Synopsis

Huck Cheever is a likeable, friendly young poker player whose emotions at the table often undermine his exceptional skill, especially when he is heads up with his father, poker legend L.C. Cheever. Billie Offer is a young singer from Bakersfield with more heart than talent. The one aptitude Billie and Huck seem to share is a knack for reading people; the difference is what they do with that gift. While Huck's instincts enable him to take advantage of his opponents at the poker table and expertly avoid both emotional connections and long-term commitments in his personal life, Billie uses her intuition to see the emotional truth of those around her and sympathize with their pain. When these two meet, the real game begins. If Huck is going to win Billie's heart and the poker tornament, he must learn to play cards the way he's been living life and live his life the way he has been playing cards.

What The Critics Say

"A romance drama that accomplishes a difficult narrative demand – that of telling characters’ intentions, emotions and shared history via the way they play their poker hands. Robert Duvall, Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore all give persuasive performances that add up to a royal flush." Cole Smithey COLESMITHEY.COM "A solid piece of mainstream storytelling that works as a character study and a love story, even if you don't know a gut-shot straight draw from a nut flush. Duvall, who has been playing crusty old charmers since he was about 40, is perfectly tailored to the part of Huck's semi-estranged dad, L.C. Cheever, a two-time World Series of Poker champion who is revered as a legend by everyone except Huck, who still resents the old man for running out on him and Mom back in the day. The main romance is a tad corny and the poker metaphors are hokey, but this movie knows its Hold 'Em. Just about every hand, and there's a lot of poker in this movie, is played in plausible fashion. Most of the table talk is spot-on as well." Richard Roeper CHICAGO SUN-TIMES "Guy walks into a pawnshop... And there ensues one of the best opening sequences I've seen in recent years. He wants to get more money for a digital camera than the store's owner (an obscure actress named Phyllis Somerville) wants to give him. He sets about reading and manipulating her mind. She knows what he's doing, gives as good as she gets and ends up adding fifty bucks to her price in return for the "entertainment." The scene is smart, funny, and as well acted as it is written." Richard Schickel TIME MAGAZINE "a movie about poker, romance and families and, luckily for us, writer-director Curtis Hanson has a feeling for all three. It's an entertaining movie. The acting is natural, deft and seemingly effortless--which you expect from Duvall, Charles Martin Smith (as Huck's bankroller) and Jean Smart (as player Michelle Carson)." Michael Wilmington CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"It's a small film, but a rewarding one. It's a studious, slow moving portrait that knows its subject and (courtesy of a sharp script by Hanson and Munich scribe Eric Roth) its destination -- paving the journey of a man built on compulsion to where he starts caring." Mark Palermo COAST "Lucky You makes the career of a pro poker player seem simultaneously alluring and pathetic; funny and grim; romantic and depressing." Phil Villarreal ARIZONA DAILY STAR Huck is played by Eric Bana, (Munich, Black Hawk Down) who is, I think, the most interesting young leading man around right now." Richard Schickel TIME MAGAZINE "Duvall does wonders with his underwritten supporting part, bringing wit to the gaming table." Dennis Schwartz OZUS' WORLD MOVIE REVIEWS "This is another in a growing line of good sports movies. Maybe poker isn’t a sport, but it’s a competitive game and a movie about it should fit into the sport genre. Everything about this movie is good, the script (Eric Roth & Curtis Hanson), the story (Roth), the directing (Hanson), the cinematography (Peter Deming), and the acting. Bana gives an exceptional performance as the young pro trying to make it in the shadow of his father, and Duvall gives one of his patented performances. This is a thoroughly enjoyable film that I hated to see end." Tony Medley TOLUCAN TIMES

