For diapers and toothpaste. In addition, the scenes involving the gun sale include short appearances by co-director Aron Gaudet's brother Nick as a barista, as well as actor and director Nick Cassavetes as the leader of the group buying the guns. Now that theyve done their time and are working to pay off their debt, the women appear to be trying to put the incident behind them. Not only does Arizona state law forbid convicted criminals from profiting by selling their story, but writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly have emphasized that their story is an entirely fictional version of the real thing. The real Queenpins' mugshots are displayed below. What is the Japanese language plot outline for Queenpins (2021)? Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly's Queenpins concerns two Arizona suburbanites, Connie (Kristen Bell) and JoJo (Kirby . The coupons were sold on a site called Savvy Shopper Site, to which interested parties had to be referred or invited directly to use. The other two women pleaded guilty to a single charge of counterfeiting. In Queenpins, its Ken Miller who pleads with the FBI to get involved, but in the end, he ends up working with Vince Vaughns postal inspector character, with the reasoning being that the crime was technically committed via snail mail. She does not seem to take it too seriously, telling us that "this is a story about little old coupons.". Ramirez, then 40, Fountain, then 42, and Johnson, then 54, were arrested andcharged with counterfeiting, forgery, money laundering, operating an illegal enterprise, and other crimes. Queenpins is playing in theaters with plans to stream on Paramount+ in the near future. Preferred customers could get even better deals on better coupons. Two women create a $40 million coupon scam. And thats why they make excuses, he said. In Queenpins, its Ken Miller who pleads with the FBI to get involved, but in the end, he ends up working with Vince Vaughns postal inspector character, with the reasoning being that the crime was technically committed via snail mail. They joined forces with several other affected companies and hired private investigators to track the source of the fraudulent coupons. After tracing the origins of the ring to Phoenix, the FBI then teamed up with local law enforcement to bust the group. the three womens 2012 arrests for coupon fraud, the major motion picture they inspired is set to open in theaters this Friday, were ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution to Procter & Gamble, REVIEW: Queenpins Takes Coupon Counterfeiting to Extremes, The Cast and Crew of Queenpins Take a Crash Course in Coupons, Coupon Industry Gets Ready For Its Closeup, In Queenpins, A Q&A With the Creators of Queenpins, the Counterfeit Coupon Caper. The cruelty-free sacred oil that will anoint Charles as King: Monarch breaks Coronation Day tradition with 'I have nothing to say to you': Father of Mallory Beach - who was killed in a boat crash while Alex Murdaugh's Alex Murdaugh is seen with his prison buzz cut as he starts two life sentences without parole for killing his Family 'mortified' after being thrown out of Mother Goose panto for bringing their baby with them, after venue Is this Britain's most despicable man? While JoJo is released on bail, Rick visits Connie only so he can admonish her, having been informed by Simon that she and JoJo have defrauded over 240 companies of tens of millions of dollars. Previously, she worked as a singer and songwriter, penning hitslike Eminem and Rihanna's "The Monster" and collaborating with bands such as Florida Georgia Line. No, not at all, Bell told TheWrap. The story of the three womens 2012 arrests for coupon fraud is back in the news, as the major motion picture they inspired is set to open in theaters this Friday. [7], Principal photography began in October 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Queenpins tells a comedic story of two down-on-their-luck Phoenix women who discover their path to prosperity by concocting a $40 million counterfeit coupon scheme that all comes crashing down when they get caught. "You've got yourself an eighteen-karat run of bad luck, kid.". The Queenpins true story reveals that there were three women involved in the real-life scheme, not two like in the movie. By mail. It was then that they learned of the fakes that were in circulation. Details of the true story at the heart of Queenpinswere first revealed in July 2012. In May 2019, it was announced Kristen Bell and Leslie Jones had joined the cast of the film, with Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly directing from a screenplay they wrote. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. Afterwards, the duo begins their own website and small business "Savvy Super Saver", which helps them sell numerous coupons and generate profit. