Lucky Break
Nicolas Zumaran
Cast and Crew
Lead Actors

Gia Carides: Sophie
Anthony LaPaglia: Edward 'Eddie' Mercer
Rebecca Gibney: Gloria Wrightman

Principal Credits

Director/Writer: Ben Lewin
Producers: Judi Levine - co-producer
Lesley Parker - line producer
Bob Weis (I) - producer

Cinematographer: Vincent Monton

Production Companies: Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC) [au]
Generation Films
Lewin Films
Pandora Cinema [us]
Release Dates:
Canada 13 September 1994 (Toronto Film Festival)
Denmark 25 August 1995
USA 15 August 1997
Finland 17 June 1998 (video premiere)

Opening Weekend: $13,939 (USA) (17 August 1997) (4 screens)

Gross: $121,002 (USA) (7 September 1997)
$85,528 (USA) (1 September 1997)
$13,939 (USA) (17 August 1997)

$151,068 (USA) - AFC website

INTERVIEWS

Urban, Andrew L. (interviewer) (1994), 'Ben Lewin', Cinema Papers, no.101, October 1994 pp. 38-42

This is an interview of Ben Lewin in the same month Lucky Break was released

BOOKS JOURNALS AND NEWSPAPERS

Cowe, Peter (Ed.) (1995). Variety International Film Guide 1996, London;Hamlyn

Craven, Ian, (Ed.) (2001). Australian cinema in the 1990s, London ; F. Cass.

Murray, Scott, (Ed.) (1995). Australian film 1978-1994 : a survey of theatrical features, Oxford U P in association with the Australian Film Commission
Stratton, David. (1994). Film reviews -- Lucky Break directed by Ben Lewin. Variety, New York; Oct 3, ; Vol. 356, Iss. 10; pg. 64

 

The following were accessed via Factiva.com:

Elfrieda Abbe, "Roll 'em: Festival's films a hit", Milwaukee Sentinel, September 30 1994, p22E

Helen Barlow, "Making A Mark Far Away From Hollywood", The Age, 23 September 1994 p17

Mark Caro, "QUIRKY `PAPERBACK ROMANCE' BREEZES ALONG", Chicago Tribune, 29 August 1997

Matt Condon, "Luckiest Break Of All", Sun Herald, 9 October 1994, p13

Keith Connolly, "Playing The Confidence Game", Sunday Age, 16 October 1994, p7

Ben Holgate, "California, Here They Come", Sydney Morning Herald, 13 October 1994, p17

Ben Holgate, "Racism drove LaPaglia away", The Australian, 9 June 1998 p3

John Mangan, "Lucky Break At Toronto Festival", The Age, 19 September 1994, p16

WEB INFO & LITERATURE

www.entertainment.msn.com/celebs/celeb.aspx
www.technoculture.mira.net.au/splucky.htm.
www.moviereviews.colossus.net/movies/p/paperback.html
www.movieweb.com/movie/luckybreak/
www.tvguide.com/movies/database/ShowMovie
http://apolloguide.com/mov_revtemp.asp?

RESEARCH

Using key words such as lucky break and Ben Lewin when searching for books on the film did not provide good results. A broader scope was needed and so, as the film was situated in the 1990's period, books that focused on Australian films and were published in or after 1994 ( Lucky break was made in 1994) were used as a starting point.

Craven (2001) provided an analytical approach on Australian cinema in the 90's. The book was divided into several chapters where the author's used succssesful Australian films to drive the respective theme or argument whether it be in the social, economic or stylistic sense. The problem came in that Lucky Break was not mentioned in the book. However there was a particularly interesting chapter written by Emily Rustin, titled "Romance and Sensation in The 'Glitter' Cycle", who's focus was on how Australian Cinema Norms were broken in early 1990 films through the use of colour, romance, and the independence of the protagonist, for example. Although Rustin draws attention to more notable Australian films such as Muriels Wedding and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, comparisons and relationships could be drawn for the purpose of and relevance to Lucky Break.

Various writers/film critics in Murray (1995) give more of a film by film account from 1978 to 1994. Fortunately Lucky Break is accounted for here, although there are not overly positive things to be said for it, except that the film had potential.

Some other books were consulted such as More Long shots and Variety International Film Guide where Lucky Break received only but a small mention.

