"LUCKY YOU" (2007) (Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Minor Heavy Minor Mild Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None None None *Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Minor Moderate Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Drama: A lounge singer gets caught up in the life of a compulsive professional gambler as he tries to win money to enter a lucrative poker tournament. PLOT: It's 2003, and Huck Cheever (ERIC BANA) is an expert professional gambler, able to read and bluff most anyone. However, his main problem -- which constantly leaves him broke -- is that he lets his ego get in the way and prefers to steamroll over his opponents, a tactic that obviously doesn't always work. It turns out his biggest external nemesis is his own father, L.C. Cheever (ROBERT DUVALL), another compulsive but much more successful professional gambler who's twice won the World Series of Poker tournament. Needing $10,000 to enter this year's challenge, Huck can't bring himself to ask his estranged father for the entry fee, and he isn't sure if Vegas local Roy Durucher (CHARLES MARTIN SMITH) will loan him the money. Accordingly, he hocks his roommate's digital camera, takes the money, and builds up his winnings. Unfortunately, his style of play repeatedly undermines his efforts, once again leaving him without cash. Enter Billie Offer (DREW BARRYMORE), a recent transplant from California who's arrived in town and landed a job singing in a local club. Her sister, Suzanne (DEBRA MESSING), knows Huck all too well, but despite her warnings, Billie finds herself drawn to him. Of course, he just sees her as another possible source of betting money, all of which puts a strain on their budding relationship. With the clock counting down toward the tournament's entry deadline, Huck does what he must to get in, with everyone hoping perhaps he's learned a thing or two and thus might change his ways. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're fans of someone in the cast or poker (playing or watching it on TV), they might, but most kids will probably otherwise give this one a pass. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some language and sexual humor. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ERIC BANA plays a professional gambler who's good at what he does, but always lets his ego and impatient approach ruin his chance of keeping any of his winnings. Living in a mostly empty house (everything presumably hocked for gambling money), he doesn't get along with his main rival, his father, and nearly ruins his chances with Billie by "borrowing" her money for gambling after sleeping with her. He uses some profanity and briefly drinks. DREW BARRYMORE plays a young woman who's new to town, has landed a job as a lounge singer, and ends up involved with Huck. She sleeps with him once (after having just met him), but becomes increasingly upset with his behavior and mindset. ROBERT DUVALL plays Huck's father, a two-time champion of the tournament who alternates between trying to help his adult son and getting in one dig after another at him, mainly by defeating him at his passion. DEBRA MESSING plays Billie's sister who knows Huck and tries to convince her she shouldn't get involved with him. CHARLES MARTIN SMITH plays a high-rolling casino regular who loans Huck the entry fee but then sends his goons to rough him up when he hears the gambler already lost the money. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a brief summary of the content found in this drama that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of a partial use of the "f" word as well as a slang term for a female body part, while other expletives (including several "s" words) and colorful phrases are also uttered. A couple has sex off-camera (they're seen in bed under the sheets afterwards, and a sexually related comment is later made about that encounter), while a brief running gag features a man with a female bust (always clothed) from losing a bet about getting female breast implants. Two goons throw a man and his lounge chair into a drained pool where he lands hard and scrapes his face. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while a father and adult son have an estranged and antagonistic relationship. Some of the behavior on display (notably the gambling related material) might be enticing for some kids to imitate, while some mostly background smoking and drinking also occur. Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Miscellaneous people drink (cocktails and beer) in a casino. Huck has a beer, as do miscellaneous people. Miscellaneous people have drinks. We see a sign that reads "Ice Cold Beer." We see an unclaimed beer bottle in a bathroom. Miscellaneous people drink in a bar. BLOOD/GORE We see a large bruise/scrape on Huck's face after some goons toss him into a drained pool. