Airs tonight at 9 p.m. ET
If it happens to you — and the odds are a mere 1 in 195 million that it will — what then?
"Do you become what you dreamed you would?" asks Mike Pace, known to millions of lottery ticket buyers as the man in the tuxedo who was the longtime announcer of the Powerball drawing. "Or do you become what you most deeply, secretly are?"
Director Jeffrey Blitz's enticing new documentary, "Lucky," which airs Monday night on HBO, tries to figure that out. Blitz interviews several people who found themselves irrevocably transformed by big lottery wins. Some were smart about the money and some weren't (one squandered it all), but all in some way long for — even mourn — the people they used to be. They've become alien life forms.
Despite its 90-minute length, "Lucky" never fully penetrates the world these winners live in, but it does tell us something about what it feels like. Although it is frank in portraying the darker side of the dream, it may also please lottery proponents. "Lucky" respects the entertainment value and very American history of lotteries, even among addicts such as Verna (the film is not fond of last names), a working mother in Delaware who throws $70 to $100 a day at fate, basing her lottery numbers on superstitious metrics and other magical thinking. "Lucky" understands that Verna is buying a fantasy in increments, thus there's nary a word about what some call a tax on the poor.
Big winners such as Quang Dao — who had nothing when he and his family escaped Vietnam by boat in the 1970s — can't help but transmit that very particular brand of capitalistic patriotism and glee that comes with catching the brass ring.
Quang, who with seven coworkers at a meatpacking plant in Lincoln, Neb., shared in the largest Powerball jackpot in history ($365 million in 2006), proudly shows off the quartet of McMansions he's building on the suburban prairie — a fenced compound where his children and grandchildren can surround him. Quang and his wife have a picture of their refugee boat etched into their custom-made fireplace hearth, and it's not very long before one or the other weeps at the profound literal and metaphorical journey from there to here. Their luck is almost frightening to consider; the Daos alone would have made a fine documentary.
But "Lucky" is crammed with other examples, which turns it into more of a survey and less of a portrait or a statement. Blitz's credits include a 2002 documentary about the National Spelling Bee ("Spellbound") that became a box-office hit; that film better explored its characters' personalities and emotions. It also had an easier narrative arc (a competition) to focus on.
But it is to Blitz's credit that he is able to get to his subjects at all, as scrupulous privacy is usually the first refuge for lottery winners, who are swamped with pleas from strangers. Though the breadth and diversity of the winners are fascinating, the movie drags as it tries to go beneath their prepared stories.
The most happy/melancholy story here is that of Kristine and Steven White, a New Jersey couple who won $110 million in 2004 from a Pennsylvania lottery ticket, who still live in the same house; their teenage son still works at his beloved fast-food job. Despite the Whites' humility and generosity (they love meeting with families of sick children to whom they offer financial aid), a neighboring couple tells Blitz how the Whites have changed and how awkward it feels to be around them.
The film reveals a common, woeful quality among these baffled multi-millionaires. When Blitz catches up to the Whites a year later, they've moved to a private compound in Florida, where Steve keeps a sportscar collection in a Garage Mahal next to their enormous house. Though the Whites put on smiles for the camera and exude what may indeed be true comfort, there's something unenviable, too.
They're lonely. They had to go where nobody knew where the money came from. But, as Kristine says: "I can't help it that it [happened to] me."
I hope they show the way that they won their money........was it a scratch-off......was it numbers they picked on their own.....was it a quick pick.....how many numbers do they buy at a time......they might even show what numbers they played.....something that might help us get an "edge" on the winning.....if it is a quick pick...I wonder if the time of day they bought their ticket would help in future purchases! It may be lonely at the top........but at least they eat better........lol........
You obviously think there's a secret to winning that most of these players had in common. I think this show will show winners are as random as the games results and the only commonality among them is they all bought winning tickets.
Like any other part of life, stuff happens and people act uniquely base on their unique circumstances.
I am looking forward to watching this.
I have Comcast On Demand and it's already available. I'm gonna watch it right now!
Being poor doesn't necessarily mean you're not lonely. In fact, a lottery winner has better chances of meeting people than someone poor. All a lotto winner need do is simply collect his winnings through an attorney anonymously, move, and then he can meet new people without fear of being harassed.
I've already seen shows on lotto winners; I'm not sure I'll see this one. I don't get premium cable. I'd have to wait until it arrives on DVD. From the review, I don't see anything groundbreaking here.
I've always been an odd ball, so it won't bother me one bit! Everyone I know with money has people asking for it, one just has to move on to another socio-economic level.
I agree, nothing new. Just 'Lottey Changed my Life' but the HBO version. Which just means you pay more for it!!
I don't have HBO, but if I did, I would watch it. It's sad that some would have to move away...but heck, I'm willing to do it for peace of mind!
At least one thing's for certain...you find out who your friends truly are one way or another....either when you're down on your luck or on top of the world.
It was a good documentary. They all love to focus on the negative, but fortunately there were some great positive stories too. The Viet Nam refugee story was heart-warming.
Im viet myself and i have to give props to that guy!!!
