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Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Peña, Molly Hagan, Mark L. Young ... see more see more... , Howard Platt , Arden Myrin , Coburn Goss

Director Neil Burger's road movie The Lucky Ones stars Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Peña as three Iraq War veterans who take a road trip together. The trio meet on their way home from over... read more read more...seas with Fred Cheaver (Robbins) finishing his service once and for all, while the other two -- Colee Dunn (McAdams) and TK Poole (Peña) -- are about to enjoy 30 days of R and R. A blackout leads to the three renting a car together after their flight is indefinitely delayed, and driving from New York to Cheaver's home in St. Louis. Upon arrival, Cheaver learns that his wife wants a divorce, and his son needs 20,000 dollars in order to attend Stanford. Emotionally shaken, Cheaver tries to drop the other two off at the airport, but they refuse to go until they can help him through his troubles. The two of them, however, are going through their own issues. Poole suffered an injury while on duty that he worries will end his relationship with his girlfriend, and Dunn is trying to deliver a guitar to the parents of her deceased boyfriend, a fellow soldier who died overseas. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Flixster Users

59% liked it

11,297 ratings

Critics

36% liked it

72 critics

R, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Neil Burger

Release Date: September 26, 2008

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DVD Release Date: January 27, 2009

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Stats: 538 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (538)

  • SirPant
    November 16, 2010
    SirPant
    The lucky ones is full of conflicting ideas and contradicts itself at every turn. It's not as deep as it thinks it is either, often hinting at something grater than what actually transpires. It also has a very odd scene involving a tornado that is a little misguided (and that is ... read moreme being very polite!). All that said, I quite liked it! I don't think any of the comments I have mentioned were intentional but somehow it works, it's so awkwardly quirky you just can't look away, serendipity at its kindest. It is also well acted, directed and well edited, using handheld cameras to its advantage.
  • itsjustme2004
    October 14, 2010
    itsjustme2004
    Good movie. Not the fastest moving drama, but just the right amount of things going on the keep my interest. Watching these three soldiers go through so many different phases of problems and issues was very interesting. We got to watch them get closer and closer to feeling like f... read moreamily together. A feel good movie? Not sure. I am torn between liking the ending, and wishing it went a different direction...but I guess it was realistic.
  • LWOODS04
    November 6, 2009
    LWOODS04
    Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Pena

    After suffering an injury during a routine patrol, hardened sergeant TK Poole (Peña) is granted a one-month leave to visit his fiancé. However, when an unexpected blackout cancels all flights out of New York, TK agrees to share a rid... read moree to Pittsburgh with two similarly stranded servicemen, Cheever (Robbins), an older family man who longs to return to his wife in St. Louis, and Colee (McAdams), a naive private who?s pinned her hopes on connecting with a dead fellow soldier?s family. What begins as a short trip unexpectedly evolves into a longer journey. Forced to grapple with old relationships, broken hopes and a country divided over the war, TK, Cheever and Colee discover that home is not quite what they remembered and that the unlikely companionship.

    -Really liked this film a lot. Rachel McAdams was so good in this movie. Tim Robbins.. I mean he is one of the best actors out there. He was amazing as always. Really liked Michael Pena. I haven't seen him in many films and thought he was great. The acting, the script, all of it was great. It was funny, sad, and just really good. I would call this a dramedy. Really good watch.
  • deano
    September 6, 2009
    deano
    Interesting story of three soldiers (Tim Robbins, Michael Peña and Rachael McAdams) return home from Iraq; two on leave for 30 days, the other out for good. The drama movie is populated with the usual oddball characters and chance encounters you find on cross country road trips, ... read moreor in cross country road trip movies.
    The Lucky Ones is a funny and winning little movie. It's above all else a very human movie. The characters are what makes it succeed, not it's story. All three leads give wonderful and sincere performances, particularly McAdams as Colee. She's naive but not unintelligent, and tough but still vulnerable.
  • romy861
    August 22, 2009
    romy861
    I have come to the conclusion that I would need to be living in America to fully appreciate this one. The acting in this is great and you have three characters that you really do come to care about and hope they can get their lives together...then somehow, despite all three not ... read morewanting to return to the war, all three do, although at least one of them has money not to have to. I just didn't get it.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    February 8, 2009
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    A very different scenario changing movie with 3 lives colliding at the same time with one thing in common: army. After suffering an injury during a routine patrol, hardened sergeant TK Poole (Peña) is granted a one-month leave to visit his fiancé. However, when an unexpected blac... read morekout cancels all flights out of New York, TK agrees to share a ride to Pittsburgh with two similarly stranded servicemen, Cheever (Robbins), an older family man who longs to return to his wife in St. Louis, and Colee (McAdams), a naive private who?s pinned her hopes on connecting with a dead fellow soldier?s family. What begins as a short trip unexpectedly evolves into a longer journey. Forced to grapple with old relationships, broken hopes and a country divided over the war, TK, Cheever and Colee discover that home is not quite what they remembered and that the unlikely companionship they?ve found might be what matters the most.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    February 7, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Sometimes losing your way home means finding yourself"

    The story revolves around three soldiers --Colee, TK and Cheever -- who return from the Iraq War after suffering injuries and learn that life has moved on without them. They end up on an unexpected road trip across... read more the U.S., with Colee on a mission to bring her boyfriend's guitar back to his family because he saved her life, TK seeking confidence to face his wife after a shrapnel injury that threatens his sexual function and middle-aged Cheever planning to hit the casinos in a desperate effort to pay for his son's college tuition.

