The story of Fool’s Gold is fairly simple. There is a treasure at sea, specifically “the Queen’s Dowry,” a legendary hoard of Spanish wealth lost during a hurricane in 1715. Treasure hunters Finn (Matthew McConaughey) and Tess (Kate Hudson) have been looking for it since they met and married in their early twenties. But after years of searching have resulted in nothing other than the search completely taking over their lives and totally draining their finances, Tess calls it quits and sends word to Finn in the form of divorce papers.

But with a new clue to the whereabouts of the Queen’s Dowry and Tess working for a man with the means to finance an expedition already deep in the hole, Finn quickly catches up with the woman who thought she had left him behind. Within a day, he has convinced Tess, millionaire Nigel Honeycutt (Donald Sutherland), and Nigel’s tabloid princess daughter Gemma (Alexis Dziena) to set off on one final journey to find the Queen’s Dowry. And the rest of the story pretty much unfolds as you would expect—the hunt begins, old enemies, former rapper/gangster financiers, and misinterpreted clues cause problems, one last clue from the least likely source leads them right to the treasure, a final fight ensues, and in the end the Queen’s Dowry finds its rightful home and everyone lives happily ever after.

Like I said, the story of Fool’s Gold is quite simple. There really isn’t any nail-biting suspense. The clues that move the characters from one point to another aren’t exactly what I would call fascinating. And the danger that they face is no more menacing than villain Bigg Bunny. But even so, I still found myself drawn into the story and sufficiently satisfied by its end. And the reason why? Because more than just a story about a treasure hunt, Fool’s Gold is also a story about the people who come together to find that treasure.

At the center of that story are Finn and Tess. When the movie begins, we are told that the hunt for the treasure has torn them apart. But as the movie progresses, it is that very same hunt that brings them back together. They reminisce about their past and reveal that the moments they have been closest have also been the moments they have been hottest on the trail of the Queen’s Dowry. And as they share about what they have learned and what they believe, it is apparent that the passion in each of them is also a passion that unites them.

Also along for the ride are Nigel and Gemma. Not unlike Finn and Tess, when the movie starts they might as well be unrelated. To Gemma, Nigel is not much more than a bank account. To Nigel, Gemma is a young woman he doesn’t know how to connect with except by giving her more and more money. But when they join the treasure hunt, they are united by something new and brought together themselves. While Nigel may be a spoiled millionaire and Gemma a ditzy teen, within the treasure hunt, they find that they are each a valuable member of the team. And in doing so, they both see that they are a valuable part of each other’s lives as well.

Continue: 1 2