The Inside Story "Lucky You", the latest film from writer/director/producer Curtis Hanson, screenplay "Lucky You" is set in the world of high-stakes poker in Las Vegas in 2003. A longtime poker player, Curtis wanted to do a film around the the game and the people it attracts. "I wanted to do a relationship story set in the world of poker because I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that the skills one must develop to be a good poker player are almost the exact opposite of the skills needed to be successful in a relationship," he said. "Deceit, or bluffing, which can destroy the trust needed for a successful personal relationship, is a big part of the game. There is also no collaborative spirit; it’s an individual sport. Poker players must be completely self-centered; they can’t have sympathy and win. They can’t worry about whether their opponent can afford a loss. By contrast, warm human relationships are based on caring, empathy, honesty and often putting the other person first. Because of this dichotomy, it seemed poker could be both a metaphor and a mirror for the different relationships in a story." In fact, screenwriter Eric Roth had already started writing Lucky You" long before the sport's popularity spiked. "I wanted to create something different about gamblers and gambling because I think all great gambling movies are love stories at heart, about winning and losing and finding your way." And why is it set in 2003. "We set the story in 2003 because that was the year the world of poker dramatically changed," notes Hanson. "Three things came together to make that happen. Internet poker was exploding, allowing amateur players from all over the world to hone their card skills online. The hole card camera was introduced that year, which made the game much more popular on television because it allowed the audience at home to see the players hole cards and learn about the nuances of betting and bluffing from the top pros. And it was the year an unknown amateur internet player named Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker." The central character in "Lucky You" is Huck Cheever played by Eric Bana. "Like Huck, Eric Bana is a blaster; he came at his part full out. During the rehearsal period, he not only worked on his scenes but immersed himself in learning the game of poker. He is a true chameleon. Unlike many actors who twist characters to fit their own personalities and characteristics, I think Eric looks at each part as an opportunity to truly become someone else," says Hanson. "Huck is haunted by his father’s reputation in the poker world," Bana comments. "We see his behavior change when L.C. is around. He’s a much more secure player when his father is not around and becomes a little hotheaded when L.C. is present. It definitely has an effect on him." Is Huck a born or made Poker player? "In a way, he was born to be a poker player, but he needs to sort out other elements in his life if he is going to take his game to the next level," Bana notes. Playing Huck's father is six time Academy Award ® nominee Robert Duval. "We wanted L.C. to be an almost iconic figure, so the choice of Robert Duvall to bring him to life was an easy one," states Hanson. "He brought all of his creative power to the role, beautifully establishing the essence of the man; fiercely competitive, tough and intimidating, both as a father and as a player." Duval admits didn’t know the difference between a flush and a straight when he was approached to play the role of a great poker champion. "I really didn’t know if I could do this part because there was so much to learn. But it was a very sophisticated script, very smart and very accurate, and Curtis is a talented director, so I thought it would be interesting. I wish I could have gotten the script six months earlier, though, because I almost had to decode it, but I did my research and now I understand the game. Somewhat." Producer Denise Di Novi notes that, "The father-son relationship was always important to the story, but once Robert Duvall was cast, it became even more meaningful because he’s such a brilliant actor and added so much dimension to it. To me, that aspect of the story is something every adult can relate to, because it’s about how you can’t really move on with your life and have a successful relationship until you deal with the baggage that you carry from your parents, which we all must do." Huck's life changes with the arrival of an aspiring young singer named Billie Offer. Billie is played by Drew Barrymore who made her feature film debut at the age of five as Margaret Jessup in the 1980 science fiction thriller "Altered States". "Billie is very much a person with traditional values who believes you have to work hard to make it," Barrymore offers. "But she thinks Las Vegas is the place for her because it’s where she can finally try to do the thing her heart wants most, which is to sing." How did she handle that? "I had to sing in this movie, which terrified me, but Curtis asked me to train as hard as I could so it could be me up there singing. Just the fact that he had that kind of faith in me meant the world to me, so I told him I would do whatever it took." Hanson testified to her commitment by saying, "She worked very hard, and I just love her for that." "Huck sees something in Billie that he hasn’t seen before in other women," Bana says. "I think that’s why he ultimately lowers his guard with her, which allows him to experience the first true relationship he’s probably ever known." Billie’s older sister Suzanne, is played by 2002 & 2003 Golden Satellite Award winner Debra Messing. "I think Suzanne sees that Billie has gotten to Huck, and there might actually be hope for something real for him. Curtis and I talked a lot about the differences between the two sisters. Billie is a romantic; she sees everything with hope and optimism, whereas Suzanne is a little more world-weary and a realist." Barrymore agrees. "I think Billie is definitely an optimist. She knows that heartbreak is inevitable in life, she’s experienced it before and may again. But she sees something in