    REVIEW
    Neil Burger's offbeat, quirky, dramatic movie is a triumph. It succeeds in all the aspects, from the technical parts to the acting, I can't find a single negative thing about it. Burger doesn't dilly-dally around, he went straight to the point of his subject, giving a fair amount of time for each of the three characters (McAdams, Pena and Robbins) to develop and eventually you can't help but really like them...a lot. Especially McAdams but more on that later. The script is tightly wound, the chemistry between the three protagonists doesn't seem forced, the movie doesn't force you to like them the moment the movie starts but instead, these colorful characters will gradually grow on you.

    Tim Robbins, one of my favorite actors, doesn't dissapoint. 2008, I have seen him in two movies the other one being The City of Ember. And as long as a movie has Tim Robbins in it, I'm sold. That's why I watched the movie in the first place. Michael Pena, another great guy, gives off a good vibe towards the movie and once you know what's been bothering his character, you can't help but laugh at how one-sided and ridiculous his problem is. Pena gives one of his greatest performance on screen. And of course, the belle of the ball, the star of the show, Rachel McAdams gives a quirky, zesty and joyful performance as a loveable Southerner and I can't help but be reminded of another quirky, zesty and joyful character, Amelie. She just keeps the laughs rolling in and steal every scene she's in. She gives the character such depth that one might come off as one dimensional had it been portrayed by a lesser talent. Definitely an underrated performance for 2008.

    Highly recommended.
  • puffchunk
    February 4, 2009
    puffchunk
    I love movies with small casts that do nothing but build up fun characters. This movie pulls it off well, and has a magnificent ending. So far I'd say this is my favorite performance by Rachel McAdams. Her character is so likable, and on top of that she looks so ridiculously g... read moreood that the movie could suck and you wouldn't mind.
  • MovieGeek13
    September 12, 2008
    MovieGeek13
    Opens Sept. 26. Gala world premiere from TIFF.
    Rachel McAdams gives a performance that should earn her an Oscar nomination. This road movie is a subtle, oddly funny drama that shows how three American soldiers try to re-integrate themselves into normal American life.
    Each ch... read morearacter has been affected by their experiences in the Iraq War, and what makes this film so emotionally touching is how the characters stick by each other, much like they probably would have in combat.
  • gator681
    November 11, 2009
    gator681
    In "The Lucky Ones," Fred Cheaver(Tim Robbins) is leaving the army after a tragic port-o-john accident. While changing planes at New York City, he discovers a blackout has grounded all of the outgoing flights for the time being(Could this be August 2003?). Wanting to get back t... read moreo his home and family in St. Louis as soon as possible, he reluctantly agrees to share a rent-a-car with two other soldiers, Colee Dunn(Rachel McAdams, doing a fine Hilary Swank impression) and T.K. Poole(Michael Pena), both on thirty day injury leave and headed to Las Vegas for different reasons. Once home, Fred finds a couple of surprises waiting for him...

    While not really adding anything new to the already hackneyed road movie genre, "The Lucky Ones" still is rewarding enough. So, relax. You're in good company here. There are some interesting insights into soldiers returning to a changed world and who share a camaraderie even out of uniform. But what does it say when a trio of soldiers get locked out of their own car? On the other hand, more could have been done to highlight the Americana, cut down on the contrivances and handle T.K.'s condition with more maturity. Surprisingly, the subject of enlisting is handled somewhat ambiguously. That having been said, this is a reminder to those that support the wars that more than empty gestures has to be done for those they expect to fight for them.

View All The Lucky Ones Reviews

Critic Reviews

Peter Rainer
September 29, 2008
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

The Iraq war has thus far produced no truly memorable dramatic movies, as opposed to documentaries, and the losing streak continues with The Lucky Ones. Full Review

Claudia Puig
September 26, 2008
Claudia Puig, USA Today

This is not the worst of the Iraq-themed movies of the past few years, and it's possibly the best acted of any of them. But you wish the bonding of these three people wasn't diluted by the trite scena... Full Review

Linda Barnard
September 26, 2008
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star

As they hit the road, the scenes play out like TV sitcom vignettes with little holding the centre together. We find out details about the characters lives, but never feel we know them. Full Review

Peter Hartlaub
September 26, 2008
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

The Lucky Ones has plenty of heart and courage. If it only had a brain ... Full Review

Stephen Whitty
September 26, 2008
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

It gets so preoccupied with all the local color and colorful locals, that it forgets about the people on this journey -- or their ultimate destination. Full Review

Kyle Smith
September 26, 2008
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Cheap, ignorant, tone-deaf and condescending. Full Review

Christy DeSmith
September 26, 2008
Christy DeSmith, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Its lack of emotional thrust doesn't inspire the viewer to feel one way or another. Full Review

Rick Groen
September 26, 2008
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

It's all merely unbelievable. Full Review

Tom Long
September 26, 2008
Tom Long, Detroit News

How unusual. How enjoyable. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
September 26, 2008
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

The chemistry between the three soldiers is strong, but their journey rings hollow. Full Review

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