The most information obtained on Lucky Break came through newspaper and journal articles and reviews around the same time the film was released. As mentioned above the majority of these were accessed through the factiva website and others through Variety and Cinema papers where a very good interview of Ben Lewin was found. In fact this was the only interview found as such, the only other source of actor's and film crew's commentary were the various quotes in the newspaper features.

The web proved to be a good source in order to get a general feel for the film. This came in the form of short reviews or in many cases a film synopsis. Most of the listed sites provided filmography links and other information for actors and film crew. The Internet movie database was one of the more resourceful sites for gathering quick information about Lucky Break. Key words used in web searches included actors names, "Lucky Break", "Ben Lewin" and paperback romance. Generally speaking the web presence of the film is good. However from the search it appeared that the film did not have as much Australian web coverage as it did for the U.S. In other words short Hollywood references to the film were more prominent. Search engines include Google (Australian as well as other WWW pages) the AFC web site and other links form the Australian Cinema unit web pages. As there were too many sites found only a selection of these is listed under WEB INFO & LITERATURE.

REVIEW

"Lucky Break" is a light-hearted comedy that holds true to its name in many ways. The films opening scene involves the pure-chance meeting of Sophie and Eddie in the library. Whilst the young and beautiful Sophie writes and reads one of her erotic tales aloud to herself, she is overheard by Eddie who also happens to be a well-groomed Casanova. Captured and Enticed by Sophies voice and indeed her words Eddie decides to introduce himself and confess that he was listening. In a very flirtatious conversation Eddie insists Sophie to have a coffee with him, but surprisingly she turns him down. We soon find out why when Eddie leaves and Sophie gets up off her chair with a pair of crutches. Sophie is disabled with polio (a disease of the lower limbs) and it appears she didn't want Eddie to know the truth. Nonetheless Eddie stays on Sophies mind as she ponders what might have been.

Lucky for Sophie she is able to access Eddies borrowers record and find out that he works at a shopping-mall jewelry store. Sophie goes to spy on her secret love but while trying to avoid confrontation with him ends up in an accident causing her to break a leg, and "break a leg" she does. Although Sophies misfortune really is good fortune because she can now hide her disability behind her broken leg and have a relationship with Eddie. A lucky break for Sophie, both physically and emotionally and for Eddie who seems to have been blessed with the perfect woman.

Indeed the film relies upon some situation comedy, the challenge of how long Sophie can keep her lie and if Eddie will accept her once he knows the truth. For example in one scene Sophie's disability becomes in danger of being revealed when an old friend from a disabled support group meets her in a restaurant with Eddie. There is also an obstacle for Eddie in the form of his fionsae Gloria Wrightman, an attractive blonde and spoilt rich girl. Insecure in his relationship and keen on his knew romance, Eddie must keep Sophie a secret from the intrusive Gloria.

Writer/Director Ben Lewin plays with many coincidental circumstances in order to achieve comedic effect. However in doing so he may well have overlooked the importance of telling an interesting story. This is evident perhaps in Lewin's weak attempt at a sub-plot of the film where a foreign detective investigates Eddie over a precious stolen necklace. It all seems a bit forced, as it happens in the latter part of the film and the detective simply comes out of nowhere. Fair enough Lucky-Break establishes itself as a light comedy drama but in my opinion its comic incidents don't quite do enough to make you burst out laughing and although there is drama aplenty there's not enough power in the story to keep you emotionally glued.

Lucky Break has its chance or 'what if' drama throughout. Unfortunately the film doesn't strike gold in terms of leaving a mark as an important Australian Film. It is definitely "quirky" and different but after having watched it I found myself saying "what was all that about". The fact that there were some quite ridiculous events building up to the end of the movie didn't help to leave a good impression. Quite honestly speaking The only reason why I kept watching the film was because of Gia Caride's good looks and also because I'm a bit of a LaPaglia fan, but this is one I'd rather forget and I'm sure Anthony LaPaglia would too. Lucky break is watchable and not much else.

