She was most likely added to the script for comedic reasons in order to frame Connie and JoJo as being in over their heads and desperately needing outside help. The two women in the movie, Connie Kaminski (Kristen Bell) and JoJo Johnson (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), are not directly based on any of the real-life women.Kristen Bell's character's background of being a former Olympic race walker who turns to couponing after having no luck getting pregnant (and spending tens of thousands on in vitro treatments) is fictional, as is Kirby Howell-Baptiste's character's unsuccessful efforts to make it as a vlogger. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. Savvy Shopper Site had a few other suspicious requirements. -Investigative Consultants. 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. After a particularly frustrating day, Connie writes a complaint letter to General Mills about the Wheaties she ate being stale, and soon, she receives a coupon for a free box of cereal. $100,000 x 40 is 4 million not 40 million. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. "This is to American companies who produced American products and hire American citizens" (DSA). Shecan next be seen in the indie film Silent Night and later inThe Sandman TV series. Autumn has a Master of Arts in English from Northern Michigan University, where she also taught superhero-themed composition courses. The film revolves around an ordinary suburban housewife's desire to forge her own path, which ultimately leads her to the world of scams.
Connie, JoJo, Simon (Vince Vaughn) and Ken (Paul Walter Hauser) arewhat Aron and I feelwhat we're all often feeling in this life: undervalued and discounted. Kristen Bell stars as Connie Kaminski, a suburban housewife who just wants to find a solution for the debtburying her and her husband. It was then that they learned of the fakes that were in circulation.
'Queenpins' Summary & Ending, Explained - Digital Mafia Talkies Whatever Happened to the Real-Life "Queenpins"? Once there, buyers would have access to an array of high-dollar coupons.
Kristen Bell Runs A Real-Life Coupon Scam In 'Queenpins' Trailer - UPROXX 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. The only real-life individual you could say was better off after the case than before, is the man who cracked the case. Paul Walter Hauseras Ken Miller -Paul Walter Hauser plays Loss Prevention Officer Ken Miller, whoserather unexciting job takes a turn when he discovers the fake coupon scheme. Whatever Happened to the Real-Life Queenpins? By mail. Bell plays Connie, whose life is smaller and sadder than she expected, following her early success as a gold-medal-winning Olympic athlete (but in a low-profile event, race-walking). The film is based on the true story of three Arizona women arrested in 2012 for a $40 million fraud involving coupons. "We knew, based on our research on past films, the more we dig into the real lives, it becomes much more serious, much more dramatic," Pullapilly told the, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Queenpins, directed and written by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, adapts a real-life story and presents it most humorously and entertainingly. These companies included Hershey, Procter & Gamble, and the Coupon Information Corporation. These are free-item coupons," Phoenix Police Sgt. 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. Un par de amas de casa crean una estafa de cupones de 40 millones de dlares. -TIME, Copyright 2023 HistoryvsHollywood.com, CTF Media. Upon realizing that they could get a coupon for a free item sent to them just by complaining to the manufacturer, they come up with a plan to smuggle and steal cases of those coupons, to then sell to people. While the characters in the 2021 movieQueenpins call out systemic inequality and the downfalls of capitalism, it's unlikely that their real-life counterparts shared these same sentiments.
Queenpins - Contemporary Robin Hoods grounded in the real world McHaleis perhaps best known for his role inCommunity, and will next be starring in the series Black Box. Much the same can be said for Paul Walter Houser, who plays Ken Miller, the loss prevention officer that uncovers and eventually busts Connie and Jojos scam. Thats the type of money they had, Sgt.