Huck that makes her willing to risk her heart again." One of the big plus's for "Lucky You" is that much of it feels very authentic. Much of the credit must go to two-time World Series of Poker Champion Doyle 'Texas Dolly' Brunson, an icon in the sport. How big an icon? Duval tells of what happened when the two men went to a Casino. "I went down with Doyle to the casino in Commerce, California, and almost nobody came up to me at all. I don’t even know if they recognized me. He was definitely the star when we walked in there." How did they then go about making Bana and Duval into such believable poker players. "Robert Duvall and Eric Bana trained for months in order to play side-by-side with the poker professionals who appear in the film. Their goal was not to become expert players, per se, but to be able to sit at the table and handle their cards and their chips like the experts," Hanson explained. "Robert also had the privilege of spending a considerable amount of time with Doyle Brunson. And while his character is not based on Doyle, it was certainly informed by Robert's experiences with him." Bana says he benefited from working with the poker pro's both on and off the set. "It lifted our game because it’s impossible for it not to rub off. For instance, a scene that might only be a minute onscreen could take us days to shoot, so that’s hours and hours sitting around with these guys, and all you’re doing between takes is talking poker. It definitely elevated my ability to sell my character as someone who knows his way around a poker table." To give Bana more 'sell' one of the game’s best chip handlers, Antonio Esfandiari taught Bana the three-chip hand manipulation that the actor can be seen using throughout the movie. Professional poker player Jason Lester, who finished fourth in the WSOP Main Event in 2003 explained, "There’s a big difference between tournament play and the high-stakes games. Poker tournament can go ten hours or more a day, but we play different hands. We don’t play the same hand for ten hours over and over." There was one bonus Bana enjoyed thanks to "Lucky You". The golf scenes. "You could have nicknamed me 'The Slicer'. But Curtis was very strict about it. 'You have to swing like you have a four handicap, so get to work.' So I did, and it really paid off. I don’t know how many free golf lessons I had, but it was a lot." "Eric not only had to learn to play poker, he also had to train to hit a golf ball like a player with a four handicap," says Hanson. "He did that very well, too. Every golf shot in the movie is his." The Verdict "There's a lot in "Lucky You" to keep you interested as long as you are interested in watching other people. People like Huck Cheever, an audacious young man who carries a dislike for his two time World Poker Champion dad L. C. Cheever; Telephone Jack who runs a dail-up 'help' line from a bar; Ready Eddie who'll bet on just about anything; Lester who's had breast implants so as to win a bet with Ready Eddie; Billie Offer, a young woman with far more enthusiasm for singing than she has talent; Suzanne, her sister who knows just how convincing Huck can be when it comes to money; Michelle Lewis, a character based on real life poker player Jennifer Harman, who in turn appears in the film as Shannon Kincaid and, some of the biggest real life professional poker players in the world. Evidently Bana and Duvall went through months of training with two time World Series of Poker Champion Doyle 'Texas Dolly' Brunson which probably accounts for the 'feel' generated when both are at the tables playing poker. "Lucky You" offers a real insight into not only the language of poker but how the big hands are won and lost. Well worth a look at if only to see Eric Bana and Robert Duvall giving two solid performances. Recommended. 3 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "LUCKY YOU" stars .......
2000 AFI (Australia) Award winner Eric Bana ["Black Hawk Down", "The Nugget", "Munich" and "Romulus, My Father"]; 1999 Saturn Best Actress Award winner Drew Barrymore ["Riding in Cars with Boys", "50 First Dates", "The Perfect Catch" and "Music and Lyrics"]; Emmy Award winner Debra Messing ["The Mothman Prophecies", "Along Came Polly" and "The Wedding Date"]; Robert Downey Jr ["Wonder Boys", "Gothika", "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and "Good Night, and Good Luck"]; 2004 Method Fest Audience Award winner Charles Martin Smith ["American Graffiti", "Starman" and "Here's to Life!"], Horatio Sanz ["Road Trip", "The New Guy" and "School for Scoundrels"] and Academy Award ®, BAFTA & Golden Globe Award winner Robert Duvall ["Deep Impact", "The 6th Day", "Kicking and Screaming" and "Thank You for Smoking"] as L.C. Cheever.
"LUCKY YOU" was .......
directed by 1997 Academy Award ® & AFI (Australia) Award winner; 1999 Blue Ribbon Award winner Curtis Hanson ["The River Wild", "L.A. Confidential", "Wonder Boys", "8 Mile" and "In Her Shoes"]; screenplay by 1995 Academy ® Award winner Eric Roth ["Forrest Gump", "The Horse Whisperer", "Ali", "Munich" and "The Good Shepherd"] and Curtis Hanson ["The Dunwich Horror", "The Silent Partner", "The Bedroom Window" and "L.A. Confidential"]; cinematography by Peter Deming ["Mystery, Alaska", "Mulholland Dr.", "Twisted" and "Rumor Has It"]; original music by Christopher Young ["Swordfish", "Runaway Jury", "The Grudge I & 2" and "Ghost Rider"]; production design by Clay A Griffith ["Dirty Dancing", "Sleepless in Seattle", "Se7en", "Jerry Maguire", "As Good as It Gets" and "Stuart Little"]; costume design by Michael Kaplan ["Se7en", "Panic Room", "Matchstick Men", "Mr & Mrs Smith" and "Miami Vice"]. Who's Who?

Eric Bana Drew Barrymore Debra Messing Robert Downey Jr Robert Duvall Phyllis Somerville Horatio Sanz

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Huck Cheever Billie Offer Suzanne Offer Telephone Jack L. C. Cheever Pawnbroker Ready Eddie

Run Time 118 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Warner Bros - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - Impact Internet Service & The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.