Just Your Luck (1996) (V)

Director:

Gary Auerbach

Writers:

Todd Alcott (writer)
Gary Auerbach (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

There's murder on the menu!

Plot:

Six million dollars suddenly goes up for grabs when an aged diner's heart fails after he discovers that he has won the lottery...

Plot Keywords:

Diner | Lottery | Greed | Death | Waitress

Cast

Sean Patrick Flanery	...	Ray
Virginia Madsen	...	Kim
Carroll Baker	...	Momie
Bill Erwin	...	Pops
Jon Favreau	...	Straker
Flea	...	Johnny
Ernie Hudson	...	Willie
John Lurie	...	Coker
Jon Polito	...	Nick
Mike Starr	...	Carl
Alanna Ubach	...	Angela
Vince Vaughn	...	Barry
Lee Weaver	...	Wino

Also Known As:

Whiskey Down (Australia) (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some violence.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Global Entertainment Network Inc.

Movie Connections:

References The Godfather: Part II (1974)

Soundtrack:

Young and Foolish

a great film, it's diner meets pulp fiction in a very entertaining flick.

i must say that i thought that this was a great movie. yes the ending was a problem but if you see it more than once like a couple of times the way i have you'll see the end fits in perfectly with the rest of the story even though it is a very downbeat ending, that's all i will say about the ending. I am glad more and more people seem to be checking out this movie for it is a great movie. the characters are likable precisly because their doing unlikable things. in that sense it's like seinfeld. i hope the writer director gets another shot at making a movie because this was very good . ok the plot was not incredibly original but elements of it were for instance one of the best things about it was the way the movie is set in an all night diner. that was a good and original idea i must say. i will honestly never be in another diner again without thinking of this movie immediately. the actors are all uniformly good. I really liked Jon Polito (using a very nice and effective fake accent) as the immigrant cook who is only concerned with running a restaurant. Sean patrick flannery is good also here being the center breakput star of the film after being a supporting character in many other films. this film is again filled with familiar faces. alanah ubach is the young waitress, ernie hudson (yes winston the ghostbuster) is in it as well as rising star vince vaughn in a very early role. john Faveru also a very small part and virginia madsen (survivor of many bad movies) is on hand as well. John lurie and Flea two different musicians turned actors show up towards the end there's mike starr as a cop (a role he could play in his sleep.) and lastly there's bill erwin who's been in so many things just his face is enough to send shivers of recognition up your back. and then there's caroll baker who i never heard of before.

so as i was saying this is a cast of mostly rising stars (some falling ones as well) trying to earn a paycheck. The result is a very good movie. I highly enjoyed it but you can't help thinking it could have been better. The ending is not a copout and the whole movie is covered in a taratinoish vibe. but the whole diner thing is beautiful. It's diner meets pulp fiction meets a simple plan. however blended together these elements -the plots the actors the characters you have a highly entertaining movie which will leave you with something to think about at the end, which is more then i can say for a lot of other films out there. Rent this film and you will see why i like it a lot even though it is like some other movies you probably have seen. The box by the way labels it as a comedy but its not really a comedy so much as a drama. there are some laughs but not many. it's a great movie to see when you are upset or angry, when you hate the rest of the world.

it will stand the test of time as one of the best of the post-taratino crime films with an atmosphere all its own. congratulations to gary auerbach the writer director for doing so.

I hope more people get around to seeing it, "PIES FRIES ICE CREAM COKE IS NO JOKE" "IS NICE"