Lucky

I have known for some time that a terribly high percentage of lottery jackpot winners spend themselves into bankruptcy and I thought this was the focus of this film. But, it isn't exactly about that. I have known that some lottery winners give away a lot of their winnings and try to do good with their largess. But, it isn't exactly about that. I have also known that some people, despite winning, don't change much at all. But, it isn't exactly about that. So what IS the film about? Well, it's about all of that and a lot more...and that is the reason this is not a great documentary. There just isn't a lot of focus to "Lucky" and it frustrated me as well as my oldest daughter who watched the film with me. As a result, while various vignettes are interesting, I don't think the film has a huge amount of depth. It's not bad...but is that a glowing endorsement?

My favorite things about this film was the quote "Winning the lottery is like throwing Miracle-Gro on your character" as well as some of the DVD extras.

Fascinating documentary about lottery winners and the different paths their lives took after the win. There is also some neat lottery trivia.

The movie focuses on several winners: a married couple, a math teacher, a man who has lost his parents and given up on life, a firefighter, and a Vietnamese couple. There is also a story about a woman who spends lots of money weekly, has hit the numbers a few times, but is waiting for the big one.

The most interesting part to me was the loss of identity that some of these people felt when they no longer were working and their friends felt they had nothing in common with them anymore. The second-most interesting and heartwarming thing was how much joy giving money to charity, helping their families, and setting up foundations gave them. I found the story of the Vietnamese family especially wonderful.

There is one sad story in the documentary that is a good illustration of the flip side of lottery winning and how not everyone is cut out to be a multi-millionaire. "The lottery changes lives," one man says -- and he means not only for the winners but those whom they are able to help. But in some cases, the change is not for the better.

One type of documentary I've always wanted to see get made would be a person who goes around different states, playing different state lottery tickets (by this I mean scratch-offs), and trying his luck and attempting to win big. Along the way, interviews with gas stations attendants, lottery players, and maybe even a history lesson of the gambling game itself.

But due to the sketchy concept, and the limited market, my fantasy will have to remain one for a little while longer. For now, the documentary Lucky focuses on multiple lottery winners who have won prizes from $5.5 million to over one-hundred million. The film talks to these people one on one, and sometimes, it goes to people who just play the lottery for the excitement and anticipation that one day they will walk away richer than ever.

The concept is executed well, but not well enough here. It seems the film only wanted to center around the positive aspects of the game. Never do we really get into the desperation, the fear, and sometimes even the suicides that have happened because of the sudden change from rags to riches. Many have almost been killed because of the game. It's a dangerous thing to win the lottery whether it brings blessing or frustration.

Another aggravating thing about Lucky is that some people that the filmmakers chose to interview are the biggest Christians in the book. Nothing annoys me more than people who can't credit themselves for something good that happened, but credit God as if He himself walked into a 7/11 or a Phillips 66 and played the numbers. It's people like this that are literally simple-minded - regardless of their beliefs. Bottom line; practice your religion to your liking, but when something good happens to you that you made the effort to do, don't thank God, thank yourself.

Aside from that, Lucky is engaging, informative, and interesting. All without being pushy or a work of propaganda. While it does shade them some things and push others out of the spotlight, the topics it covers, like the rags to riches life of a few people in this film, are made with true outlook and sympathy. At no point does this documentary share its own views. It's not-biased, wholly original, incredibly entertaining, and lacking any remote point of view.

Jeffrey Blitz, director of Spellbound, gives the lottery the spelling bee treatment by showing you the reality of it. When we see the spelling bee on TV, or the lottery at the store, many of us don't turn to notice it. We simply ignore it. Lucky doesn't persuade or force you to know everything - it just wants you to be aware of the situation upon us. It doesn't tell you what to believe or support, it leaves that part up to you. A formula far too many political documentaries don't practice.

Starring: Steve Ledoux. Directed by: Jeffrey Blitz.

I enjoy watching these types of shows. I am always amazed at how people can change from realistic everyday human beings with hopes and dreams into people with really nothing to look forward to.I read once that 85% of all suicides were wealthy; I really don't believe that though.Lucky shows a small smattering of winners, and doesn't really show the tragedies that have occurred as a result of winning; The families that hired hit men to kill the person who won, the people driven crazy by demands from strangers for money and threats to murder you if you don't help. Hiring guards for your children to protect them from kidnappers. All of this was shown or mentioned in Lucky in a small way. When people win they all say I'm happy in my job and happy where I live and have no intention of changing. Then your friends and coworkers have nothing else to talk about but your winning. The lady who won the biggest prize in Lucky said it all. "After awhile you find that you no longer have anything in common with your friends and neighbors. Her husband had someone say to him that they got sick every time they saw him and felt that they should have won the money. The only joy is helping someone in need, or a good charitable cause. I would have liked to have seen the woman in Florida who won a pretty big prize,(I think 53 million) who set up a charitable foundation that paid her a salary of 350 thousand a year. She said that was more than she needed. The poor woman on fixed income who spent a good portion of it on lottery tickets, is I think representative of a majority of players. She prayed to God even though she said He doesn't like as she correctly referred to it as "gambling". Near the end of the show a statistic was given that said people were now spending 68 billion dollars a year on this, but called it as Vegas does "Entertainment" not gambling. I told my wife years ago that someday I would win the Lottery and she asked what we would do with the money; I responded "WE" After I win there's no more we. Thats another pretty common result of couples winning. The saddest is the people who mishandle it and wind up owing money, like the guy who won the 16 million and wound up having to sell the 12,000 pairs of the same pants he bought. If you watch it again take a look at how unhappy the couple who won the biggest prize looks. Quang a Vietnamese immigrant was the only redeeming quality of this film. Watch it just to see this very humble man help his family here and his big extended family in Vietnam.

This documentary is not about 'god' or how 'Lucky' these select few are. It is however, a documentary which displays the transformations that people go through.

From the beginning we are introduced to five very dynamic characters who all come from different walks of lives. A Vietnamese Immigrant who works day in and day out to provide for his children, A traditional conservative American family who value no change, A unwell retired man, A huffy looking middle aged man, and of course the average American citizen who lives power ball.

'Lucky' than takes us through the lives of each and every one of these people. Showing us what values and beliefs each person who won had. Some wanted little change, a lot, to win, and to even give it all back and wish for it to never have happened.

We are than fast forwarded a year. We witness how people change through money. And we are left comparing each and every one of these peoples lives. Wondering which category we would fit in. 'Lucky' shows us all the possible roads we may take if winning the lottery or not winning at all. The values and beliefs we may take upon. Whether that be family, greed, self worth, and maybe not changing at all.