The lottery trick movie refers to the 2006 American drama film The Lottery Ticket. It was directed by Erik White and stars Bow Wow, Brandon T. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Keith David, Charlie Murphy, Loretta Devine, and Ice Cube. The film follows a young man living in the projects who wins a $370 million lottery jackpot, but then loses the winning ticket before he can claim the prize money.
What is the plot of The Lottery Ticket?
The main character, Kevin Carson (Bow Wow), is a young man living in the projects who works at a foot locker store. He dreams of getting rich and moving out of the projects with his girlfriend, Stacie (Naturi Naughton). One day, Kevin buys a lottery ticket with numbers based on the birthdates of his friends and neighbors. Incredibly, Kevin’s lottery ticket ends up winning the $370 million jackpot.
However, Kevin accidentally washes the lottery ticket in his pants pocket. He desperately tries to retrieve the now unreadable, ruined ticket while also dealing with the many friends and neighbors who now want a cut of his winnings. He seeks help from his colorful neighbors, including the religious Mrs. Jackson (Loretta Devine), the loan shark Sweet Tee (Keith David), and local hustler Benny (Charlie Murphy).
As word spreads about Kevin’s winning ticket, his greedy landlord (Ice Cube) threatens eviction unless Kevin pays six months’ rent in advance. The landlord also refuses to let Kevin search the building’s trash for his washed ticket. Meanwhile, Kevin’s best friend Benny (Brandon T. Jackson) finds old unused lottery tickets in the dumpster and tries to cash them in hopes of tricking the lottery commission.
In a race against time, Kevin and Benny must find the winning ticket before the lottery claim deadline passes in just a few days. The mystery builds as Kevin tries to remember the ticket’s serial number, searches every nook and cranny for the ticket, and even drains the sewers looking for the ticket.
How does The Lottery Ticket end?
In the film’s climax, the lottery deadline is up but Kevin still hasn’t found the original winning ticket. Just as all hope seems lost, one of Kevin’s elderly neighbors reveals she stumbled across the washed lottery ticket while cleaning and kept it safe for him!
Kevin and his neighbors excitedly go claim the $370 million jackpot. In a poetic twist, the lottery commission grants Kevin’s huge winnings on the date of his late grandmother’s birthday. Kevin decides to use his new fortune to move his grandmother’s entire church to a new building, fulfilling her lifelong dream.
The film ends happily with Kevin, his girlfriend Stacie, Benny, and the rest of the neighborhood celebrating their good luck. Despite the obstacles, Kevin never lost hope and his persistence paid off with his big lottery win.
What is the significance of the washed lottery ticket?
The washed, ruined lottery ticket that Kevin accidentally runs through the laundry is the film’s key plot device. For most of the story, neither Kevin nor the audience knows if the washed ticket will even be redeemable by the lottery commission. This creates suspense and uncertainty.
The damaged ticket also makes it impossible for Kevin or his greedy neighbors to simply cash in the prize winnings right away. This builds comedic tension as Kevin tries to recall the ticket’s serial number from memory. He knows he won but can’t prove it without the physical ticket.
Searching for the washed lottery ticket gives Kevin a clear external goal to focus his efforts on throughout the film. It also allows the story to explore how greed affects Kevin’s community after word spreads of his jackpot win.
Ultimately, the washed ticket being restored in the end provides an uplifting resolution. It represents overcoming obstacles through faith, persistence, and community support to make a dream come true.
Where did the lottery ticket characters get their inspiration?
The main characters in The Lottery Ticket represent broad archetypes commonly found in urban fiction and films:
- Kevin is the ambitious, big-dreaming young man trying to better his life and help his loved ones.
- Stacie is the devoted girlfriend who sticks by Kevin through thick and thin.
- Benny is the goofy best friend who means well but often makes situations worse.
- Sweet Tee is the intimidating neighborhood loan shark.
- Mrs. Jackson is the religious, spiritual elder of the community.
- The landlord represents greed and uncaring capitalism.
These common character types allow the story to feel familiar while highlighting how adversity often brings out the best and worst in a community. Viewers can put themselves in Kevin’s shoes and imagine how they’d react to instant wealth.
What makes The Lottery Ticket unique?
While The Lottery Ticket employs familiar character types and themes, it stands out in several ways:
- It focuses on a predominantly African-American cast and urban setting that’s rarely the focus of major Hollywood films.
- The lighthearted, humorous tone provides an escapist fantasy for viewers to enjoy.
- Implicit social commentary on how money corrupts and the cycle of poverty adds depth.
- A relatable, working-class main character makes it easy to root for Kevin’s success.
- The uplifting ending provides catharsis after Kevin faces numerous obstacles.
Director Erik White stated his goal was to make an accessible film where African-American viewers could see representations of themselves as the heroes on screen. The Lottery Ticket achieved this goal and offered a thoughtful, funny take on the lottery fantasy story.
How did critics respond to The Lottery Ticket?
The Lottery Ticket received mixed but generally positive reviews upon its release in 2010. It currently holds a 48% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics often praised the film’s humor and performances while critiquing its predictable plot.
Many reviews highlighted Bow Wow’s charismatic performance as Kevin and his chemistry with Brandon T. Jackson as Benny. Supporting cast members Keith David, Charlie Murphy, Loretta Devine and Ice Cube were also singled out for solid comedic work.
