Just Your Luck (1996 Video) User Reviews (7)

The other, other Jon Faverau Vince Vaughn flick

[Zombie9000 · 5/10 · 31 July 2001]

This is a well written, well acted, and horribly photographed character play about a group of diner patrons who decide to split the winnings of a lottery ticket of a recently deceased man. Plot twists and double crosses abound in this rickety comedy.

Overall, this flick may be better appreciated as another chance to catch Jon Faverau and Vince Vaughn on screen together. Although they both have supporting roles (like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in "School Ties"), the fact that independent cinema's finest creative duo both star in this one, makes it even more worth a look.

Virginia Madsen movies—(1):Just Your Luck (1996)

[Cristi_Ciopron · 7/10 · 30 November 2007]

Just Your Luck (1996) is probably a filmed play, and not a bad one.The most thrilling thing for me was Virginia Madsen's role, as a heartless cynical femme ,but the movie is also quite interesting in itself. It is an anecdote, and a comedy of manners.The generic note is intensely grim, yet the satiric points amuse. The comic verve leaves enough room for the purely downcast perspective. The whole cast does a good job, and the various roles are of a pleasing diversity.

Well paced and managing well its several developments, Just Your Luck (1996) doesn't try to suggest it's something larger than it really is.

Satire about greed as the universal stuff of the lives, JYL is a quite intelligent and snappy treatment of such a theme,in conditions of budget austerity. On the other hand, the possible objections against such a movie are only those directed at all filmed plays.

Mrs. Madsen convinces us again that her thighs are the most beautiful in Hollywood.

Surprisingly entertaining

[CharltonBoy · 7/10 · 4 July 1999]

I wasn't expecting too much from this film as I could honestly say I hadn't heard of it before I saw it but I was pleasantly surprised. This film is entertaining quick paced full of one liners that are not always but more often than not, funny. Look out for the old mad woman , she steals the funny bits in the film . 7 out of 10.

Not A Must See, But I Saw It

[SKITO · 22 February 1999]

This movie was not so great, but it had a good plot. The characters were funny and well-thought and the suspense was riveting. The only problem, I thought, was the ending. I don't want to give it away, so I'll just say that it wasn't what I expected. It will probably be the same for you. I give it ** out of ****.

Somewhat offensive, not much humor

[inkblot11 · 23 July 2003]

Angela (Allana Ubach) works in a diner while attending college part-time. Many nights, when she is waitressing, the diner is host to several offbeat characters: a crazy lady, a lottery-loving grandpa, a horse racing gambler. One night, two scummy lawyers are also guests when the old man shouts that he's won the lotto. He's in such an excited state, however, that he soon flops over; apparently, he is dead. The diner's inhabitants fail to call 911. Instead, they seize the winning ticket and begin dreaming about the rich people they will soon be. What could go wrong? Plenty.

As a black comedy, this movie is markedly unfunny. The greedy characters stop at nothing in their pursuit of monetary happiness, letting darker, criminal elements take over. This makes for a salty dialogue and plot elements that the average viewer may find a bit offensive. Humor could have softened the impact but is not available. Although some of the characters are genuinely likeable, they are too few in number. Recommended for fans of black comedies with low expectations and strong stomachs.

a great film, it's diner meets pulp fiction in a very entertaining flick.

[mbs · 8 March 1999]

i must say that i thought that this was a great movie. yes the ending was a problem but if you see it more than once like a couple of times the way i have you'll see the end fits in perfectly with the rest of the story even though it is a very downbeat ending, that's all i will say about the ending. I am glad more and more people seem to be checking out this movie for it is a great movie. the characters are likable precisly because their doing unlikable things. in that sense it's like seinfeld. i hope the writer director gets another shot at making a movie because this was very good . ok the plot was not incredibly original but elements of it were for instance one of the best things about it was the way the movie is set in an all night diner. that was a good and original idea i must say. i will honestly never be in another diner again without thinking of this movie immediately. the actors are all uniformly good. I really liked Jon Polito (using a very nice and effective fake accent) as the immigrant cook who is only concerned with running a restaurant. Sean patrick flannery is good also here being the center breakput star of the film after being a supporting character in many other films. this film is again filled with familiar faces. alanah ubach is the young waitress, ernie hudson (yes winston the ghostbuster) is in it as well as rising star vince vaughn in a very early role. john Faveru also a very small part and virginia madsen (survivor of many bad movies) is on hand as well. John lurie and Flea two different musicians turned actors show up towards the end there's mike starr as a cop (a role he could play in his sleep.) and lastly there's bill erwin who's been in so many things just his face is enough to send shivers of recognition up your back. and then there's caroll baker who i never heard of before.

so as i was saying this is a cast of mostly rising stars (some falling ones as well) trying to earn a paycheck. The result is a very good movie. I highly enjoyed it but you can't help thinking it could have been better. The ending is not a copout and the whole movie is covered in a taratinoish vibe. but the whole diner thing is beautiful. It's diner meets pulp fiction meets a simple plan. however blended together these elements -the plots the actors the characters you have a highly entertaining movie which will leave you with something to think about at the end, which is more then i can say for a lot of other films out there. Rent this film and you will see why i like it a lot even though it is like some other movies you probably have seen. The box by the way labels it as a comedy but its not really a comedy so much as a drama. there are some laughs but not many. it's a great movie to see when you are upset or angry, when you hate the rest of the world.

it will stand the test of time as one of the best of the post-taratino crime films with an atmosphere all its own. congratulations to gary auerbach the writer director for doing so.

I hope more people get around to seeing it, "PIES FRIES ICE CREAM COKE IS NO JOKE" "IS NICE"

Radix malorum est cupiditas, wrote Chaucer, and the losers in this black comedy prove it

[dave-473 · 31 March 1999]

"Radix malorum est cupiditas," wrote Chaucer in the"Pardoner's Tale," "greed is the root of evil." In this black comedy the greedy end up just as justly punished as in his story. Five law-abiding people--two lawyers out on a date, a baker, a diner owner, and his waitress--have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to become millionaires when an old man in the diner collapses and dies while brandishing his winning lottery ticket. Instead of calling an ambulance and seeing to it that the ticket goes to his next of kin, they scheme to keep it themselves. This sets in motion a chain of events, some funny, some tragic, which, unfortunately, are not paced with the necessary skill. The movie drags, and would have benefited from cutting and better editing. Nevertheless, it's often quite engaging, with interesting work by Virginia Madsen and Sean Patrick Flanery as scum-sucking lawyers. Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau from "Swingers" have supporting roles. Worth a look, but you may find yourself fast-forwarding in spots.