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John Travolta plays Russ Richards, a small-town weatherman who is such a local celebrity that he even has his own table at the local Denny’s. He obviously sees himself as a big deal about town, and he’s got the spending habits to prove it, including payments on a big house and a fancy Jaguar. His unstable life is further complicated by the fling he’s having with the station’s lotto girl (Lisa Kudrow), who is also having an affair with the married station manager (Ed O’Neill). On the verge of bankruptcy, Russ asks the advice of his good friend and strip club owner Gig (Tim Roth), who cooks up a plan to fix the lottery. The hardest part of the whole scheme turns out to be finding a trustworthy person to cash in the ticket… More >>
Lucky Numbers
It’s an interesting approach at what people will do for money. Still, I hated it. John Travolta was terrible [as usual]. Lisa Kudrow, who was the reason I watched this, was so incredibly unlike her role on “Friends” as she was a murderous goldigging nympho-biatch who made you mad every time she was on screen. I was very disappointed with her performance. I can’t believe this hilarious comedic actress went for such a … part. The other supporting actors were no good either with the exception of Bill Pullman, who was pretty funny as the “I could give a damn about it” cop. The best thing about this movie though, is the cute, gullible waitress named Wendy who’s only on screen about five minutes throughout the entire film. Anyway, skip this one. It was just plain awful. Rating: 1 / 5
Dear Quentin,
How are things going, man? I heard about the new film with Uma. Sounds great.
Did you see my newest film “Lucky Numbers”? I play Russ Richards, the local celebrity weatherman in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Russ has adoring fans, his own table and omelet at Denny’s, and a snowmobile dealership. Due to uncommonly warm weather, his dealership is about to go under, crumbling his entire financial empire. Out of desperation, he pays a visit to Gig (Tim Roth), the owner of the local strip club. Gig suggests that Russ and his `friend’ Crystal (Lisa Kudrow) rig the state lottery. Crystal works at the same station and pulls the numbers out for the lottery. Crystal is all for the idea. She has also been dating Dick Simmons (Ed O’Neil), the station manager and he has been neglecting her. Her share of the winnings will help her break free. Everything, of course, gets complicated.
Funny, huh? It has it’s moments.
Quentin, you know that I like to work with people I know. It makes me feel comfortable. Acting is hard, man. I need comfort to help me create my characters. Nora Ephron directed the film. She and I worked together on “Michael”, which was pretty successful, so I was hoping lightning would strike twice.
I really enjoyed reading the screenplay. Basically it combines elements of dark comedy and farce. People act weird, some people die, people are mean to one another. But they also act really silly. I haven’t done a lot of farce but I laughed when I read the screenplay. My track record with comedy is spotty, but if someone has the $20 million and a decent script, I’m game.
Lisa and I are great together. She plays someone that is very different from her well-known persona on `Friends’. Crystal is very different from Phoebe. Crystal has an edge, a determination that makes her very interesting. Crystal has a few moments that also make her seem real, a very important factor in a farce. If the character doesn’t have at least a tiny grounding in reality, the farce doesn’t work. Lisa gets this and makes it work. I get it, too, and made it work during the scene in the Denny’s… In the scene in the snow mobile dealership… In the scene at the television studio when they reveal that someone was killed… In the… Well, I know I made it work somewhere. I’m no film historian, but it works.
The supporting characters are top notch. Michael Moore plays Crystal’s dimwitted cousin. He is very funny. Tim Roth is good, but doesn’t have a lot of laughs. But that’s OK. He’s primarily a dramatic actor anyway. Actors should play to their strengths. Michael Rappaport plays a local thug. He’s all over the place. Hell, most of the supporting cast is all over the place. That’s OK, because this is a farce, right?
I know reviewers will pick up on the fact that everyone in the film is greedy, unlikable and they really don’t like each other. There isn’t really anyone to care about. That’s OK. These characters are based on real people. They don’t need to be likable. They need to be funny. They are funny. Aren’t they? Sometimes? Yes. They have some funny moments.
Nora is a great director. She has a good hand at comedy, especially farce. Every farce I have ever seen has too many laughs. You’re laughing when another joke happens. You can’t keep track of it all. Thankfully, Nora has slowed everything down… Quite… A… Bit. Her pacing is glacial. But I like that. I have the ability to laugh at the jokes.
