The Lottery

Being an English teacher, my students read the Shirley Jackson short story. I thought this was a good updated, adaptation of the story. Since it was a made for tv movie, I knew that it would not be too gruesome. I don't know that I would classify this as true horror, maybe more like mystery.

This film is based on the disturbing short story by Shirley Jackson; I was horrified by the short story and as I was watching it the story seemed familiar. It does a great job depicting the atmosphere of the creepy small town, and accomplishes its main goals, which I think are to tell Jackson's story with a modern twist and scare the audience, make them think. It's definitely a different kind of horror film, one that makes you wonder and search your mind for answers to why they did what they did.

There are some things in this world that are tied very exclusively to one time period, and though their essence is eternal, there is a need, sometimes, to bring subtle changes to the details in order to allow other generations to share in their merit. Unfortunately for the film version, 'The Lottery' is not one of these. The original short story by Shirley Jackson is the perfect encapsulation of every interesting facet the story had to offer. it beautifully and subtly creates tension and then shocking horror, and makes us question ourselves and the things we hold to be normal. It does all this in a few scant pages.

The movie drags on and on for about an hour and a half, and the payoff is exactly the same. Along the way you have to sit through mercilessly lame acting and flat, dull characters. The idea that the town has a mysterious secret is introduced almost immediately, but the film's final climax is where everything is revealed. Simple enough, but it unfortunately means that through the vast bulk of the movie, the same theme is repeated over and over. Jason comes to a situation that seems mysterious. But the townies won't tell him what's going on! Even if it were well acted, even if the subplots were remotely engaging, there just isn't any way to get around the tedious repetition. And folks, the acting is not good. And the subplots are just corny as all hell. Keri Russel in particular seems unfathomably cast. She stands out as totally inappropriate for the role of a small-town girl with her modern vernacular and of course her suspiciously flawless tan. Most of the other character actors just play the predictable role of "belligerent small town sheriff" and the like. Nothing to see here. The film particularly produces groans with it's implausible romance -replete with an exploding car, natch - and absurdly vague expository dialog.

As for the end, its executed with appropriate style. But the wait it takes to get there just isn't justified. All and all, the film can't get past the troublesome point that there just isn't enough there to fill an hour and a half. Read the short story instead, its impact is at least as potent. And considerably more eloquent as well.

This is a good movie. throughout the whole movie you know something really weird is going to happen. There's just this feeling. Unbelievable ending. If you get a chance, watch it.

By all means, read Shirley Jackson's original short story; it gets down to business without the padding this film adds to it.

To all who think that the ending is sick and pointless, that was Ms. Jackson's intention exactly -- the original story is an allegory about the cruelty man inflicts upon his neighbor in the name of upholding "tradition". Ms. Jackson's story is much more affecting than this film.