Luckiest Man in America Mini-Review #TIFF2024

Before my TIFF screening of The Luckiest Man in America, there was a video message. Paul Walter Hauser, star of the film, had recorded a greeting for the premiere of the film. Much of the cast was in attendance, but Hauser wasn’t. I don’t even remember what he said, but Hauser was so charismatic that my screening applauded when his message was over. This was an omen of what was to come. 

In recent years, the 37-year old actor has built up a following from stand-out performances in films like I, Tonya and Richard Jewell. Hauser is active on social media, and has made no secret of his desire to become a beloved character actor. Mission accomplished, Paul. 

While Hauser’s onscreen work has earned him critical respect, Hauser’s Twitter presence has made him a friend to a certain kind of terminally online film nerd. Hauser is evidently a good movie actor, but he’s gone out of his way to show that he is a good movie fan. There is no actor better suited to play TV obsessive Michael Larson. 

Larson was an ice cream driver and air conditioner repairman who won a record breaking amount of cash on the Press Your Luck game show in 1984. Hauser doesn’t just resemble Larson, he possesses the everyman quality that made Larson a folk hero after the episode aired. 

The film opens as Larson cons his way onto the CBS lot in an attempt to audition for Press Your Luck. He’s found out, but Producer Bill Carruthers (David Strathairn) likes his gumption. Contestant Coordinator Chuck (Shamier Anderson), is skeptical, and tensions increase as Larson takes the show’s stage. He displays unlikely luck in navigating the game’s randomized board, creating chaos behind the scenes. 

This is the rest of the movie. The action does not move from the studio lot, as Larson continues to rack up winnings, and Carruthers, Chuck, and the rest of the control room try to figure out how.

Overall, this movie basically works. Setting the story in a constrained time frame and one location (apparently a COVID-era necessity), is a smart move. The script and filmmaking effectively build tension, and the movie is never boring. I especially admire how it explains the game to us through play, rather than expository dialogue. I wasn’t familiar with Press Your Luck before seeing the film, and trying to understand the game forced me to pay close attention. 

The main performances are strong, not only from Hauser but also Strathairn and Anderson. However, the supporting cast is overqualified. Walton Goggins, one of the most interesting actors on the continent, has little to do as the show’s host, and fans of Patti Harrison and Masie Williams will be similarly disappointed. Unknown actors in these roles would have been less distracting. Harrison doesn’t even get to be funny! 

I also have some issues with the characterization. The arcs in the control room are solid, but one thing gave me pause. Chuck appears to be based on contestant coordinator Bob Edwards, who was white, but he’s played by a black man, Shamier Anderson. That’s all well and good, but (minor spoilers) the way Carruthers treats Chuck has racist implications. Namely, that he is throwing a black man under the bus to protect himself. These scenes would play very differently if Chuck was a white man, and if I was Carruthers (and I hadn't died in 2003), I would not be happy about this portrayal. I may be missing something here, and it’s not really a problem with the movie itself, I just thought it was worth noting. 

The bigger characterization problem is with Larson. As it goes on, the film peels away layers of Larson’s regular-guy facade, and does so effectively. Late in the film, there’s a neat, well-executed retreat into fantasy that leaves viewers unsure of what exactly happened, but nonetheless gives us a window into Larson’s headspace. However, the movie leaves us with too many questions about Larson for the emotions of the ending to work. 

*Spoilers below*

The script makes the curious decision to obscure what exactly happened at the end of Larson’s episode. Instead it takes us to an epilogue where Larson’s former girlfriend Teresa (Hayley Bennett) watches Price Your Luck. The moment is a clear homage to The King of Comedy, but while that movie clearly defined the relationship between the characters of Rupert Pupkin and Rita, Larson’s relationship to Teresa is murky.

From what I can tell, Larson and Teresa were together at the time of the episode’s airing, but the movie presents him as a delusional stalker. The final performance in King of Comedy has meaning to the audience and characters - we know exactly what Rupert did and why. These final moments Luckiest Man lack clarity. I’m unsure what these final moments, obscured as they are, mean to Teresa and Larson, or what they are supposed to mean to me.

This may be emblematic of a movie in search of a point. The film gets close to a critique of capitalism - there’s debate over if what Michael is doing constitutes cheating or just high-level play - but the movie is not interested in making it. 

Instead we’re left with a solid drama, well made and with strong lead performances. It probably won’t break any records, but that’s a prize I’m happy to take.