CRITICAL UPTAKE

Before the official release of the film there were positive things to be said for it. It seemed in the early stages Australian critics saw Lucky Break as a fresh new comedy. The Sun Herald called it a "delightful comedy" and with The Age reporting a positive audience response from the very important Toronto Film Festival Lucky Break promised good things. Even director Ben Lewin was confident about the film as he was quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald with the remarks "All of a sudden people who had nothing much to do with me want to be my friend. Why? Because there's a buzz about Lucky Break." Although Lewin was referring to the notion of finding acceptance in Hollywood there is an indication as to the success of Lucky Break in its first debue. Justifiably so, the film deserved credit; it was a part of a wave of films coming out in the early 90's that provided a new approach to Australian Cinema. The producer of Lucky Break Bob Weis comments in Connolly (1994, p7)

"He says that the Australian films of the 1970s and, to a lesser extent, the 1980s, were ``about defining ourselves in very broad terms", and they asked: ``Who are these people clinging to these far- flung cities on the edge of this vast continent?"... Much of the output in that earlier period consisted, he says, of historical or period films that didn't yet deal with the complex nature of the late-20th-century cosmopolitan and sophisticated environments in which most of us live."

On the contrary Lucky Break is a contemporary Australian film that highlights its urban setting. There is plenty of colour and style in the shopping mall, restaurant, apartments and even the airport. The settings are modern and on a general level there is a representation of class and social structure. There is Eddie the Italian Jeweller and his posh girlfriend Gloria who are quite stylishly dressed and Sophie who appears to be more a modest suburban type girl. Multiculturalism is present with the European detective Yuri Borodinoff and on a more subtle level foreign fill ins or minor characters in the shopping mall. So there is evidence, in terms of setting, of the modern 20th-century Australian film that Bob Weis is referring to. However the question must be asked on whether the film achieves this through its story.

Byrnes (1994) form the Sydney Morning Herald believes "Lewin's intelligence as a writer, his ability to create living characters, is matched by his affection for wild physical comedy. It's a rare combination and it makes Lucky Break a pure pleasure." No doubt the film is packed with incidents, and in there are instances where Lewin pulls out some surprises. There is one particular scene where Sophie and Eddie are getting raunchy but Sophies leg cast becomes an obstacle for Eddie. In fact so much so as when Eddie begins to tease Sophie, she reacts with her broken leg and literally knocks Eddies teeth out. To some viewers this may be funny, but personally squirting blood in the middle of a sex scene doesn't appeal to me in a comedic sense (or in any sense for that matter). It must be noted though, this was one of the few positive reviews found after the films official Australian release. Lucky Break was extensively criticized by Australian and US reviews.

It was a relief but not entirely surprising to find that the critics didn't rate Lucky Break very highly. With article reviews titled "Not Just Crippled But Lame to Boot" in The Age, "Romance Wears Off Fast", in The New Orleans Times-Picayune and "Paperback Needs A Little More Polishing", in Seattle Post-Intelligencer it's easy to see that Lucky Break is not a great film. The majority of what comes out of these reviews is summarized in some of my earlier comments. On a slightly different angle Stephen Holden (1997) from the New York Times adds, "Building a romantic comedy around a physical disability is a daring premise, to say the least. And "Paperback Romance," despite some genuinely funny shenanigans, doesn't get away with it." With "Paperback Romance" Holden is referring to "Lucky Break"; this was the name that the American distributors gave the film when it was released three years later in the U.S.A.

CIRCUMSTANCES OF PRODUCTION & BOX OFFICE

Although Lucky Break was released in 1994 for Australian Audiences it didn't reach the United States until 1997. The film found a distributor in Goldwyn Films, Inc. which changed the name of the film to 'Paperback Romance'. I didn't find information as to why the name was changed but I imagine it was for marketing purposes. Perhaps the distributors thought this magazine or romance novel simily would sell better. Surprisingly 'Lucky Break' didn't do too bad in the US. On the AFC website box office figures for Australian films in the US 'Lucky Break' comes in at No. 84 out of 90. At least it makes it on the list for Aussie films that broke the $100,000 mark gaining $151,068 gross. Unfortunately 'Lucky Break' doesn't make it on the 100 list for the Australian box office. Being released in 1994 it was up against what would prove to be huge Australian films in 'Muriel's Wedding' and 'The Adventures of Priscillla, Queen of the Desert'.

"`Lucky Break' wasn't an easy picture to finance. Some people doubted the commercial qualities of a romantic story with a disabled heroine." (Weis in Conolly, 1994). For this reason producer Bob Weis had to go seeking outside of Australia for financial support. This was found with Ernst Goldschmidt of Pandora Cinemas, a French production Company. With that company's support Weis was able to raise the rest of the budget in Australia through the AFC.

