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LUCKY YOU 1 Star –
Empty “Lucky You” is a film focused on the
hopes
and
habits
of
a
man
whose
life
is
sustained
in
gambling
casinos. “Lucky you” is also the comment that I made
to
the
person
next
to
me
in
the
theater
who
said
she
had
to
leave
earlier
than
the
end
of
the
movie. Huck Cheever (Eric Bana) is a young man who knows well the
hidden
intentions
of
other
men.
Besides
being
the
son
of
L.
C.
Cheever
(Robert
Duvall),
one
of
the
world’s
best
gamblers,
he
has
developed
his
own
love
of
the
game. Every expression, movement and comment made
by
others
is
a
subtle
signal
to
Huck
as
to
what
they
are
thinking
or
an
indication
of
the
action
that
they
are
about
to
take.
But
Huck
is
also
a
man
angry
at
his
past,
disgusted
with
his
father
and
so
he
remains
a
captive
of
his
childhood
and
family
history. While walking this troubled road, Huck meets a sweet singer
along
the
way
named
Billie
Offer
(Drew
Barrymore).
Billie had recently moved to town in hopes of
making
it
big
on
the
The real story, though, is between Huck and his father L.C. L.C. had walked out on his mother and Huck for
another
woman
while
Huck
was
still
a
young
man. Despite Huck’s distaste for his father, everything
about
his
life
is
a
duplicate
of
his
father’s
with
neither
man
having
a
clear
understanding
of
what
it
means
to
care
for
someone
else. One might watch this film and think that it is admirable that
a
son
and
his
father
could
be
reconciled.
After
all,
reconciliation
is
a
key
desire
and
component
of
all
relationships.
But,
in
this
case,
what
are
we
to
believe
that
each
is
being
reconciled
to? If both persons are leading lives of destruction,
what
has
really
been
gained?
Is
it
enough
to
say
“well,
even
crooks
need
companionship?” On a superficial level, Huck and Billie are cute and the story
is
romantic,
but
an
eighth
of
an
inch
below
the
surface,
the
wood
is
rotting.
Each
person
in
this
story
makes
choices
about
others
in
their
lives
based
upon
shallow
values. How do you build any kind of lasting relationship
when
you
live
your
life
with
an
assumption
that
all
people
can
be
manipulated,
scammed
or
used
for
momentary
self-satisfaction? “Lucky You” is neither a model for
romantic
love,
nor
a
model
for
sons
and
fathers
to
return
to
a
loving
relationship. Rather, it is a tragedy of empty lives caught
in
a
web
of
vices.
It
is
a
film
that
will
leave
you
feeling
sad
for
what
real
love
could
have
brought
into
so
many
people’s
lives. Discussion:
1.
Where do you think the attraction that
Huck
and
Billie
have
for
one
another
will
lead
them? What would it take for them to form a healthy
marriage?
2.
The
struggle
that
Huck
has
with
his
father
destines
him
to
become
like
him. How has this been true in your relationship
with
your
parents?
How
has
it
not
been
true?
3.
The
art
of
gambling
requires
a
high
level
of
ability
to
understand
human
beings.
How
could
Huck
have
used
this
skill
to
help
others
rather
than
take
from
them?
4.
The
use
of
the
word
“lucky”
in
this
film
is
obviously
sarcastic. How do you experience “luck” in your own life
–
is
it
a
good
thing
or
a
bad
thing? ________________ Cinema In Focus is a social and spiritual
movie
commentary.
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