‘Lucky You’ Movie Review – Plot and Main Characters
‘Lucky You’ movie is one of the many gambling films about the world of poker, love and high stakes on life. The 2007 film, starring Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore, is not amongst the most popular award-winning titles but grabs the attention with an interesting plot. Lets set the cards on the table and learn more in our dedicated ‘Lucky You’ movie review!
In this review, we will talk a little about the plot of the movie and where it originated from. We’ve also gathered some movie ratings and info where you can watch ‘Lucky You’ online. Of course, we’re also going to say a few words about the gambling in the movie and how this projects real-life gambling.
‘Lucky You’ Plot
‘Lucky You’ has an interesting plot. It tells the story of Huck Cheever, who is a talented young poker player up for a good game. He has a brilliant poker mind but lets his emotions take over easily, leading to winnings and a lot of losses and dept.
He meets the lovely Billie Offer, an aspiring singer in Vegas with a lot of love for Huck and the game of poker. Their love looks like it will last, but at what cost… Huck is a compulsive gambler, and he loses and borrows lots of cash to feed his poker addiction. He even steals from Billie’s purse while she’s asleep!
Alongside other winning and losing events in his life, Huck also has an unhealthy relationship with his father, L. C. Cheever – a champion poker player, who left Huck’s mother years ago. The man thought his son everything about poker in the past, playing with dimes and nickels, but also scared him, leaving the kid with no father figure to look up to while growing up. Mr Cheever and Huck meet unexpectedly in Vegas and are ready to roll. Will this be an endearing family reunion or a disaster? Will Huck learn to play poker the way he lives and live life the way he plays poker? Watch the movie to find out!
| 💹 IMDB Rating | 5.9/10 |
| 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 29% |
| 📽️ Released | 2007 |
| 🎞️ Box Office | $8.4 Million |
| 📕 Genre | Drama, Romance, Sports |
| 🎬 Director | Curtis Hanson |
| 🤨 Screenplay | Eric Roth, Curtis Hanson |
| ⭐ Stars | Drew Barrymore, Eric Bana, Robert Duval |
| ⌚ Running Time | 2h 4min |
The ‘Lucky You’ movie is not based on a true story. The plot is interesting, but also a bit confusing for some, which may explain the lower ratings of the title. There are a lot of mixed reviews – some viewers really enjoy the film, while others describe it as a long and messy rom-com.
We must say that we are also surprised, having in mind that the ‘Lucky You’ movie cast consists of such wonderful actors and actresses, including the cameo of Robert Downey Jr. There are a lot of comments in IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes about Drew Barrymore and Eric Bana in the lead roles. From what we could see, not a lot of people were pleased with their acts.
A lot of players that have watched the movie also have mixed comments about the overall poker play in ‘Lucky You’ but we will get to that later. Generally, we think that the movie is not bad, it is interesting, but it could be a bit shorter and with a clearer plot and message. And still – we like it!
The World of Poker – How the Game Is Presented in the Movie?
Poker is a simple, yet complex game that a lot of gamblers enjoy. It is an art form in a way – you have to show zero emotion and play your cards well in order to win or get out of the game without losing a lot of money.
The rules of the game are as it follows: You can play with 2 and more people on a table. There are 52 cards in one deck, which are shuffled and given randomly to the players. There are a few winning combinations with Royal Flush being the highest. There are different intervals in which you can place bets. Overall, it is simple math and blessings from Lady Luck!
In the ‘Lucky You’ movie, they play Texas Hold’em Poker, but there are a few things we’ve noticed. The game is played quite slowly, and the focus is on too many details that are not always as necessary to look out for. This is something that viewers have also marked in multiple comments in IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. Despite that, we’re happy that the poker game in the movie is for the most part accurate.
Compulsive Gambling In ‘Lucky You’
As you probably know, compulsive gambling is a mental disorder that can lead to serious consequences if not treated properly or in time. Gambling addiction can be triggered by a lot of physical and mental elements around us. Often, it is triggered due to a major event in one’s life – loss of a loved one, loss of a job, past trauma of sort.
In ‘Lucky You’, we can clearly see that Huck Cheever cannot control his bad habit much. This gets him to the point of debt and stealing from loved ones, just to fulfil the need to play poker. If we deeper analyse it, we can probably agree on the fact that this mental disorder might have been caused by his father, who has left him and his mother on their own in the past. The two gentlemen are not in good terms and their behaviour over the years may as well be the main reason for Huck’s compulsive gambling.
Huck is also letting his emotions take over during a game, which is another indicator that he has a gambling problem based on past trauma. If you watch the movie, pay attention when his outbursts occur. You will see that often the triggers are the same.
‘Lucky You’ and Responsible Gambling
As written above, gambling addiction can cause more harm than good, and measures need to be taken so that players and casinos can be safe. There are ways to treat compulsive gambling and ways to prevent it. Most land-based and online casinos have a strong security system that prevents gambling abuse.
Of course, self-control also plays a huge role in solving the problem. Most people find it difficult to set boundaries on their own when it comes to gambling. Luckily, there are a lot of organisations that offer professional help and resources regarding gambling addiction treatment and prevention. Great examples for such organisations are GamCare, BeGambleAware.org, as well as the NCRG in the States.
Where to Watch ‘Lucky You’?
If you are curious and you want to watch the ‘Lucky You’ film, there are a few ways you can find it. Unfortunately, the gambling movie is not currently available on Netflix, but you can find it on Amazon Prime. And, if our review wasn’t enough, here is a sneak peek with the ‘Lucky You’ trailer:
Conclusion
In conclusion, ‘Lucky You’ is a 2007 American movie that tells the story about a young man slowly taken by his addiction to gambling. The main focus of the film is the game of poker, plus the other mini-plots surrounding it – love, betrayal, addiction. Although it may not be the best of the best, we find the ‘Lucky You’ gambling movie quite interesting, and we recommend you give it a shot.
FAQ
We’ve gathered some of the frequently asked questions about ‘Lucky You’. Based on our research and with the help of our expert editors, we’re positive that this FAQ section will be a helpful guide for you for future references.
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