Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2017)
90%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
7 wins & 12 nominations total
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail transcends its less-than-dramatic trappings to present a gripping real-life legal thriller with far-reaching implications.
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail is a documentary that will make you root for a bank, which is a sentence I never thought I’d say. But the Sung family, who own and operate Abacus Federal Savings Bank, are so endearing and relatable that you can’t help but want them to come out on top of their legal battle. Director Steve James does an excellent job of balancing the courtroom drama with intimate moments of the family discussing their situation and supporting each other. Plus, who doesn’t love a good underdog story? Abacus may be small, but it’s mighty, and this film proves it.
Production Company(ies)
Macrocosm Entertainment, Citizen Skull Productions, Bond It Media Capital
Distributor
PBS Distribution
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Chinatown, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2017
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 30m
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Language(s):English, Mandarin, Cantonese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 19, 2017 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 13, 2017
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, financial crisis, bank, family-run, criminal charges, legal battle, Chinatown community, legacy, Steve James, directed by Steve James, Julie Goldman, Mark Mitten, produced by Julie Goldman, Mark Mitten, reviewed by Michael Phillips, Tim Grierson, Tom Long, Edward Porter, Kevin Maher, Wendy Ide, Jason Adams, Aaron Pinkston, Richard Propes, Joanne Laurier, Steven Prokopy, starring Sung family, MPAA rating, PBS Distribution, box office performance, budget, Abacus, real-life legal thriller, transcends, far-reaching implications, English, 1h 30m, 93% Tomatometer, 84% audience score, Raney Aronson, Christopher Clements, Sally Jo Fifer, Justine Nagan, Gordon Quinn, executive producer, ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL, genre, critic reviews, audience reviews, best horror movies, RT podcasts, most anticipated movies, best Netflix series, renewed & cancelled TV shows 2022, worst horror movies of all time, careers, newsletter, Fandango
Worldwide gross: $113,278
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $136,640
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,990
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 14,901
US/Canada gross: $113,278
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $136,640
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,611
US/Canada opening weekend: $12,528
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $15,112
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,599
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Raney Aronson – Executive Producer
Christopher Clements – Executive Producer
Sally Jo Fifer – Executive Producer
Justine Nagan – Executive Producer
Gordon Quinn – Executive Producer
Director(s)
Steve James
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Julie Goldman, Mark Mitten
Film Festivals
Toronto
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
7 wins & 12 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (74) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (69) | Rotten (5)
The personalities make the picture, and James’ camera presence is such that “Abacus” never seems to gin up or theatricalize anyone’s thoughts or behavior.
January 25, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Phillips
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
… deceptively straightforward new film from Hoop Dreams director Steve James.
October 27, 2017
Tim Grierson
Paste Magazine
TOP CRITIC
“Abacus” is probably the only film made in the past decade that could get an audience rooting for a bank, but it does just that.
July 22, 2017 | Rating: B+
Tom Long
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
When Steve James’s documentary suggests that Abacus was the victim of a concerted Establishment plot… it doesn’t have quite enough evidence for a conviction, but it is an absorbing study of the court case, the bank and Chinatown itself.
July 11, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
Edward Porter
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
A sweet and sometimes moving, if ultimately minor, film about a hopelessly inadequate fraud case from 2012.
July 11, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Disarmingly human moments – the Sung daughters, all high-powered lawyers, fret over their 80-year-old father’s disappointing sandwich – pepper this compelling courtroom drama.
July 9, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
James doesn’t mess around, aiming straight for our sentimental jugulars
July 2, 2021
Jason Adams
The Film Experience
Away from the case, the biggest joys of Abacus are seeing the Sung family together, around a conference room table or the dinner table alike. The way they interact with each other feels so familiar…
January 4, 2021
Aaron Pinkston
Battleship Pretension
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail is an intelligent and involving doc feature.
September 1, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
While the story has interesting aspects, it is hard to fully sympathize with a family of bankers.
July 8, 2020
Joanne Laurier
World Socialist Web Site
Abacus is another example of James’ exceptional storytelling and his ability to generate (and sometimes manipulate) emotions in this audience with precision.
May 7, 2020
Steven Prokopy
Third Coast Review
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” is a great documentary about a very appealing story, that highlights the strength of family bonds and immigrant communities
December 23, 2019
Panos Kotzathanasis
Asian Movie Pulse…
Plot
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” is a documentary about a small family-run bank that becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, and the subsequent five-year legal battle to defend its legacy in the Chinatown community.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
“Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” features the Sung family, who must defend their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community over the course of a five-year legal battle.
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