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. "You are spending money we don't have," her husband says, looking at what was once supposed to be a nursery, now converted into what looks like a grocery warehouse. However, they quickly learned that with a little crime, they could actually make money off of it. When Connie discovers that a complaint letter about stale cereal earned her a coupon for a free box, it's a short road to finding a $2 an hour employee at the Mexico coupon printing plant (moved from the US to save money) who is willing to send them extras. She has spent her life chatting about popular media to anyone who would listen, even appearing on conference panels to discuss her favorite (and least favorite) shows and movies. After complaining about cereal gone stale, the pair receives dozens of freebies, inspiring them to hatch an illegal coupon club scheme. All three women were arrested and charged with forgery, fraud and counterfeiting. Autumn Cejer is a Movie/TV Features Writer for Screen Rant. A reality television series about this trend had an episode on the Arizona coupon case. You know what, I bet if a better actor were playing Ken Miller, thered probably be a little fine tooth combing involved with the world of loss prevention. 'Queenpins' Plot Summary [12] Hauser's performance as fraud specialist Ken Miller received praise from critics who praised his onscreen chemistry with Vaughn while noting that the film established him as a comedic actor after his breakthrough role in 2019's Richard Jewell. Mugshots of the real women behind Queenpins are displayed below. Dejected and frustrated suburban housewife Connie Kaminski (ne Stevens), a three-time gold-medal-winning former Olympic racewalker, has followed the conventional life path set for her by society ever since she was young. Whatever Happened to the Real-Life Queenpins? They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. Bell plays former Olympian and bored. On a message board, one fan raved about paying $7 for a mega pack of Pampers, with no max value meaning a shopper could get more than $50 worth of product free. Yes. Marilyn Johnson, 54, Robin Ramirez, 40, and Amiko Fountain, 42, were taken into custody, and in a press conference, police said a search warrant served resulted in the seizing of $40 million worth of coupons and $2 million worth of assets from the womens homes, including $240,000 in vehicles, 22 guns, and a 40-foot speedboat. Now, with their story back in the spotlight, theres no escaping it, even nearly ten years later.
They were just two normal women, who felt taken advantage of by major corporations, and genuinely wanted to help other women and families who were struggling. However, he doesn't appear to have inspired Vaughn's Kilmurry. I have never purchased coupons from a clipping service or an auction site." Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in theCBS TV docu-series Pink Collar Crimes in 2018. 17:42 EST 23 Jul 2021. We dont want people to think they can do this, he said. Together, they set up a website called Savvy Super Saver, and eventually make millions of dollars in turn, costing multiple manufacturers millions of dollars. On the case to bust them: a supermarket's. Ill go out on a limb here and predict that their once noble intentions go off the rails. The only real-life individual you could say was better off after the case than before, is the man who cracked the case. The trail led to the Arizona coupon ring located in Phoenix. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. Bud Miller, who was the Executive Director of the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC), told money-saving columnist Jill Cataldo, "Initial contact was made by a SWAT team removing the front door of a residence by force. [5] In October 2020, Bebe Rexha joined the cast of the film. That is the basic premise of Queenpins, a comedy reuniting The Good Place co-stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as the two leads. It might have been more interesting to have lead police officer on the case a woman, as it was in the actual arrest. Woman on Plane: Hey sorry, uhm, would you mind if we switched seats, just for this last part? Like a coupon high, the fun of this movie does not last. Autumn has a Master of Arts in English from Northern Michigan University, where she also taught superhero-themed composition courses. The FBI has crooks who commit moremanly crimes to track down. Johnson helped package and ship the coupons to customers, and Fountain placed hologram stickers on some of them to make them look more legitimate. Annie MumoloasCrystal - Mumolo appears in the minor role of Crystal. But court records indicate that she has not quite been able to put this case behind her. Hauser previouslyworked with Howell-Baptiste in Cruella and also appeared in I, Tonya. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. She also was ordered to pay restitution of up to $5 million. [10], On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 47% based on 62 reviews with an average rating of 5.40/10. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. A charge for forgery was dropped. Next:Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. A Loss Prevention Officer and U.S. Rare $300 sign-up bonus card hits market Ad The Ascent. Herreal-life counterpart isRobin Ramirez, who police considered the ringleader of the criminal operation. The trailer for Queenpinsincludes audio of Bell and Howell-Baptistes characters calling out systemic inequality and likening themselves to Robin Hood. That's one reasonbeyond saving moneythe scam was so successful. The opulence and the money was the equivalent of drug cartel-type of stuff. They may also expose themselves to additional risk by providing their names, home addresses, and financial information to organized crime rings." You cant make this stuff up and the filmmakers didnt have to. So they may be the first ones to tell you that coupon crime may make for a great Hollywood comedy but in real life, its no laughing matter. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. The film's largely painful humor is informed by the mistaken belief that the main characters' criminal enterprise is inherently quirky. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. Fountain and Johnson were both sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to a single count of counterfeiting. Howell-Baptiste previously worked with Bell on Veronica Mars and The Good Place. Capitalism always knows how to win. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam. I was very excited when I saw on the front page of the script that was based on a true story. Her next acting roleisfor the movie Confess, Fletch. .aspect-ratio-box { height: 0; overflow: hidden; padding-top: calc(720 / 1280 * 100%); background: #f9f9f9; position: relative; margin-bottom:30px; } .aspect-ratio-box-inside { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }, Read original story Queenpins': Heres the Real Story Behind Kristen Bells Crime Comedy At TheWrap, July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women, Queenpins': Heres the Real Story Behind Kristen Bells Crime Comedy, Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Heat,' dies at 61 after brain aneurysm, Josh Hartnett is done talking about his break from Hollywood but ready to make fun of actors: 'We're the worst', Michael B. Jordan admits muscle gain for 'Creed' has been harder as he's gotten older, Billy Bush suggests Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes start their own show after ABC exit: 'They've got something that works', How to watch every Oscars 2023 Best Picture nominee. As far as the real women involved, stars Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste admit that they never actually met or spoke to the actual minds behind the crime to learn what sparked it. -Daily Mail. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, playing the lead roles, are as spectacular as ever. Indeed, the movie is inspired by a true story, but just how closely does the film follow the events and people its based on? The filmmakers are not trying to hurt anybody, or glorify the crime, theyre just trying to make a funny story. But, he cautioned, we cant say that it doesnt matter that a person is only selling coupons when we look at the amount of economic damage that does., Counterfeiters like the three Phoenix women, and the many customers who bought coupons from them, are fully aware that what theyre doing is wrong, Lake believes. 'Sometimes I would come out with three carts of groceries.'. 'We were ordering hundreds of dollars in coupons every month,' one anonymous user toldKentuckys WPSD. For example, a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. Bud Miller is thought to have loosely inspired Paul Walter Hauser's character in the movie, Ken Miller. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. Nick CassavetesasCaptain Pain - Cassavetes plays Captain Pain in Queenpins. Although both women also had to financially reimburse P&G, they did not have to serve jail time for their part in the scheme. They encounter married employees Alejandro and Rosa Diaz, who agree to send them the unused coupons. Though most of their fraudulent earnings have been confiscated, the pair have hundreds of thousands of dollars from their illegal activities stashed away, and JoJo starts a relationship with Earl and relocates to Montenegro, a non-extradition country, where the pair can immediately restart the scam upon Connie's release. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. Here's the cast and character guide and the real-life counterparts. Queenpins Writers Balance Comedic Tone with Real-Life Drama in Coupon Caper By: Shanee Edwards Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Johnson and Kristen Bell as Connie Kaminski in QUEENPINS. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. Authorities later estimated that the coupon ring cost corporations hundreds of millions of dollars in profit. Eventually, they brought in Phoenix police, who conducted aneight-week investigation. Yes. Paul Walter Hauser's character, Ken Miller, seems to be a very loosely-inspired caricature of Bud Miller, the Executive Director of the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC). Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). The film is based on the true story of three Arizona women arrested in 2012 for a $40 million fraud involving coupons. Along with paying Procter & Gamble millions of dollars, Ramirez had to serve jail time. The other queenpin is Connie's neighbor and close friend JoJo (Howell-Baptiste), who was a victim of identity theft that ruined her credit and her ability to apply for jobs. On the other side we have faceless and barely acknowledged corporations (always a convenient bad guy) and an LPO (loss prevention officer, a fancy title for private security). Illegal couponing doesn't seem like ahigh-levelcrime, but the two women manage to grow rich off their scheme.