PREVIOUS AND SUBSEQUENT WORK

Ben Lewin isn't one of the better director's to come out of Australia as such. However, he has done well for himself in the film and television industry with some impressive TV credits. Here's Lewin's director filmography courtesy of imdb.com:

"SeaChange" (1998) TV Series
"Ally McBeal" (1997) TV Series
Lucky Break (1994)
... aka Paperback Romance (1997) (USA)
Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish, The (1991)
... aka Montre, la croix et la mani¸re, La (1991)

Georgia (1988)
Matter of Convenience, A (1987) (TV)
"Rafferty's Rules" (1987) TV Series
Dunera Boys, The (1985) (TV)

Welcome to Britain (1976)

Amongst these credits 'Lucky Break' doesn't rate very highly in terms of success. Arguably, Lewin's best film would have to be Georgia for which he one an AFI award for best director. Interestingly producer for 'Lucky Break' Bob Weis also worked on Georgia and picked up an AFI award for best original screenplay.

Lucky Break's Cinematographer Vincent Monton worked on 'Newsfront' (1978) and Road Games (1981) for which he also received AFI awards. More recently Anthony Lapaglia won AFI's best actor for Lantana (2000). 'Lucky Break' wasn't particularly a career highlight for Anthony LaPaglia or Gia Carides, but quite ironically the film sparked a real life romance between the two...lucky for them. The later married couple stared in Brilliant Lies (1996) together for which Gia won AFI best actress. Other notable credits for Gia Carides include 'Strictly Ballroom' (1992) and 'Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' (1999).

LUCKY BREAK IN THE AUSTRALIAN FILM LANDSCAPE

In off-screen terms 'Lucky Break' certainly is quite an eventful film. The way it's title can be used and related with critique, makes it a good film to comment on and no doubt one for the archives. This is because of the interesting information surrounding the film in regards to cast and crew as well as the facts to report on its market aspects and success. The film also came at an important time in Australian Cinema; when film business was changing with Australians co-producing with overseas companies. Style and narrative was also taking a turn as Australian culture in all its diversity was being represented contemporarily. Although on-screen Lucky Break's story may not be the most enticing, this 'quirky' film has its place in terms of identifying a National Cinema.

All too often quirkiness is viewed in a negative light (Gillard,2000,p5). The word 'quirky' is sometimes used to basically describe bad, weird or strange Aussie Flicks. Understandably so, there is always pretty ridiculous things happening in these types of films. Take 'The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' for example, with a group of Aussie Drag Queens travelling across the country listening to ABBA. Or there's the scene in 'Muriel's Wedding' where a couple of Gay stripers bust in on Muriel's intimate moment with her boyfriend, thinking she needed help. 'Lucky Break' is no exception for 'quirkiness'; the final scene comes to mind where all the detectives wait outside Sophie and Eddie's motel room listening to them get raunchy. Call it peculiar or just bloody funny, these are the things that give Australian films their distinctiveness, especially in the 1990's. Every now and then one will be a real winner for Australian cinema and others won't. Whatever the case, films like 'Lucky Break' help to form a cinema identity.

It is easy to see therefore how 'Lucky Break' fits into Australian Cinema as a medium-sized national cinema. It is yet another example of how an Australian film must be stylised and made to compete with Hollywood counterparts. Financially this is also evident with Bob Weis having to seek a foreign production company for aid in order for the AFC to raise 'the rest' of the budget.

"the only way it [making films] is going to work is if Australian's start taking gambles and do the unusual pictures that the American's won't...All we are left with at the end of the day is lower budgets, ingenuity, freedom and imagination."

(Epstein, 1994:86, in O'Regan 2001)

'Lucky Break' says at lot for this type of film. If one was to generalise what Australian film was like in the early 1990's then you could turn to Lucky Break for a quick reference in terms of it's 'quirkiness'. The film didn't do well in its commercial aspects and doesn't have the best of narratives but if your looking for a break from mainstream Hollywood then 'Lucky Break' might just be the Aussie gem you're after.

references

O'Regan, Tom, 2001, 'Australian National Cinema', Routledge Taylor and Francis Group: Great Britain

Gillard, Garry, 2000, 'Quirkiness in Australian Cinema', Australian Screen Education, no. 29, 2002: 30-35

Keith Connolly, "Playing The Confidence Game", Sunday Age, 16 October 1994, p7

Stephen Holden, "Dreams and Disabilities", The New York Times, 15 August 1997 Page 8, Column 5

www.imdb.com

www.afc.gov.au

New: 28 May 2003 | Now: 28 May 2003