This is one of the better movies among all the very marginal ones that so many studios have been putting out. The script is inventive and funny, and is "inspired by" real people and their true story.
Jerry (Cranston) has been working for the cereal company in Michigan for 40+ years, his particular line is being shut down and he is retiring. He isn't sure what he wants to do, but his real talent is understanding numbers and their significance. His wife of 46 years is Marge (Bening) and one day in a casual conversation Jerry realizes something about the "Win Fall" lottery, that a quirk of the numbers means that you are a sure winner if you buy enough tickets.
He tries it out to prove his concept, at first hiding it from Marge because he didn't want to seem foolish. Instead, when she found out, it energized her and together they found something to be passionate about.
When the state of Michigan shut down their "Win Fall" they found they were able to travel the 10 hours monthly to Massachusetts, rent a cheap motel room, buy many many tickets, in the process forming a company with many of their townspeople.
Things got more complicated when a Harvard student independently discovered the flaw in the lottery, and then a reporter with the Boston Globe found out and ran a story. And a few other complications.
But before it was all over Jerry and Marge had won over $27 Million, some of that going to revitalize things in their small community. Jerry had paid attention in math and statistics classes when he was in school.
My wife and I really enjoyed this movie, entertaining from start to finish. At home on DVD from our public library.
Jerry (Cranston) has been working for the cereal company in Michigan for 40+ years, his particular line is being shut down and he is retiring. He isn't sure what he wants to do, but his real talent is understanding numbers and their significance. His wife of 46 years is Marge (Bening) and one day in a casual conversation Jerry realizes something about the "Win Fall" lottery, that a quirk of the numbers means that you are a sure winner if you buy enough tickets.
He tries it out to prove his concept, at first hiding it from Marge because he didn't want to seem foolish. Instead, when she found out, it energized her and together they found something to be passionate about.
When the state of Michigan shut down their "Win Fall" they found they were able to travel the 10 hours monthly to Massachusetts, rent a cheap motel room, buy many many tickets, in the process forming a company with many of their townspeople.
Things got more complicated when a Harvard student independently discovered the flaw in the lottery, and then a reporter with the Boston Globe found out and ran a story. And a few other complications.
But before it was all over Jerry and Marge had won over $27 Million, some of that going to revitalize things in their small community. Jerry had paid attention in math and statistics classes when he was in school.
My wife and I really enjoyed this movie, entertaining from start to finish. At home on DVD from our public library.