LOTTERY TICKET
US, 2010, 99 minutes, Colour.
Shad Moss (Bow Wow), Brandon T.Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Loretta Devine, Ice Cube, Keith David, Terry Crews, Mike Epps.
Directed by Erik White.
The 1990s was significant in the development of American movies featuring African- American stories and written and directed by African- Americans. Initially, the films were very much action dramas, gangster films, boys in the hood… But there were were also some comedies, especially with Whoopi Goldberg and the Sister Act films.
By the mid-1990s, recording artists Ice Cube began appearing in films as well as producing them, especially the Friday series. From then on, there were many comedies for the African- American audience, reflecting characters, manner of speech, customs, way of life, some of which appeal to the broader American population and some of them even to overseas audiences.
By the beginning of the 21st century, there was a focus on romances, wedding stories, family backgrounds as well as dramas about relationships. As time went on, after the Beauty Shop and Barbershop films, the tendency was for them to become a little more raunchy – culminating in the box office success of the truly raunchy Girls Trip.
This comedy emerged in the middle of this development, with Ice Cube once again producing as well as featuring in an acting role. The central characters were played by two up-and-coming young black actors, Shad Moss who had earlier appeared as a child actor called Li’l Bow Wow and then dropping Li’l. Actually here he plays a rather straight lead with Brandon T.Jackson as the more comic foil.
There is something of a moral tone in the film – as there often is as African- Americans reflect on their society, families and relationships.
The title tells all. Kevin is a serious young man with ambitions to have his own factory. His best friend is Benny, much less serious. Kevin lives with his grandmother, Loretta Devine. One day she gets him to buy a lottery ticket – and, as he does, given another ticket, he eventually wins the lottery. He has to wait until after Independence Day to cash the ticket. He enjoins silence on his grandmother – an impossibility and soon he is welcomed back home with everybody calling out for him.
There are some further complications, especially with a young thug in the neighbourhood bullying Kevin and demanding the ticket. There is also a loan shark, played by Keith David, smooth talking and persuasive, respected in the neighbourhood, who gives Kevin hundred thousand dollars in anticipation of the ticket and the millions, which Kevin then spends on sports gear for all his friends.
There is a young femme fatale in the neighbourhood who takes no notice of Kevin but, as soon as he gets money, is all over him – to the disgust of the girl would like to be his girlfriend only he takes her for granted.
The thug punches out Kevin only to be punched out by the loan shark, although he gets a momentary revenge grip on him.
However, Kevin has a close friend and sometimes mentor in Mr Washington, former boxer, shown as something of a wisdom figure and patron, and played by Ice Cube.
Needless to say, all works out well at the end, Kevin setting up job opportunities in the neighbourhood with speeches accordingly…