David Lake of the Phoenix Police Department. In the movie, the women are fictionalized as Connie (Bell) and Jojo (Howell-Baptiste), who end up living much the same way. Though the pair face forty-years-to-life, the companies that they victimized clandestinely press the courts for leniency to avoid bad press, resulting in ten days imprisonment plus one year of probation for JoJo and eleven months incarceration (parole eligible in eight) for Connie. But I I sort of didnt approach it from an occupational standpoint, Houser told TheWrap. [4] In September 2020, Kirby Howell-Baptiste joined the cast of the film, replacing Jones, with Ben Stiller joining as an executive producer under his Red Hour Productions banner, with STX Entertainment set to distribute. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. Queenpins has arrived in theaters and on Paramount+, telling the story of the countrys largest counterfeit coupon scam. They were charged with counterfeiting, forgery, operating an illegal enterprise, money laundering, and other violations. Queenpins Cast And Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From, Worth Cast & Character Guide: What The Real People Look Like, Free Guy Cast, Characters & All Cameos Guide, 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. The duo then interview a group of postal workers, who remember JoJo, especially because Earl is always watching her videos. The amount covered all of P&G's losses, for the fake coupons as well as extra manpower needed to deal with the issue. Like a coupon high, the fun of this movie does not last. Except that these ladies sold unauthorized or forged coupons for a fraction of the face value to consumers who used them to get lots and lots of stuff without paying for it. Carly Stern For Dailymail.com
It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. While the movie is focused on two women, there were three at the heart of the real coupon ring. "I am not spending money!" [Resumes eating snacks and looking out the window], Watch Queenpins: Gita Pullapilly & Aron Gaudet On Why Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Were Right For Their Roles, Watch Queenpins: Kristen Bell On How She Became Involved In The Film, Watch Queenpins: Paul Walter Hauser On What Drew Him To The Film, Watch Queenpins: Kirby Howell-Baptiste On How She Became Involved In The Film, Watch Queenpins: Bebe Rexha On The Experience She's Had So Far Acting In Her First Film. After six months, the pair figure their money is safe to use, but because the money is dirty, they need to spend and clean it. The ladies account is frozen due to suspicious activity, so Connie realizes they need to prove their business is legitimate. She and JoJo then learn that the coupons originate from an Advanced Solutions factory in Chihuahua, Mexico, deciding to travel there and collect the coupons to redistribute to other mothers and wives. Kristen Bell, her The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and singer Bebe Rexha are set to star in an upcoming comedy calledQueenpins, in which they play a trio of women who make bank in a coupon counterfeiting scam but the massive real-life fraud that inspired the film was no laughing matter. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste star in this based-on-a-true-story film about a pair of women whose coupon-counterfeiting operation turned into more than they bargained for. In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. Just to make him more sympathetic, in addition to the $2 an hour, he has a pregnant wife who also works at the factory. And in terms of the crime itself, Queenpins stayed pretty loyal. [1] It was released on September 10, 2021. Couponing goes criminal in the new trailer for Queenpins. But lets be honest: its hard to feel too sorry for the corporations in this instance. They start buying things like sports cars, boats, planes, and guns, but Tina then criticizes their overspending and tells them that because their money was always clean, their purchases are just making them look more suspicious, instructing them to withdraw money from the bank in small increments and to sell off all their big purchases. Click here to get in touch, or for information about advertising on the site. But thats just Connie and Jojo. Okeniyi appeared in The Hunger Games and Run Sweetheart Run, and his next role is in Greek Freak. David Lake, who led the Phoenix Police Departments investigation, told KPHOat the time. By
The True Story Behind the Movie Queenpins - Film School Rejects Johnson helped package and ship the coupons to customers, and Fountain placed hologram stickers on some of them to make them look more legitimate.
Kristen Bell - IMDb After a shootout breaks out at a jazz club in the heart of town over a 'transaction' gone wrong, the Shrimps of Ocean Street and the Deadbeats of Industrial Way prepare to fight. [6] In December 2020, Dayo Okeniyi, Joel McHale, Nick Cassavetes, Michael Masini, Paul Rust, Eduardo Franco, Marc Evan Jackson, Lidia Porto, Greta Oglesby, Jack McBrayer and Annie Mumolo joined the cast of the film. The last 20 minutes lose sight of whatever point they are trying to make beyond the fun of seeing people get away with breaking the rules. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. Nell Minow is the Contributing Editor at RogerEbert.com. The crime comedy is based on a counterfeit coupon empire that shocked law enforcement. Credit: Courtesy STX Films. Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly's Queenpins concerns two Arizona suburbanites, Connie (Kristen Bell) and JoJo (Kirby . Vaughn is also currently appearing in the series Curb Your Enthusiasm.
According to Sgt. The filmmakers, Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, chose not to interview the real Queenpins for the movie. As the Time article notes, couponing became popular not only in the wake of reality television shows like TLCs Extreme Couponing but also due to the economic reality in the wake of the Great Recession. In real life, the Phoenix Police Department led the investigation with the assistance of the FBI. Kirby Howell-Baptiste co-stars as JoJo Johnson, an aspiring YouTube vlogger and Connie's partner in crime. The ring used a series of twelve different bank accounts to house their money. Review: Scamming Audiences with Sophomoric Humor and Dubious Politics. 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. "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. Because they arent exactly hardened criminals, they think that the money theyve made through their shell company has to be laundered, so they bought all these high priced items with the intent to just immediately resell them.
Queenpins movie review & film summary (2021) | Roger Ebert 'Its like Robin Hood,' Howell-Baptiste's character says in the trailer, summing up the coupon fraud plan. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to. If you can get an unlimited number of those, think how this grows. I just decided I really wanted to play the curmudgeon nature of the character. Jack McBrayerasAgent Park - McBrayer has extensive experience in comedy.
