Lucky Break (1994 film)

Last updated

Lucky Break
Paperback Romance Poster.jpg
US release poster
Directed by Ben Lewin
Written byBen Lewin
Produced byJudi Levine
Bob Weis
Starring Gia Carides
Anthony La Paglia
CinematographyVincent Monton
Edited byPeter Carrodus
Music by Paul Grabowsky
Production
companies
Generations Films
Lewin Films
Such Much Films
Pandora Cinema
Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)
Distributed by United International Pictures
Release date
  • 20 October 1994 (1994-10-20)(Australia)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
Box office$197,540 (Australia) [1]

Lucky Break (released in the United States as Paperback Romance) is a 1994 Australian romantic comedy film directed and written by Ben Lewin, about an eccentric romance novelist. [2] Actress Rebecca Gibney was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role by the Australian Film Institute in 1995 for her role in the film. [3] The film was a critical success in Australia [4] but flopped at both the domestic and international box office, where it received generally mixed reviews from critics.

Contents

Plot

Sophie (Gia Carides) is an Australian romance novelist, with a wild imagination. She is also a polio survivor who cannot walk without crutches and a leg brace and who is used to indulging her romantic and lustful fantasies (all of which are shown onscreen) only in her imagination and through her novels. After she breaks her leg and finds herself treated normally for the first time in her life, Sophie meets and begins a relationship with Eddie (Anthony LaPaglia). Similarly to one of Sophie's bodice-ripping page-turners, though, Eddie is about to marry his wealthy and shrewish fiancée, Gloria (Rebecca Gibney) and is also under police investigation for a recent jewelry robbery.

Cast

Reception

The film received rave reviews but did not do well at the box office, opening tenth in Australia with a gross of $114,950 in its first week. [4] [5] It went on to gross just $197,540 in Australia. [1]

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 33% based on 9 reviews, with an average rating of 5.4/10. [6]

David Stratton of Variety wrote "Lucky Break adds a few new wrinkles to the venerable and resurgent formula of romantic comedy. Writer/director Ben Lewin comes up with some oddball ideas again, but his screenplay lacks the wit and zaniness that might have propelled this modest offering into wider distribution". [7]

Related Research Articles

Halifax f.p. is an Australian television crime series produced by Nine Network from 1994 to 2002. The series stars Rebecca Gibney as Doctor Jane Halifax, a forensic psychiatrist (f.p.) investigating cases involving the mental state of suspects or victims. The series is set in Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony LaPaglia</span> Australian actor (born 1959)

Anthony LaPaglia is an Australian actor. He has won three AACTA Awards, Best Actor in a Leading Role for Lantana (2001) and Balibo (2009), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Nitram (2021).

<i>The Coca-Cola Kid</i> 1985 film by Dušan Makavejev

The Coca-Cola Kid is a 1985 Australian romantic comedy film. It was directed by Dušan Makavejev and stars Eric Roberts and Greta Scacchi. The film is based on the short stories The Americans, Baby, and The Electrical Experience by Frank Moorhouse, who wrote the screenplay. It was entered into the 1985 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Death in Brunswick</i> 1990 Australian film

Death in Brunswick is a 1990 Australian black comedy/romance starring Sam Neill, Zoe Carides and John Clarke. It is based on the 1987 comic novel of the same name by Boyd Oxlade.

<i>Bad Eggs</i> 2003 Australian film

Bad Eggs is a 2003 Australian comedy movie, written and directed by Tony Martin. It stars Mick Molloy, Bob Franklin and Judith Lucy, with Alan Brough, Bill Hunter, Marshall Napier, Nicholas Bell, Steven Vidler, Shaun Micallef, Robyn Nevin, Brett Swain, Denis Moore and Pete Smith having supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gia Carides</span> Australian actress (born 1964)

Gia Carides is an Australian actress. She portrayed Liz Holt in Strictly Ballroom (1992), Susy Connor in Brilliant Lies (1996), and Cousin Nikki in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise (2002-2023).

Zoe Carides is an Australian actress of film and television, who is best known for her roles in Death in Brunswick as Sophie, G. P. as Dr. Sonia Kapek and Grass Roots as Liz Murray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steady Eddy</span> Australian comedian

Christopher Widdows is an Australian stand-up comedian and actor primarily known by the stage name 'Steady Eddy.' Born with cerebral palsy, his disability became a key part of his comedy, hence his performing moniker.