Quentin, I’m just not sure. I’ve had a string of dogs lately. I’m not a good actor. I’m a movie star. I am a persona that draws people into the movies. They shouldn’t expect my performance to be subtle or even well-modulated. If I’m playing a local celebrity weatherman, I’m going to play it for all the smarminess I can. I’m going to mug and grin at every character that recognizes me. I’m going to wear the local fame on my sleeve and when things start to go wrong, I’m going to shake, rub my head, run around in circles, really frustrated. I can play characters. But lately, people haven’t been coming to the films. “Battlefield Earth” was a disaster, but to save face, I told some news people that I thought it was good and will make a sequel. I am a powerful star, a member of the $20 million dollar club. I can’t go back to the under $10 million club. I just can’t.
Quentin, you are the king of creating comeback vehicles. Can you start thinking of another comeback vehicle for me? I know you can. I think that I may need another comeback in a year or two. Start watching the old videos, OK, pal? For me, Quentin?
Thanks, buddy.
John
Rating: 1 / 5
This movie was simply the one of the worst movies I have ever seen.I was expecting a funny dark comedy and what I got was a major let down.I sat there and only laughed at one scene and that was it.I don’t even know why such talented actors like John Travolta and Lisa Kudrow chose this movie.It is simply horrible.A must avoid. Rating: 1 / 5
Disappointment. That sums up this movie. I went into this one with little expectations and it couldn’t even meet those. The plot was ridiculously simple and the acting was incredibly bland. The overall premise of a guy down on his luck who resorts to a criminal undertaking and then halfway through the movie realizes he’s in over his head has been used and abused. Two thumbs down to Travolta for taking the role. He acted great, but the movie as a whole just wasn’t that good. Sorry, 2 stars Rating: 2 / 5
Not only was the movie set in Harrisburg, most of it was filmed in Harrisburg, as well as the suburbs(Palmyra, Hampden Township and Wormleysburg) and is loosely based on the Real Lottery scam in Pennsylvania on April 24, 1980 when the Daily Pick 3 game was rigged by the station announcer in Pittsburgh (the Late Nick Perry, who I had the pleasure of growing up watching do various bowling programs. In Pittsburgh, “Bowling for dollars aired immediately after the drawing on Channel 4, WTAE.) Just like in the movies all but the #4 and #6 balls were injected with paint, and 6-6-6 came up. The drawings were moved to WHP-TV (channel 21) the next day, where State Officials kept a better eye on things. Nick and the stage hands at channel 4 went to Jail (here in Camp Hill).
So the story was as advertised, amusing, not great; and it was great to see big time celebreties visit town. Especially Ed O’neill. Those of us who lived in Harrisburg for a long time will get the inside jokes, and geographic references. My wife yelled at me, when I was over-commenting, finding bloopers, and trying to pick out the local scenery, most of which had buildings remodeled, and again shot outside of Harrisburg in the suburbs. So some of the local bloopers showed Russ trying to drive the truck down Route 22 and Devonshire Road (in Downtown Colonial Park, where I live), and it wrecked. Was he trying to get to I-81 or I-83? Not the way to get to Colorado from Harrisburg. Eighteen wheelers don’t go down Devonshire Road (winding and hilly and two-laned)too well, and Rt. 22 at that intersection is a 6-lane divided highway. There is actually an auto dealer at that corner, but was not used in the filming.
Like I said us locals caught some of the inside jokes (like the Perry County School Teacher who locked the student in the broom closet, and the mobster from Linglestown), which made the movie more enjoyable than the critics gave it credit for.
For those who don’t know although there is no channel 6 in Harrisburg, there is (sort of) well, was really WTPA-TV. WTPA-Radio is still on the air. New owners years ago changed the call letters to WHTM, and is actually channel 27. Keeping that in mind, Al Bundy, er, Dick Simmons comments on real-life then WTPA now WHTM weatherman Chuck Rhoades, who has a breif cameo in the movie, and on whom Travolta’s character is loosely based (Actually Bill Murray’s wheaterman in Groundhog Day is closer to the real Chuck Rhoades, a thirty year fixture on local TV). To me, Chuck is the big star in the movie, even though he is eeen from a distance for a few seconds. Chuck’s best acting job to date. And he wasn’t acting! That clip is from 1988 when the movie was set, when Harrisburg had one of its biggest heatwaves ever. Anothe Harrisburg weatherman, Don Rooney has a cameo scene at the TV station.
When the movie was filmed out here, it was the biggest deal to hit Harrisburg , since the Three Mile Island accident. Yes, Harrisburg is really like that– and Denny’s is the Classiest Bistro in Town, at least the one in Hampden Township (US Rte. 11–where JT is seen jaywalking to the Evergreen (actually Hampden) Diner.
All in all an enjoyable movie for us in Harrisburg. Rating: 3 / 5