Paper Moon

Paper Moon is set in Depression-era Kansas, where Moses Pray, a small-time con artist, sells luxury Bibles to recently widowed women, relying on a gold tooth and a polished smile. After attending the funeral of a former lover, he reluctantly agrees to take her nine-year-old daughter, Addie, to relatives. Addie insists he is her father, pointing to their similar chins, though Moses refuses the role. The journey begins in tension, but the orphan turns out to be a naturally gifted swindler who matches and sometimes outdoes her guardian, and the two become partners in petty schemes. Their routine is disrupted by Trixie Delight, a woman who joins them on the road until Addie decides she has come between her and Moses.

Peter Bogdanovich directed and produced the film, working from a screenplay by Alvin Sargent. It followed Targets, The Last Picture Show and What's Up, Doc? in his filmography, and starred Ryan O'Neal as Moses alongside his real daughter Tatum O'Neal as Addie, with Madeline Kahn, John Hillerman, Jessie Lee Fulton and Noble Willingham in supporting roles.

Made for about 3 million dollars, the film returned roughly 31 million worldwide. It holds an 8.1 rating on IMDb from around 57,000 votes and a 7.9 on TMDB from 872 votes, while critics gave it 8.6 from 55 reviews, a stronger response than that of general audiences.