Lovely show......Well according to the show 70% lottery winners have won using QP...........Heartwarming........I felt sooo bad for "Buddy"
Got all my luck charms, faith and God on my side......receiving the big one soon.
They said that 70% of lottery tickets are played with Quick Picks, not that 70% won using quick picks. Although I understand that the percentage won using quick picks is around 70%, I didn't see them mention that on the show. I'm not sure why, I was expecting to see it right after they gave the percentage played.
I agree about Buddy (or whatever his name was).
One thing that kind of bothered me was in the meat packing plant. They interviewed a guy sitting in a truck who said he was "glad" he wasn't in the pool of players who won. He didn't want all the "troubles" that the winners supposedly have. But then in the next scene he's saying that he plays Powerball all the time now, and they showed him in the store buying tickets. What a liar. If he really was glad he wasn't a winner, why would he be playing Powerball all the time now? So he could "not win"?
I don't understand why these people can't just say, "Gee, I wish it was me, now I'm going to try and do the same thing they did." Why do they have to go running these winners down all the time?
"They said that 70% of lottery tickets are played with Quick Picks, not that 70% won using quick picks. Although I understand that the percentage won using quick picks is around 70%, I didn't see them mention that on the show. I'm not sure why, I was expecting to see it right after they gave the percentage played."
Now, the answer to that question has proven to be just a tad controversial as of late.
I totally agree with you RJOH!-weshar75
Todd, I'm thinking it's because they are jealous. I don't like pulling the "jus jealous" card, but it seems like that. And I agree, that it makes no sense for that one guy to say he was glad to not to be part of the pool that won because of the hassles of winning yet, he is playing Powerball trying to win. Weird.
I'm so sick of hearing about winners who are "lonely" and have "troubles." You know what?? I have the exact same problems except I'm f***ing BROKE.
Only really dumb people who were gonna be miserable anyway let a jackpot ruin their lives.
It would be interesting to know who, if anyone, would give it all back to go back to what they were before they won.
With some of the horror stories out there, it seems certain people would have been better off not winning. The guy that won and said his family
would like to see him dead....!! I wonder who changed, him or them. Then the guy who said people are resentful when they find out you've won
the lottery...I think winning big money brings paranoia with it to some people. They might make half the problems they have settling into a 'they
are out to use me/kill me/take my money' mentality. (This happened to Shakesphere but that's a very unusual case) Acquiring big money is more
than just having the ability to 'get whatever you want, live like you think you want, be on easy street'...everyone wants that but they are not willing
to consider it might change their lives in ways they never considered. A person never knows what changes they'll face and how they'll react until
they win. When someone says, they're not the same person they used to be...I'm sure there's a lot of truth in that statement concerning some
winners. I'm sure they're their own worst nightmare.
Yea!!! I'm excited to watch this HBO documentary movie, I've been waiting since the first time Todd informed us it was being filmed.
I was hoping to be our group's "hero" by uploading the link to watching the FREE version of this movie from HBO ... yet when I went to the major FREE, no joining requirements, online streaming websites (channel 131, megavideo, project free tv, hulu, etc.) nobody yet had uploaded it to either the "TV" or "MOVIE" database sides.
Therefore, would some other member who is more computer savvy PLEASE upload a link to this 1.5 hoiur HBO movie, "Lucky" soon ... be the LotteryPost.com HERO of the day, today!
color me curious as well
Todd wrote: "I don't understand why these people can't just say, "Gee, I wish it was me, now I'm going to try and do the same thing they did." Why do they have to go running these winners down all the time?"
Still, I'm looking forward to watching the documentary, Lucky, soon! Until then, I am wondering if bad editing led for this meat packing plant man's intentions (discussed above) to sound confusing/odd. Perhaps he was indicating that he's glad that he doesn't play in a lottery POOL, instead he plays alone (less chance of someone suing and saying that they were cheated out of the pool's win that day), perhaps the pool that won at his employer is fighting such threats of lawsuits currently and he has become aware of their frustrations of it.
You should be a very happy person because eventually someone always wins.
"would like to see him dead....!! I wonder who changed, him or them. Then the guy who said people are resentful when they find out you've won"
I am pretty sure you are talking about the older gentleman who lost it all but was happy about it. He specifically said they changed, not him. Looking at his lifestyle and the fact that he is a simple man, I believe him. Sounds like his family is just trash that tried to have him whacked/poisoned/etc
If I were to win, I think the scariest things would be:
a) Wife leave/take advantage
or
b) Family take advantage of, and disown me
See, this older guy 'promised' his brothers and sisters a million bucks each, and the docu. said when he didnt pay up one brother said 'I am going to get that million one way or the other' and tried to have him killed. I wonder if the winner would have just been honest up front to say 'I will give you money, just dont know how much yet' maybe it would have appeased the family more.
I just now finally finished the documentary and I thought it was great, though it is just like someone else said: the HBO version of 'Lottery changed my life'
This is why you stay quiet, don't make promises to anybody...plain and simple.
Make a list of your needs (not wants) your obligations (only debts in your name, not someone else's).
Get to an attorney to figure out how to take care of your needs and obligations and how to protect the rest.