shown.
2. Photograph album with coin
The coin first appears.
Gino is a humble elderly man works as a shoeshine man at a shoe repair shop.
He is visited by some Mafia men and "invited" to meet the local Don, Mr. Green.
Mr. Green offers Gino a large sum of money to confess to a murder at a trial and spend three years in prison.
Gino accepts the offer. Mr. Green gives him the coin as a token of friendship.
3. Mr. Green gives Gino the coin
A close-up of the coin shows the obverse:
4. The coin in hand
The coin obverse reads: FERDINAN IV D G SICILIAR ET HIE REX which means
"Ferdinand IV by the Grace of God King of the Sicilies and Jerusalem (Hierosolymae)"
At the time the coin was minted the city of Jerusalem belonged to the Moslem Ottoman Empire but in Christian Europe
the Crusader title of "King of Jerusalem" was still being used.
Jerry, a low-level employee is sent to accompany Gino until the trial.
Both men become bored sitting in a hotel room and Jerry takes Gino to a Nevada Lake Tahoe gambling resort.
A casino employee recognizes Jerry and tells the staff that Gino must be a high-level Mafia man.
The resort gives the two men the top room and various "perks".
5. Gino plays the slot machine
Gino pulls out two coins.
6. Gino's coins
The Sicily piastra appears again along with a United States Washington quarter dated 1980.
Gino is summoned to meet Don Giuseppe, a local Mafia Don.
7. Don Giuseppe
Don Giuseppe lives in a large house near Lake Tahoe.
8. Gino nervous
Gino is worried about meeting the Don.
9. Gino holds the coin
Don Giuseppe spots the coin and recognizes it. He then shows his tattoo with the coin obverse.
10. Don Giuseppe's tattoo
The two men talk about Sicily and become friends.
Gino gives Don Giuseppe the piastra and Don Giuseppe gives Gino a different coin.
11. Don Giuseppe gives Gino a coin
Don Giuseppe gives Gino a quarter in a labeled box, again as a token of friendship.
Gino and Jerry return to Chicago and Frankie, Mr. Green's assistant, gives Jerry a pistol
and orders him to kill Gino.
12. Jerry tells Gino about the plot
Gino calls Don Giuseppe in Lake Tahoe and tells him about the situation.
The film ends with Frankie confessing to the murder, Gino returning to the shoe repair store,
and Jerry joining him at the store.
13. Gino and Jerry at work
Cast, Directors, Writers:
Don Ameche as Gino
Joe Mantegna as Jerry
Robert Prosky as Don Giuseppe
Mike Nussbaum as Mr. Green
J. J. Johnston as Frankie
Director: David Mamet
Writers: David Mamet, Shel Silverstein
Joe Mantegna as Jerry
Robert Prosky as Don Giuseppe
Mike Nussbaum as Mr. Green
J. J. Johnston as Frankie
Writers: David Mamet, Shel Silverstein
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