LUCKY NUMBERS
US, 2000, 105 minutes, Colour.
John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, Tim Roth, Ed O’ Neill, Michael Rapaport, Bill Pullman, Richard Schiff, Michael Moore, Sam McMurray?, Michael Weston, Caroline Aaron.
Directed by Nora Ephron.
Lucky Numbers is a black comedy about fixing a lottery.
The film is directed by Nora Ephron, better known for her romantic comedies like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. Writer Adam Resnick also wrote the oddball comedy, Death to Smoochy.
John Travolta plays a weatherman on local television in Harrisburg in Pennsylvania in 1988. He also runs a car dealership. Lisa Kudrow also appears on television, drawing the lottery numbers. Tim Roth runs a bar in Harrisburg. When Travolta gets into trouble about debts, he hatches a plan involving the other two to rig the numbers in the lottery. They do this – and the film goes into some detail of how they do it. However, there is a mistake, the director of the television station, Ed O’ Neill, discovers the truth and this begins a round of threats and attacks for getting the ticket. In the meantime, they had employed Lisa Kudrow’s cousin, played by famous documentary film director Michael Moore, to be their cover. Other characters in the cast include a bookie played by Richard Schiff, a thug played by Michael Rapaport, and at the end of the film, a lazy fraudulent policeman played by Bill Pullman.
John Travolta is his usual genial self. Lisa Kudrow gives a full-on brassy performance.
There are some amusing scenes – but, of course, most of the characters are ultimately unpleasant and do not elicit all that much sympathy. This also applies to the happy ending for the Travolta character only.
1. A crime film? Comedy? Satiric film? Black humour?
2. Harrisburg, the 1980s, the dealerships, the clubs, television stations? The musical score?
3. The title, the irony of fixing the numbers, the consequences for lottery wins and tickets? Greed?
4. The introduction to Russ Richards, his seat at Wendy’s for breakfast, his range of fans, the waitress (and her later being used to claim the money from the ticket)? The threats to his financial situation? His ego, photographed with fans, autographs? On television and his comic style with the weather? The dealership, Larry as his assistant? The debts? His gambling? His relationship with Crystal? His character and style? And the irony of the good weather in winter?
5. The character of Crystal, brassy, on television, ruthless, the way she treated people, the relationship with Dick? With Gig? Her relationship with Russ? The plan?
6. Gig, at the club, friendship with Russ, the bookies, his ability to make phone calls and get killers to do their work? His innocence with the police?
7. His plan, the ticket, the numbers and their criteria, fixing the balls, getting the cousin, Walter, to take possession of the ticket? The substitution, the scene of the draw, Crystal’s ingenuous look?
8. Walter, played by Michael Moore, the religious overtones, the sexual obsessions, the health, greed, his need for his ventilator, his death?
9. The bookie, coming to the club, discussions with Gig, his hypothesis of fraud, the warning? Gig ringing – Dale and the bookie’s death, the body, in the river, its being found?
10. Dale, collecting the money, the price going up, his drug problems? The death of the bookie? His being hired by Crystal, to kill Dick? The attack in the bedroom? The police trailing him, coming into the house, his being shot?
11. The issue of the ticket, Russ and his fears, selling his goods to Colorado? Crystal’s reaction? Her threats? The hospital? Crystal threatening Dick? Russ buying the ticket back?
12. Russ, the weather, his snowmobiles? Larry and his advice? The hiring of the truck, its overturning? His reaction to the police, attacking them? His being knocked out, hospital?
13. Dick, the ticket, his success? The night with Crystal? The attack, hospital? Russ and his threats?
14. The fraudulent policeman? His boss? Putting him on the disappearance of the bookie case? His assistant and doing all the work? Finding the body? Surveillance on Dale? The rescue of Crystal and Dick? The visit to hospital, his discussions with Russ?
15. The aftermath – Dick, losing his job, teaching ethics and media at a college? Crystal, her marriage, widow, not getting the money? Russ and his new TV show and living happily ever after? The amorality of this kind of black comedy?
