Lucky Girl (2001)

the audience applauded

A lot of fun.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This 2001 Canadian made-for-TV movie has been airing on the Lifetime Movie Network under the title "My Daughter's Secret Life," leading one to expect another cheesy, moralistic "Moment of Truth" type chick flick. "Lucky Girl" is anything but. It's a flawed but relentlessly absorbing character study that keeps the suspense flowing until the end. There's literally not a dull moment. The exquisite Elisha Cuthbert, Canada's answer to Marilyn Monroe, gives a strong performance as a high school honors student who develops an addiction to gambling. The movie is anything but a case study, though: it's almost a worse-case scenario of just how much trouble teenage girls are capable of getting into, almost a cross between "thirteen" and "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me." Though not as troubled, Cuthbert's character does bear a certain resemblance to the late lamented Laura Palmer as played by Sheryl Lee. She's a gorgeous high school girl who goes to a school where all the girls are gorgeous . . . literally! There's not a single ugly girl or even a respectable plain Jane on site! This is a high school where everybody is rich, good-looking, and spends all their money on football pools and poker. Besides Ms. Cuthbert, my favorite was Charlotte Sullivan as the decadent rich girl whose older brother becomes the heroine's partner in crime. All Cuthbert wants to do is earn money for a post-graduation trip to Europe with her BFF, but what starts with scratch-offs rapidly escalates into football pools, poker, after-hour casinos run by Asian gangsters featuring truly bad lounge singers, drugs, pornography, and the burglarizing of her own house. Cuthbert and Sherry Miller (as her mom) won the Canadian equivalent of Emmys, but the whole cast is excellent. This film is so melodramatic and over-the-top as to defy plausibility, but its relentlessly grim tone at least has the virtue of making viewers feel better about their own boring lives. As teenage bad-girl movies go, this one is one of the best, and is miles above such pathetic Hollywood drivel as "Freeway," despite the latter having Reese Witherspoon as its star.

Well, I guess that the opinions of this film vary so much because it all depends on whether or not the viewer was able to relate the content and the film overall. Personally, I thought the film was incredible and was one of the more realistic films I've seen in a long time. However, like I said, if someone can't relate to a lot of it, I can see how the movie would just be considered 'so-so' or worse by them. I am 18 years old so I was 17 not that long ago. In having a young person write dialog for the script, I thought it enhanced the film greatly because certain things that the girls do and especially say are so realistic amongst teenagers these days, and yes I have known eighteen/seventeen year olds who got addicted to gambling, which leads to drugs,smoking and alcohol that are so extremely close to what is portrayed in the film. In my opinion, I thought the camera gave it a documentary like feel that made it even more realistic and it wouldn't have had the same effect shot any other way. Also, the way the film changed into dreary color schemes during Kaitlin's (Elisha Cuthbert) downward spiral was also a nice touch. I'm aware it won for some awards (to all the people who say the direction, editing etc. was awful, I mean come on how bad could it be getting nominated for best editing at eh?) and I was glad to see it up for some DGC Craft Awards as well. I'm not positive if it was up for any Geminis, but it was deserving of nomination(s) without a doubt. Acting was amazing all around, Sherry Miller was outstanding as the mother, Elisha Cuthbert was so realistic and reminded me exactly of a girl that I knew growing up.Charlotte Sulivan didn't have many lines but had a great presence nonetheless, and I believe the most incredible performance of the entire film was delivered by Evan Sabba.This movie is simply wonderful! Elisha Cuthbert is a terrific actress, and I have a feeling that her career is just going to take off! This film is a great, depressing gambling flick. It's not one of those ordinary, could-never-happen-in-a-million-years stories, because stranger things have happened. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who's in a too-happy mood. Excellent Film, I look forward to seeing John Fawcett's next project...

I just saw this movie yesterday and I've been wanting to see it for a long time now. I didn't have any high expectations since lots of made-for-tv movies are lame, but this movie was really good. The story line was great and extremely dark. The most brilliant part is the acting. Elisha Cuthbert is simply amazing in this movie. I haven't seen her on anything else than '24' where she also does a great job, but she is so fantastic in this movie. Also the other actors and actresses are doing a really excellent job. I've never heard anything about teenagers gambling and this movie left me thinking if this really exist and how horrible it is. The scene in the end with Blair, his wife and Katlin is so dark and deep and it's so well performed by Elisha. If one of your tv-channels are showing this movie then it's a must see. I'll give it a 9,5 out of 10...

First of all, let me just say that if you are a fan of Elisha Cuthbert, like I am, then "Lucky Girl" is a must-see movie. Although I have not seen a whole lot of her work ("Mail to the Chief" and "24") I cannot imagine it getting any better than this. However, even if this movie had not been blessed with her presence, it would still be a very fine piece of work. Because it is a Canadian made-for-tv movie, I did not expect anything special, but I was pleasantly surprised. It is very well put together and the acting is top-notch. Cuthbert won the 2001 Gemini (Canadian television awards) for best actress in a dramatic program or mini-series and Sherry Miller, who plays her mother, won the Gemini for best supporting actress. The movie premiered in Canada on 4/8/01 on CTV and 'lucky' for those of us in the US, it was picked up by Lifetime, who changed the title to "My Daughter's Secret Life." But whatever it is called, do yourself a favor and see this movie.