Pure Luck (1991)

An accountant with super bad luck is sent in search of a missing boss's daughter, also an incredibly unlucky.

Director:

Nadia Tass

Writers:

Francis Veber (film La Chevre), Herschel Weingrod (screenplay)

Stars:

Martin Short, Danny Glover, Sheila Kelley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Martin Short	...	Proctor
Danny Glover	...	Campanella
Sheila Kelley	...	Valerie
Sam Wanamaker	...	Highsmith
Scott Wilson	...	Grimes
Harry Shearer	...	Monosoff
Jorge Russek	...	Inspector Segura
Rodrigo Puebla	...	Fernando
John H. Brennan	...	Tyler
Jorge Luke	...	Pilot
Abel Woolrich	...	Prisoner
Patricia Gage	...	Secretary
Ariane Pellicer	...	Girl at Club
Alexandra Vicencio	...	Nurse
Sharlene Martin	...	Nurse

Storyline

The daughter of a wealthy businessman has disappeared in Mexico, and all the efforts to find her have been unsuccessful. A psychologist, knowing that the girl has an ultra bad luck, persuades her father to send to Mexico one of his employees, an accountant with super bad luck, to find her. Perhaps he will be lucky, and his bad luck could help to find the unlucky girl...

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Plot Keywords:

luck | remake of french film | remake | farce | amnesia | 

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Taglines:

Somewhere on the Mexican Riviera, a beautiful, rich heiress has gone missing. Only one man can find her. Unfortunately, they sent two.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was Director Nadia Tass' first and only film directed for an American studio.

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Goofs

When the chair is being broken to prove Eugene Proctor's bad luck, a person is visible under the table in one shot (wearing something blue).

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Quotes

Eugene Proctor: I am trained in martial arts. Judo, aikido, karate. The first thing they teach you is self-control. If someone calls you a jerk, you don't hit them. You just walk away.
Large Man: Jerk.
Eugene Proctor: ...Ah! See? Complete control.
Large Man: Moron!
[Eugene walks into a door]

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Connections

Referenced in Jersey Girl (2004)

User Reviews

Unlucky

Hollywood should shy away from the inane types of remakes it tries to make out of some French films. This one in particular was based on "Le Chevre" by Francis Veber. French humor is not well understood once it's translated. The original film wasn't that great, to begin with. It's a mystery why Nadia Tass undertook to direct this film, at all. The screen play by Herbert Weingrod must have looked a lot funnier than what we see on the screen.

Martin Short, as a comedian, is very funny. He has not fared well in the movies. It could be his choices that have limited him, or just that he is completely hysterical in one medium and with the wrong guidance, he will be not as funny in films like this. The jokes in this movie are too tired.

Danny Glover, on the other hand, playing the straight man, to Mr. Short's funny one, fares better. The pairing of these two men sometimes work, but much of the time, even an experienced and talented actor of Mr. Glover's stature, falls flat.

Watch it at your own risk.

Details

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

9 August 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pure Luck

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$17,010,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,010,810, 11 August 1991

Gross USA:

$22,641,969

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$24,941,969

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hivemind, Silver Lion Films, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1