Queenpins - Chapter 1 - Elias_Pedro - Archive of Our Own In the movie, Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste play Connie and Jojo, a pair of best friends from Phoenix who love extreme couponing. This includes forums and any public viewing areas or websites.". In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. Rare $300 sign-up bonus card hits market Ad The Ascent. Had the system been better then, Lake said, we could have arrested probably another 50 people at least, who were buying hundreds of these coupons at a time and saying, I know theyre fake, but they work great.. Ramirezs case was back before a judge as recently as July, when her probation officer reported she was falling behind on her share of the nearly $1.3 million in restitution payments she and her cohorts were ordered to pay. Thats why they say Robin Hood, thats why they say the fat cats on Wall Street deserve it, thats why they say these corporations are evil. Not because they believe any of that, but so they dont feel guilty about their own actions. His message to coupon wrongdoers is, yes, you got a good deal. A judge sentenced Ramirez to twenty-four months in prison and seven years probation. And I just want to play the humanity of the guy while adding some comedic elements to him.. Afterwards, the duo begins their own website and small business "Savvy Super Saver", which helps them sell numerous coupons and generate profit. Autumn Cejer is a Movie/TV Features Writer for Screen Rant. Next:Q-Force Cast & Character Guide: Where You Know The Actors From. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste, playing the lead roles, are as spectacular as ever. It appeared the women were making so much money, they werent even sure how to spend it all. JoJo combines two people in real life:Amiko Fountain and Marilyn Johnson. On the case to bust them: a supermarkets loss-prevention officer and a US postal inspector, played by Paul Walter HauserandVince Vaughn, respectively.
Queenpins Writers Balance Comedic Tone with Real-Life Drama in Coupon When Phoenix police seized the counterfeit coupons and the women's assets, they discovered computer records that listed all of the customers who had purchased coupons from the women. Annie MumoloasCrystal - Mumolo appears in the minor role of Crystal. I try to work with police chiefs, at the state and local level, to come up with ways of explaining how important protecting our business infrastructure is, he said. 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. Ken: Yeah no, even if I wanted to switch, I think it's more important that your daughter learn a valuable lesson. Bud Miller, Executive Director of the Coupon Information Center, told money-saving columnist Jill Cataldo at the time, "These customers should expect contact in the future."
Paul Walter Hauser Got AEW References Into 'Queenpins' Film - Fightful MSN Article He can next be seen in the movie Delia's Gone. A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam.A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam.A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam. These are free item coupons,' Police Sgt. 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 spends her free time drinking coffee and trying to resist the urge to buy any new books before reading the many she already owns.
Kristen Bell leads a strong cast in 'Queenpins,' in theaters Sept. 10 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. None of the characters are based on the real individuals involved, Gaudet told Coupons in the News. She portrays a fictional computer hacker named Tempe Tina, who helps the two main characters with their coupon scam. And why Bell and co-star Paul Walter Houser didnt talk to the real people behind the characters they play. The other two women pleaded guilty to a single charge of counterfeiting. Dayo OkeniyiasEarl - Okeniyi plays Earl, who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which results in a hilarious interrogation scene with Ken and Simon. 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. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. But court records indicate that she has not quite been able to put this case behind her. Tempe Tina does not have a real-life counterpart. [9], Other box office grosses include Russia ($326,012), Ukraine ($221,109), For her first film since Frozen II (the 10th highest-grossing movie of all-time . Shedisplays considerable comedy chopsin films like Bad Momsand is also well-known for her role as Anna inDisney's Frozen franchise. 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. Heres how the real Queenpins counterfeit coupon ring worked: shoppers would purchase the coupons on websites like eBay and/or be invited or referred to the rings personal website, savvyshoppersite.com. But Aron [Gaudet]and Gita [Pullapilly], as storytellers our writer and directors have added so many specific elements of storytelling to this about what Connies career was, what Jojos career was, their circumstances in life in order to create a story that you would root for, and then it sort of goes into the nonfiction aspect that it sort of wasnt maybe as necessary to take on a ton of the real life characteristics of the women..
Queenpins (2021) - IMDb And thats why they make excuses, he said. 'We gotta steal these coupons and sell them to families who really need them. But its funny that its gotten so much attention, Lake said. The fake coupon game isnt a joke. That includes the details about the women and the two men chasing after them. While it might seem outrageous and is played for laughs in the movie, in July 2012, a SWAT team really did raid the Phoenix residences of the three women who played a part in the counterfeit coupon operation. -Daily Mail. Related:Free Guy Cast, Characters & All Cameos Guide. "You've got yourself an eighteen-karat run of bad luck, kid.". Required fields are marked *. She lives with her mother and is trying to be an entrepreneur with a series of YouTube videos featuring tips on saving. Bud Miller is thought to have loosely inspired Paul Walter Hauser's character in the movie, Ken Miller. Vince Vaughnas Simon Kilmurry -Vince Vaughn plays Simon Kilmurry, a U.S. postal inspector who works with Ken to investigate the coupon scam.
