Lucky You (film)

Lucky You

Company type	Film
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	2007
Founder	Curtis Hanson, Eric Roth
Headquarters	Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California , United States
Products	Film

Lucky You is a 2007 American drama directed by Curtis Hanson, featuring performances by Eric Bana, Drew Barrymore, and Robert Duvall. Shot on location in the Las Vegas area, the screenplay, co-written by Hanson and Eric Roth, takes partial inspiration from George Stevens' 1970 movie The Only Game in Town.

Plot

Set in 2003, the story follows Huck Cheever, a skilled young poker player based in Las Vegas who struggles with a complicated relationship with his father, L.C. Cheever, a two-time World Series of Poker Champion. Huck requires $10,000 to participate in the WSOP Main Event.

After a successful evening playing poker at the Bellagio, Huck encounters Billie Offer, an aspiring vocalist. Despite cautionary advice from Billie's sister Suzanne regarding Huck’s reliability, Huck’s poker ambitions face disruption when L.C. returns from the South of France and challenges him to a high-stakes heads-up poker match.

Loan shark Roy Durucher proposes to bankroll Huck’s $10,000 buy-in for the Main Event with a 60/40 profit split, but Huck declines. Unable to secure funding elsewhere, Huck reconnects with Billie, who has recently secured a singing engagement. Their relationship deepens even as Huck secretly takes money from her purse.

Huck tries to qualify for the Main Event via a "super satellite" tournament but loses his chance due to a misdeal. Subsequently, Roy agrees to back Huck and advances additional funds to repay Billie. However, L.C. quickly wins all of Huck’s stake money during an impromptu game of guts.

Under pressure from Roy’s enforcers to repay $11,200 or qualify for WSOP within two days, Huck sells his late mother’s wedding ring back to L.C., then wins $10,000 playing poker overnight. He travels to Bakersfield to make amends with Billie before heading into the WSOP.

At the final table, both Huck and L.C. reach the last nine contenders. Huck intentionally folds a winning hand and finishes third; L.C. places second after being "rivered" by Jason Keyes, an online satellite qualifier—an homage to Chris Moneymaker's 2003 victory.

Post-tournament, L.C. invites Huck to a rematch playing for pennies and nickels, symbolizing their mended relationship alongside Huck’s renewed connection with Billie.

Poker players

The movie includes appearances by several professional poker players such as:

Additionally, three professionals portray fictional roles:

• Jennifer Harman as Shannon Kincaid
• John Hennigan as Ralph Kaczynski
• David Oppenheim as Josh Cohen

World Series of Poker

Features cameos from host Jack Binion and tournament director Matt Savage.

Production

Director Curtis Hanson collaborated with producer Carol Fenelon—an avid poker player—to develop the film. Hanson highlighted the contrast between poker proficiency and personal character traits, focusing on the emotional layers underpinning the narrative.

Eric Bana was cast in September 2004, followed by Drew Barrymore in January 2005 and Debra Messing in February 2005. Renowned poker player Doyle Brunson acted as consultant, coaching Bana and Robert Duvall to convincingly embody professional players. Additional expertise on tournament sequences was provided by Matt Savage and Jason Lester.

Principal filming commenced on March 28, 2005, primarily around Las Vegas, Nevada. Key settings included Dino's Lounge parking lot on South Las Vegas Boulevard; interior bar scenes were shot on a soundstage in Los Angeles. Other Las Vegas locations featured the Bellagio fountains, Binion's Gambling Hall, Jockey Club timeshare property, Bear's Best Golf Club in Summerlin, and Tiffany's Cafe inside White Cross Drugs. Filming also took place at Silverton Casino Lodge’s aquatic tank—where a mermaid scene with Debra Messing was ultimately removed—and at the still-under-construction Cosmopolitan resort.

To preserve authenticity after renovations altered Bellagio’s original poker room since 2003, filmmakers reconstructed it on a Los Angeles soundstage using auctioned furniture from the original venue. Similarly, a replica of Binion's Gambling Hall gaming room was built for shooting.

Filming concluded in Las Vegas by early May 2005 before continuing for several months in California.

Music

The soundtrack for Lucky You was issued by Columbia Records on April 24, 2007, and was made available in both audio CD and cassette formats.

The song "Huck's Tune" was composed expressly for the movie and was later featured on Bob Dylan's compilation album The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989–2006.

Release

Initially planned for a December 16, 2005 debut, the film experienced several postponements and alterations to its release schedule. These changes were prompted by Warner Bros. demanding numerous edits following unfavorable test audience reactions. The movie eventually premiered on May 4, 2007.

Reception

Launching on the same weekend as Spider-Man 3, the film opened with $2.7 million in box office revenue, registering the lowest widely released opening week since 1982. Its total global earnings concluded at $8.38 million during its theatrical run.

From a critical standpoint, the movie was met with largely negative feedback, holding a 28% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes derived from 141 critiques. The general consensus remarked that despite its attempt to fuse romance with intense poker drama, it failed to deliver effectively. Critics frequently pointed to issues with the film’s pacing and poker sequences. The New York Times' reviewer A.O. Scott described it as "sometimes dull and generally thin," while recognizing its modest scope as a smaller production featuring notable talent. According to IGN, the romantic storyline lacked credibility, with the film proving more compelling as a narrative centered on the father-son relationship.

Eric Bana received a nomination for the Australian Film Institute International Award for Best Actor.

See also

• List of films set in Las Vegas