Twenty Bucks

An armored truck arrives to load an ATM with cash. During the process, a woman attempts to withdraw $20, but her bill slips away without her noticing. The bill then starts its journey through various characters and locations across the story.

Homeless woman Angeline picks up the slipping $20 bill from the ground and reads its serial number. She believes that those numbers are her destiny to win the lottery, setting her future plans into motion.

A boy snatches the bill from Angeline and uses it at a bakery where the baker gives him change, including the same bill, after selling expensive wedding cake figurines to Jack Holiday. The bill begins to circulate among several characters.

At a wedding rehearsal dinner, Jack Holiday presents the $20 bill to Sam Mastrewski as part of his wedding gift, recalling his first exchange of foreign money upon arriving in America. This highlights the sentimental value placed on the bill.

During Sam's bachelor party, he spends the $20 bill to pay for the stripper, which causes some tension. Anna, his fiancée, later suggests that he frame the bill to show he appreciates its significance, hinting at its symbolic meaning.

The stripper uses the $20 bill to purchase a herbal remedy from Mrs. McCormac. The bill continues its journey as it is mailed to her grandson Bobby as a birthday present, keeping the money in circulation.

Bobby goes to a convenience store, where he unknowingly interacts with robbers Jimmy and Frank during their spree. He gives Jimmy the bill to buy wine, setting off a chain of events involving theft, violence, and police pursuits.

After a shootout, Jimmy shoots Frank, takes the stolen money, but leaves the $20 bill. The bill, now stained with blood, is placed into police evidence but accidentally falls into the wrong box, continuing its unintended journey.

The police unwittingly release the bill with other personal effects from Emily Adams' recovered belongings. It floats around town, being picked up by homeless people, wealthy women, drug dealers, and others, each using it in different ways.

The $20 bill ends up in the wallet of Emily's father, Bruce, who also has a copy of her first published story. Bruce's death from a heart attack leaves the bill as a family keepsake, symbolizing his unfulfilled dreams.

Emily finds the bill among her father's effects and chooses to travel to Europe, referencing the bill's journey as part of her story. She rips up the bill in a dramatic gesture, symbolizing her emotional farewell.

At the airport, Angeline collects pieces of the torn bill and uses adhesive tape to piece it back together, unaware that the serial number now matches the upcoming lottery numbers, setting up an ironic twist.

Realizing the serial number matches the lottery numbers, Angeline brings the reconstructed bill to a bank. The teller confirms it is still valid if more than half remains, and she receives a new, crisp $20 bill, completing her journey.

With the new bill in hand, Angeline dramatically reads its serial number and leaves the bank, symbolizing the end of the unpredictable journey of the money. The story underscores how a single bill can influence myriad lives.