Lucky Numbers (2000) Paramount/Comedy RT: 105 minutes Rated R (language, sexuality, some drug use, brief violence) Director: Nora Ephron Screenplay: Adam Resnick Music: George Fenton Cinematography: John Lindley Release date: October 27, 2000 (US) Cast: John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, Tim Roth, Ed O’Neill, Michael Rapaport, Bill Pullman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Moore, Richard Schiff, Sam McMurray, Michael Weston, Maria Bamford, Caroline Aaron. Box Office: $10.8M (US)
Rating: ***
Not many people outside of Pennsylvania know this, but Nora Ephron’s black comedy Lucky Numbers is (loosely) based on a true story. In April 1980, eight people conspired to cheat the Pennsylvania Lottery by rigging the machines with weighted balls. The number came up 666 for a then-record payout of $3.5 million. Unfortunately for the conspirators, which included Daily Number announcer Nick Perry, their scheme fell apart when authorizes caught wind of it. As a result, several of the involved parties went to prison and security protocols were tightened.
I didn’t care for Lucky Numbers when it first came out in fall ’00. At the time, I referred to it as “a losing ticket” in how it wasted a talented cast. I thought it an uneven mix of comedy and darker material. I also found it more crass than funny. While I still think it’s crass and uneven, I’ve come to like Lucky Numbers. It’s messy, no doubt, but it has an undeniable dark appeal. It asks how there can be honor among thieves with IQs that don’t exceed 90. It’s a given they will screw it all up seven ways to Sunday. And do they ever!
John Travolta (Pulp Fiction) stars as Russ Richards, a Harrisburg weatherman in love with his small measure of fame. His local celebrity status earns him such perks as a reserved parking spot and booth at the local Denny’s. Alas, his life isn’t perfect. Due to an unusually warm winter, Russ’ snowmobile dealership is on the verge of failure. We won’t ask how he didn’t see the unusual weather pattern coming; I can only assume he’s not very good at his job.
After an insurance scam involving a staged robbery at his dealership goes wrong, his friend strip club owner Gig (Roth, Pulp Fiction) suggests rigging the PA Lottery with the help of his girlfriend Crystal (Kudrow, Friends), the dim model who pulls the winning numbers on the nightly broadcast. She brings in her creepy cousin Walter (gonzo documentary filmmaker Moore) to pose as the lucky ticketholder.
They manage to successfully switch the balls back and forth, but then it all goes downhill. Their scheme has to be the worst kept secret in town. Nay, the world. The thug Dale (Rapaport, True Romance) who got arrested for the dealership robbery wants a large cut for his troubles. Russ’ boss at the station Dick (O’Neill, Married with Children), who also happens to be sleeping with Crystal, tries to blackmail them. A local bookie (Schiff, The West Wing) becomes suspicious and turns up dead. Then the cops get involved with lazy Detective Lakewood (Pullman, Independence Day) being assigned the case after getting caught fraudulently collecting disability.
I’d like to start by discussing Moore’s character, a most repellent fellow. Wait until you get a load of this. Saying he’s not too bright is par for the course for Lucky Numbers. Nobody in it is particularly intelligent, but Walter is the dumbest of them all. He might even be mentally challenged. Not only does he have a thing for his cousin, he also admits to being a chronic masturbator, a subject he expounds on for an uncomfortable length of time. He says he plans to give some of the money they pay him to his church and use the rest to open an adult bookstore. He’s also extremely asthmatic. This comes into play when Crystal violently flips out after he demands a bigger cut of the money. It does not end well for poor Walter. I haven’t been this repulsed by a movie character since It’s Pat: The Movie. I can’t believe Moore let himself get talked into this. I guess the prospect of working with a major director like Ephron was too tempting to pass up.
Speaking of the late Ephron, Lucky Numbers is a real departure for her. She typically does sentimental rom-coms like Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail. Okay, Mixed Nuts was a dark comedy too, but it doesn’t come anywhere close to this one. This is easily her nastiest movie. Not all of it works but it’s interesting to see her leave her comfort zone for something more savage. There’s not a single likable character (except for the Denny’s waitress) and whatever little redemption there is among the characters feels undeserved. Of course, isn’t that the point of black comedies?
The real cosmic force driving Lucky Numbers is Kudrow whose manic comic energy greatly benefits the material. Her character is a combination of dizzy and amoral. And when pushed, she can be lethal. She’s like Phoebe’s (her character from Friends) evil clone. She may not be able to pronounce the term “Svengali”, but she knows how to manipulate and work a person with her sexuality. She’s a dope, but I would never cross her.
Travolta is pretty good as Russ, an idiot whose complacency turns to paranoia as things keep getting worse. Roth does fine work as Gig, the kind of guy who doesn’t worry. When a problem comes up, he sends somebody to take care of it. Such is the nature of a sociopath. The rest of the cast, which also includes Daryl Mitchell (Galaxy Quest) as Lakewood’s disinterested partner, is decent.
The storyline is a mess with all the subplots and new characters that keep popping up. The tone is all over the place. At times, it’s hard to know how to take Lucky Numbers. So let me remind you that it’s a black comedy in a similar vein to Drowning Mona. You’re NOT supposed to like any of the characters. If anything, you’re expected to laugh at them as they do horrible things. I like the movie’s blue collar setting in 1988 Harrisburg. There are some great song choices on the soundtrack like Joan Jett’s “Light of Day” over the opening scenes.
Call me crazy but I do like Lucky Numbers even if it’s deeply flawed. It died at the box office and rarely comes up in conversation. Also, it has no real significance to non-residents of Pennsylvania circa 1980. I remember when this story played out on the news. What a scandal that was! Ephron’s movie may not do it complete justice, but it never lets your interest wane. It’s such a mess, you can’t look away.
