American Hustle

American Hustle is a 2013 American crime film directed by David O. Russell. It was written by Eric Warren Singer and Russell and inspired by the FBI Abscam operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s. It stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as two con artists forced by an FBI agent (Bradley Cooper) to set up an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians, including the mayor of Camden, New Jersey (Jeremy Renner). Jennifer Lawrence plays the unpredictable wife of Bale's character. Principal photography took place from March to May 2013 in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts, as well as New York City.

American Hustle was released nationwide in the United States on December 13, 2013. The film opened to critical acclaim on release, with praise for its screenplay and the performances of the ensemble cast. It emerged as a major commercial success at the box office, grossing $251 million worldwide on a budget of $40 million.

American Hustle received a leading ten nominations at the 86th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (for Russell), Best Actor (for Bale), Best Actress (for Adams), Best Supporting Actor (for Cooper), and Best Supporting Actress (for Lawrence), but failed to win any. At the 67th British Academy Film Awards, the film received ten nominations and won three, including Best Actress in a Supporting Role (for Lawrence). The ensemble cast won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the 20th Screen Actors Guild Awards, with Lawrence receiving an additional nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.