One for The Money

Katherine Heigl stars as Stephanie Plum, in the One for The Money movie, based on first book in a series of Stephanie Plum novels by best selling author Janet Evanovich. Joe Morelli is played by Jason O'Mara, and Ranger by Daniel Sunjata.

Out of work and just divorced, Stephanie Plum, played by Katherine Heigl, needs a job. Her car has just been repossessed and in desperation, she turns to her cousin Vinnie, who runs a bail bond business, for work. Quicker than you can say "destroy that car" Stephanie becomes an unlikely but persevering bounty hunter. And so, the Stephanie Plum movie launches a franchise.

Stephanie Plum's first big assignment is Joe Morelli. He has skipped his bond and Stephanie has to bring him in- the only problem is she will need more than pepper spray and handcuffs to tame this former romantic interest, who was a vice cop and is now chared with shooting an unarmed man.

See this review of One for the Money.

Joe Morelli and Ranger are both, in Stephanie Plum's view, to die for. Fans of the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series will have to make their own minds up about how closely the movie version matches their own vision. This movie is loosely based on the first book of the series, also named One for The Money, so Morelli gets the more central and leading role in this film.

Jason O'Mara, who plays Morelli was born in Dublin Ireland, and is best known for television roles on BBC and the London theater scene. American audiences may recognize him for appearances on Grey's Anatomy and The Closer. This is his first feature film in a starring role.

Ranger is played by Daniel Sunjata. Daniel was nominated for a Tony as best actor in a role he played on Broadway in Take Me Out. Born in Evanston, Illinois he also has had roles on Grey's Anatomy and on the TV series Rescue Me. Recent Feature Movies include The Devil Wears Prada, and The Dark Knight Rises also out in 2012.

Katherine Heigel has the lead role in the movie One for the Money, playing bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Heigl became a celebrity at age nine, making a commercial for a breakfast cereal. Interestingly, like her two male co stars, Katherine Heigl has appeared on Grey's anatomy, where she played Izzy. That role won her an Emmy. The One for the Money movie is her most successful feature film role, to date, earning her over 15 million dollars. Heigl also produces it.

Many readers of the Janet Evanovich Plum series had their own picks for who they would like to see play Stephanie Plum, but fans who meet her for the first time in the One for the Money movie, Katherine Heigl will be the Plum that comes to mind. Many expect the One for the Money movie franchise to produce a series of highly successful sequels (Janet Evanovich already has 18 books in the Stephanie Plum series and she writes a new one every year). One wonders whether the Stephanie Plum movie based on Explosive 18 will have a cast in their 50's. A lot is riding on how successful the movie is at the box office.

The ensemble of supporting cast in the Evanovich series leaves some "plum" roles for supporting cast members in One for the Money. Debbie Reynolds steals the scenes she is in, as Gramma Mazur, as the brash pistol packing Plum family elder. Another fun role in the One for the Money movie, Stephanie Plum's sidekick Lula, is played by Sherri Shepherd.

Photo Credit: Car Explosion by Arne Hendricks.