Multiple critics described the film as formulaic but still entertaining, uplifting, and fun. Some reviews criticized the excessive product placement and predictable story but admitted the cast’s energy made it enjoyable.
While not a critical breakthrough, reviews indicated The Lottery Ticket achieved its goals to provide an accessible, feel-good rags-to-riches story for African-American audiences.
Positive Critic Reviews
Peter Debruge – Variety: “Though formulaic, this lighter-than-air urban fantasy sports a top-notch cast.”
Roger Moore – Orlando Sentinel: “Cornball setups and a winner of a cast make The Lottery Ticket a rich comedy.”
Mixed/Negative Critic Reviews
Jeannette Catsoulis – New York Times: “Formulaic yet pleasant, The Lottery Ticket is buoyed by a cast that outshines the material.”
Elizabeth Weitzman – New York Daily News: “Poorly plotted but filled with engaging performers, The Lottery Ticket provokes benevolent smirks more often than belly laughs.”
How did audiences respond to The Lottery Ticket?
While critics were mixed, audiences responded very positively to The Lottery Ticket. It scored an A grade from audiences polled by CinemaScore. It ultimately earned $24.7 million at the box office against a $17 million budget, making it a moderate financial success.
Many viewers praised the movie as a funescape from reality with likable characters and laughs. Fans on Reddit and blogs have cited Benny and the supporting cast as highlights along with the satisfying underdog story.
Some audience complaints focused on the Product placement being too blatant at times. There were also criticsm that the plot was overly predictable and formulaic. However, most average viewers overlooked these flaws and enjoyed the humor and fantasy wish-fulfillment of the premise.
The Lottery Ticket seems to have succeeded in its goal of providing an accessible, feel-good rags-to-riches story featuring a predominantly African-American cast. Mainstream audiences responded to these elements even if critics were more measured in their reactions.
Why is a lottery win such a common movie fantasy?
The lottery jackpot fantasy portrayed in The Lottery Ticket has proven a popular premise across countless films because it allows everyday viewers to imagine themselves in the protagonist’s shoes in an escapist way. The fantasy ticks several boxes:
- It represents wish fulfillment and instant gratification. Escaping poverty overnight is a common dream.
- It opens storytelling possibilities around sudden wealth and greed corrupting.
- The odds against winning create natural suspense and stakes.
- It captures the zeitgeist as lotteries and gambling are popular.
While not always realistic, the lottery narrative gives the audience a hero to root for who seems like just a regular person blessed by improbable luck. It’s an uplifting rags-to-riches story that captures the imagination even if the odds of a mega jackpot are astronomically low for real people.
What other movies use a big lottery win as a central plot point?
Dozens of movies have employed a massive lottery or jackpot win to fuel their stories, including these popular titles:
- It Could Happen to You (1994) – Cop (Nicolas Cage) splits his lottery winnings with a waitress (Bridget Fonda) after promising to share with her.
- Waking Ned Devine (1998) – A small Irish village scams the lottery commission after a local wins and dies from shock.
- Lucky Numbers (2000) – A TV weatherman (John Travolta) tries to scam the state lottery with help of an ex-girlfriend.
- Winning Numbers (2001) – A factory worker (Samuel L. Jackson) wins the lottery just as a serial killer terrorizes his community.
- 21 (2008) – Students use math theory to win big by counting cards at casinos.
- Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015) – Paul Blart (Kevin James) wins a big jackpot but later loses it all.
The universal appeal of imagining sudden wealth through sheer luck has made the lottery windfall story a trope Hollywood keeps returning to generation after generation.
How do most lottery movies end?
While the specific plots and details vary, most lottery-themed movies tend to end on an upbeat note with the protagonist either wealthier, wiser, or both:
- Typically the hero succeeds in their external goal of obtaining/keeping the lottery fortune.
- Romantic subplots frequently conclude with relationships reconciled or characters finding new love.
- Supporting characters are either rewarded for their loyalty or punished for their selfishness.
- The community is often brought together after being divided by greed.
- Comedic films in particular end with irreverent characters maturing.
The audience has rooted for the down-on-their-luck protagonist throughout the story. A happy ending provides a crowd-pleasing conclusion even if the plot has dark moments along the way. While classics like A Streetcar Named Desire offer more tragic takes, most filmmakers stick to a feel-good payoff.
Conclusion
In summary, The Lottery Ticket is a 2010 urban comedy emblematic of the movie lottery subgenre. It employs familiar character archetypes in a community-centered narrative about greed and virtue. While predictable, critics and audiences responded positively to the humor, fantasy wish-fulfillment, and cast led by Bow Wow.
The washed lottery ticket functions as an effective plot device driving suspense and compounding obstacles for the working-class protagonist. This rags-to-riches story offered entertaining escapism as well as thoughtful social commentary on poverty and morality.
While rarely realistic, the massive lottery jackpot fantasy will likely continue captivating audiences. It allows everyday viewers to project themselves into uplifting “what if” scenarios to imagine escaping adversity through sheer luck. The Lottery Ticket tapped into these timeless desires in an enjoyable package elevated by a talented cast.