<i>Betsys Wedding</i> 1990 film by Alan Alda

Betsy's Wedding is a 1990 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Alan Alda. The film stars Alda, Joey Bishop, Madeline Kahn, Catherine O'Hara, Joe Pesci, Ally Sheedy, Bibi Besch, Burt Young, and Molly Ringwald. It was theatrically released in the United States on June 22, 1990, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

<i>Music and Lyrics</i> 2007 American film

Music and Lyrics is a 2007 American musical romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Marc Lawrence. It focuses on the relationship that evolves between a former pop music idol and an aspiring writer as they struggle to compose a song for a reigning pop diva.

Daydream Believer aka The Girl Who Came Late is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film starring Miranda Otto, Martin Kemp and Gia Carides; and directed by Kathy Mueller. Otto was nominated for an Australian Film Institute Award for "Best Actress in a Lead Role".

<i>Brilliant Lies</i> 1996 Australian film

Brilliant Lies is a 1996 Australian drama film produced by Bayside Pictures and Beyond Films. It stars Gia Carides and Anthony LaPaglia. It was directed by Richard Franklin and produced by Sue Farrelly, Kim McKillop and Richard Franklin. It was written by Peter Fitzpatrick and Richard Franklin, based on a play by David Williamson.

<i>Fovou tous Ellines</i> 2000 Australian film

Fovou tous Ellines is a film directed by John Tatoulis. Filmed in Australia and the island of Crete, Greece it is a romantic comedy / drama that stars Lakis Lazopoulos alongside Zoe Carides, Claudia Buttazzoni and John Bluthal.

<i>Winter of Our Dreams</i> 1981 Australian film

Winter of Our Dreams is a 1981 Australian drama film directed by John Duigan. Judy Davis won the Best Actress in a Lead Role in the AFI Awards for her performance in the film. The film was nominated in 6 other categories also. It was also entered into the 13th Moscow International Film Festival where Judy Davis won the award for Best Actress.

Shelley Scown is an Australian singer, musician and educator who has contributed widely to the Australian and Indigenous music industry.

<i>Mental</i> (2012 film) 2012 film by P. J. Hogan

Mental is a 2012 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by P. J. Hogan. The film stars Toni Collette, Anthony LaPaglia, Liev Schreiber, and Rebecca Gibney. It follows a hitchhiker transforming a family's life when she becomes the nanny of five teenage girls whose mother has cracked from her husband's political ambitions and his infidelity.

<i>Midnite Spares</i> 1983 Australian film

Midnite Spares is a 1983 Australian action film starring Gia Carides, James Laurie, Max Cullen, Graeme Blundell, Bruce Spence, David Argue and Jonathan Coleman.

<i>Shotgun Wedding</i> (1993 film) 1993 Australian film

Shotgun Wedding is a 1993 Australian film based on the Wally Mellish siege. Directed by Paul Harmon, it stars Aden Young and Zoe Carides. The 1996 film Mr. Reliable was also based on the same story.

<i>Three Summers</i> 2017 Australian film

Three Summers is an Australian romantic comedy film, written and directed by Ben Elton.

Halifax: Retribution is a continuation sequel to the original Halifax f.p. series (1994–2002) which premiered on 25 August 2020 on the Nine Network in Australia. Rebecca Gibney returns as Doctor Jane Halifax who, after years as a university professor, is brought back into the forensic psychiatrist field to help the police task force find a new serial killer. The series is again set in Melbourne.

References

  1. 1 2 "Australian Films at the Australian Box Office" Archived 9 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine . Film Victoria. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  2. ↑ Andrew L. Urban, "Ben Lewin", Cinema Papers, October 1994 p38-42.
  3. ↑ "Lucky Break". IMDb . Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 Groves, Don (31 October 1994). "Autumn falls on vibrant o'seas B.O.". Variety . p. 14.
  5. ↑ "International box office". Variety . 31 October 1994. p. 14. $84,522; $A1.36=$1
  6. ↑ "Lucky Break (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  7. ↑ Stratton, David (3 October 1994). "Lucky Break". Variety .


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.