JUST MY LUCK
US, 2006, 103 minutes, Colour.
Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine, Samaire Armstrong.
Directed by Donald Petrie.
A pleasant movie for Lindsay Lohan fans – others might find it a bit trying. The niche market is teenage girls.
Lindsay Lohan has had a screen career so far in playing doubles. She played the twins in the re-make of The Parent Trap. She played daughter and mother-as-daughter in the remake of Freaky Friday. She played nice and then mean in Mean Girls. She maintains this little tradition in Just My Luck. At first, she is supremely lucky. Everything goes right for her, everything she wishes. Then she kisses a young man at a business party she has organised (perfectly!) and her luck transfers to him. She then plays unlucky (accident prone, often drenched, continuous pratfalls).
The young man (Chris Pine) could certainly do with some luck. He is a kind of janitor at a bowling club but also a would-be producer for a young British boy band (the actual band McFly).
Lindsay then spends a lot of time with her girlfriends trying to find the man she kissed to get her luck back. There are tongue-in-cheek fortune tellers. A whole lot about superstition. But, ultimately, we realise we are to take responsibility and make our own luck – and not be selfish about it.
1. A slight romantic comedy? A variation on the reverse roles type of comedy? The niche audience – younger?
2. The American city settings, offices for executives, music producers? The contrast with ordinary life, working hard for promotions?
3. The plausibility of the plot – a kind of fairytale, with a moral?
4. The portrait of Ashley, her name “Albright”, Lindsay Lohan in the role, having complete luck and fortune? Examples of her good luck? In the elevator, the music producer? Scratching lottery tickets…? With her friends, Maggie and Dana? The commission to organise the party? Its working perfectly?
5. Jake, age and experience, music promotion, his ordinary life, not being able to approach the big-time producers? His decision to go to the party? Gatecrash?
6. The party, Ashley and her success, seeing Jake, the touch of mean motivation? Dancing with him, the attraction, the kiss?
7. The kiss causing the reversal of roles, Jake getting all the luck, Ashley losing hers? The consequences? Ashley and all her discomfort? Getting her friends to find Jake, becoming desperate? The complete change of her life and style?
8. Jake, getting all the luck, the different examples, his work, the music group, McFly?
9. The couple getting together, Ashley realising she was in love, the dilemma about her luck and power and keeping it? The comic moments, pratfalls, farcical moments?
10. Love, the final decision, giving all the luck to a little girl – who might grow up to be another Ashley? Or not?