Queenpins - Chapter 3 - Elias_Pedro - Archive of Our Own
We dont want people to think they can do this, he said. Her sacrifices have never been appreciated and she has been overlooked by her husband Rick, an IRS senior audit specialist, her loved ones and the rest of society. Bell has extensive experience in Broadway, television, and film, leading successful TV series like Veronica Mars and The Good Place. 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. Kristen Bell And Kirby Howell-Baptiste Run A Multi-Million Dollar Coupon Scam In The 'Queenpins' Trailer.
The REAL story behind Kristen Bell's upcoming movie Queenpins However, everything that's built onto this premise in the movie is almost entirely fictional. HBOs Rain Dogs Finds Humor, Despair in the Working-Class Mum at its Center, Berlinale Highlights, Part Three: Hummingbirds, Concrete Valley, Afire, The Oneness of All Things: On Sofia Alaouis Animalia, New York International Childrens Film Festival Opens Window to the World. It stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Bebe Rexha, and Vince Vaughn. The pair are currently starring as crooked coupon buddies in the crime comedy "Queenpins," written and directed by husband-and-wife duo Aron. And I think it comes from loneliness and feeling isolated and kind of under-utilized or under-appreciated. Kristen Bell as Connie Kaminski and Kirby Howell-Baptiste as JoJo Johnson in QUEENPINS. She was sentenced to two years in prison, with credit for 287 days served, and seven years of supervised probation. 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 FBI has crooks who commit moremanly crimes to track down. The comedy Queenpins is inspired by the largest coupon scam in U.S. history. He also doesn't work closely with the FBI. Con Kristen Bell, Lidia Porto, Joel McHale, Kirby. People who purchased coupons on the site could use them for an item and even get cash back if the value of the coupon exceeded the item's price. Watching "Queenpins" is like eating grocery store birthday cake. A bright spot is Bebe Rexha as a dark web expert who helps Connie and Jojo launder their money. The counterfeiting scheme was previously featured in theCBS TV docu-series Pink Collar Crimes in 2018. In July 2012, police in Phoenix, Arizona arrested three women in a coupon scam that cost manufacturers roughly $40 million. For example, a person could use a $25 coupon to purchase a $15 bag of dog food and receive the difference in cash.
Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste on friendship, coupons - Los A trailer released this month shows how a suburban housewife (Bell) and her coupon vlogger friend (Howell-Baptiste) come up with a scheme to sell fake coupons online, earning them millions of dollars while contributing to costly losses for brands like Proctor & Gamble andUnilever. So even though the events of nearly a decade ago seem like old news to the rest of us, its something the culprits continue to live with. director of photography Film Editing by Kayla Emter . Missing Pittsburgh street preacher known as 'The Sparrow' who vanished 30 YEARS ago is found ALIVE and living in 'It's a vindication of what I've been through': Georgia Harrison tells of her 'relief' as shamed reality star ex Two Insulate Britain protesters are jailed for contempt of court after they defied a judge's orders not to refer Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Mom who lost both sons to fentanyl blasts laughing Biden, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' 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. Mugshots of the real women behind Queenpins are displayed below. They also come into possession of guns, cars and boats in an effort to clean the money theyve made from selling coupons. Her ancestry is Polish (mother) and German, English, Irish, and Scottish (father). She is also known for her appearances in Killing Eve and Cruella. The CIC and some of its members were on location in a mobile command unit watching the bust." Connie initially comes up with the couponing scheme, eventuallyteaming up with her friend to help her pull off the biggest coupon scam in U.S. history. 'Queenpins' Review: Suburban Scammers Two cash-strapped neighbors devise a multimillion-dollar coupon swindle in this mildly entertaining comedy. Analysts Predict More Deals in the Grocery Store This Year, Savings Apps Are All the Rage This One Most of All, Grocery Shoppers Shrug Off A Tumultuous Year, Couponer Is Dealt A Final Setback In Decade-Old Dispute. The story actually began more than a decade ago, when the women started selling their coupons online. Bud played an instrumental role in taking down the three women who inspired the Queenpins movie.Unlike Bud Miller, Hauser's character doesn't work for the Coupon Information Corporation (a not-for-profit association of consumer product manufacturers dedicated to fighting coupon misredemption and fraud).