STARRING: Danny Glover (The Royal Tenenbaums, Dreamgirls), Parker Posey (Party Girl, Best in Show), Billy Burke (Twilight), Kimberly Elise, John Carroll Lynch, Rockmond Dunbar, Deborah Ann Woll, and Haaz Sleiman.
DIRECTOR: Andrew Meiera
DP: Daniel Moder
SUMMARY: Highland
Park follows the fortunes of an impoverished city’s high school faculty
as budget cuts eliminate most of their jobs. After decades of an
endlessdownward spiral this close knit group of friends pools their
money and putstheir faith in one last luck of the draw for a record
lotto jackpot and a chance to turn their lives around. Emboldened by
the possibility of sudden wealth they explore the roots of their city’s
decline, from corruption to the loss of hope and faith in themselves and
their community. Against almost insurmountable odds they discover
that luck is actually in the eye of the beholder.
My Thoughts
Highland Park is on the verge of becoming a ghost town. Buildings are condemned and covered in graffiti. The historical library is threatened with being shut down, and a high school principal is forced to let go of his friends one by one due to the budget cuts of a tyrannical and corrupt major. Six of this down-on-their luck teachers, janitors, and bus drivers chip each each week for a few lottery tickets. They have been playing the same numbers every week for ten years, and of course they never win. But now when they need it the most, a miracle seems to occur. The lucky numbers are drawn. They all start using their money for great things in their community. The only problem is, the guy you buys the tickets is on vacation in the woods and no one can find him.
I enjoyed the movie and I appreciate the ultimate message that a community pulling together outweighs any amount of money when you want to want to make changes. But there was one major hole that made the movie a little unrealistic in my mind. This group immediately goes into celebration mode and starts spending the money before they have it. Now, I'm sure many winners do this before the money is in hand, but not before the ticket has been claimed. It even gets announced and broadcast on the news before there is any proof of their winnings--the media would have the good sense to verify where the winning ticket was purchased. I find it hard to believe that not one of these mostly educated people wouldn't stop for a minute to verify their winnings before maxing out their credit cards. That was one hole in an otherwise heartwarming film that also sends a strong political message about corruption. 3 stars
***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for this post. I did receive a sample of the product to try in order to write a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***
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