Lucky You
DIRECTOR: Curtis Hanson
WRITER: Eric Roth and Curtis Hanson
STARRING: Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, Robert Duvall
BRIEF SUMMARY:
Rogue gambler, Huck (Eric Bana) navigates life, love and daddy-issues while prepping for the upcoming “World Series of Poker” in Las Vegas.
KISS COUNT: 1. At the end, after everyone’s cards are on the table.
BEST/MOST ROMANTIC SCENE:
My favorite scene is in the diner, where father and son compete with their “left-pocket” money (money intended for the entrance fee into the competition) in a straight-up match. Huck’s father, Robert Duvall, attempts to give him life lessons as he’s learned that at the poker table, but Huck refuses, and ends up losing the much needed entrance fee.
After he storms off, Drew Barrymore comes back from the bathroom and off-handedly reminds Duvall that he’s a father first, teacher and gambler second and third.
Not a romantic scene, but a great one that plays to the heart of the film, and the dynamics of its central characters—not to mention Huck’s fatal character flaw: He plays poker like he should play life, and vice versa.
WHY THIS MOVIE NEEDS TO BE WATCHED:
I love the irony of Huckleberry, a kick-ass cardster who bets everything on games, and folds passively in life.
His relationship with his father is at the crux of this story, and his overwhelming need to win the the world series, and best his father—whom he blames for the death of his mother.
His relationship with Billie (Drew Barrymore) is the wild card, and most crucial to his journey. When he meets her, in typical rogue behavior he charms her, shows her a good time, but ultimately uses her. But, she gets under his skin (which is her character flaw, pointed out by her sister, played by Debra Messing) wanting to change him.
The choices are clearly delineated: he can spend his life “chasing the king” or he can bet on himself for once.
Curtis Hanson, the director, does a great job of showcasing poker competition as a battle of wits and tactics, similar to the freestyle battle raps of “8 mile”, which Hanson also directed. Even if you can’t follow poker, you can clearly follow the dynamics of the interactions, at the poker table and away from it.
Cool soundtrack, cool acting, and set against the backdrop of a city famous for changes of fortune (usually for the worst, but who knows) this is an entertaining flick that uses the “love story” subplot as more than just an ante, forcing Huck, and the audience to go “all in”.