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Those concerned about gambling should note that's the main topic and activity in the film. Huck obviously doesn't get along with his father, even making a snide remark about his hair (or hairpiece). Their antagonism continues for most of the film. A friend of Huck's runs a multi-vocation hotline using various cell phones for each, where he juggles various calls all at once, putting most on hold as they blather on about some issue or problem they're having (while he tries to act professional and thus fool them into spending their money with him). We learn that Huck hocked his roommate's digital camera at the pawnshop. After having sex with Billie and then as she sleeps, Huck takes her money to gamble, without her knowledge or permission. About a slow poker dealer, a gambler sarcastically asks, "Jesus, old man, where'd you learn to count?" Huck is mad at Billie when she won't cheat for him by saying he won a bet in a certain preset amount of time, when he was really two seconds over that. Roy loans Huck $10,000 for the tournament, but when he gets wind that Huck has already lost the money, he sends two goons over to pay Huck a visit. They then pick up him in his lounge chair and toss both into his drained pool, meaning he lands hard on the concrete floor (and we see a large scrape/bruise on his face from that). One player in the tournament has a bad attitude and won't shake a loser's hand when he extends it. FRIGHTENING SCENES Roy loans Huck $10,000 for the tournament, but when he gets wind that Huck has already lost the money, he sends two goons over to pay Huck a visit. They then pick up him in his lounge chair and toss both into his drained pool, meaning he lands hard on the concrete floor (and we see a large scrape/bruise on his face from that). GUNS/WEAPONS We see various guns on the wall of a pawnshop. Security guards carry shotguns as they escort the winning money for the tournament. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "If you want sympathy, you'll find it somewhere between sh*t and syphilis in the dictionary," "And you called me with this sh*t?" "Screw it," "Sunshine" (for a man), "You son of a bitch," "Too bad huckleberry," "That's a sucker bet," "A bunch of computer geeks," "You're a sick pony (puppy)," "That takes balls," "Jesus, old man, where'd you learn to count?" "Guess you won't need to press your dress yet, Cinderella," and "You're toast." The gambling (and hocking of items at a pawnshop to get money to gamble) might be enticing for some kids to copy. A friend of Huck's runs a multi-vocation hotline using various cell phones for each, where he juggles various calls all at once, putting most on hold as they blather on about some issue or problem they're having (while he tries to act professional and thus fool them into spending their money with him). A man bets Huck he can get from one side of the room to the other without his feet touching the floor. He then proceeds to jump on a chair and use that to hop across the room. To try to win $10,000, Huck agrees to a bet where he must run several miles and play 18 holes of golf in a certain amount of time without going over a certain score (meaning he hits the ball and then runs, etc.). JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) None. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 1 incomplete "f" word, 3 "s" words, 1 slang term for female genitals ("pud"), 2 damns, 1 S.O.B. and 2 uses of "Jesus." SEX/NUDITY We see brief, miscellaneous cleavage. We see a shirtless man playing indoor volleyball. Billie shows some cleavage. We see a man with obvious female breasts under his shirt, and Huck explains that guy lost a bet and thus had to get breast implants (we see a side view of that man's chest in the foreground of the shot as Billie stares at it). Billie shows lots of leg (and upper thigh) as she hikes up her dress to straddle and then ride Huck's motorcycle seated behind him. Huck and Billie passionately kiss and the light goes out in his room. Sex is implied as we see them in bed later, under the covers (we see his bare chest, but only her bare shoulders and up). Later, and mad that he took her money (as she slept) to gamble, she says he knew she had such money and thus thought, "Why not get some pud out of it at the same time?" A woman shows a little cleavage. Billie shows a little cleavage, and she and Huck passionately kiss while clothed and standing. SMOKING A few miscellaneous/background characters smoke in a few scenes. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Huck obviously doesn't get along with his father, even making a snide remark about his hair (or hairpiece). Their antagonism continues for most of the film. We hear that Huck won his mother's ring from his father. A friend of Huck's states his wife took the kids and moved out (indicating it's not the first time, but he thinks it's for real this time). We hear that Billie's mom died the previous year. L.C. tells Huck his mother forgave him (L.C., for leaving her and taking her money in the past) and wonders why he (Huck) can't do the same. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Those concerned about gambling should note that's the main topic and activity in the film. Professional poker. People with compulsive disorders. Billie sleeping with Huck after having just met him. The comment that sometimes nothing is everything (in gambling, meaning bluffing). We see a man with obvious female breasts under his shirt, and Huck explains that guy lost a bet and thus had to get breast implants. Billie's comment that everyone's just trying not to be lonely. The advice of don't chase what you can't catch. The advice of don't let your ego get involved (in gambling). Huck's comment that poker is competition in the purest sense where everyone is equal at the onset. VIOLENCE Roy loans Huck $10,000 for the tournament, but when he gets wind that Huck has already lost the money, he sends two goons over to pay Huck a visit. They then pick up him in his lounge chair and toss both into his drained pool, meaning he lands hard on the concrete floor (and we see a large scrape/bruise on his face from that). Reviewed May 2, 2007 / Posted May 4, 2007

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