All Rise...

You can make your own luck, but Judge Brett Cullum says you can't make this movie get better unless you are truly gifted

The Charge

Good luck charm. Bad luck magnet.

Opening Statement

Just My Luck could be a documentary. Lindsay Lohan has been blessed ever since she was a child star in The Parent Trap, and the world's been at her feet ever since. Yet the wheels of fortune spin hard and fast in Hollywood. Now Lohan is the subject of derision and scorn, as her partying and failure to appear on the set of Georgia Rules has prompted a Morgan Creek executive to call her a spoiled brat (in a memo that has become all too public). Even Anna Wintour (editor of Vogue) called her a bitch at a recent dinner party. World, meet where Lindsay's luck began to change—this rather innocent comedy about the ebb and tide of good and bad fortune. Good luck Lindsay! You're gonna need it.

Facts of the Case

Lindsay Lohan plays Ashley Albright, a rising star in the world of public relations in New York City. She's lucky—no, freakishly blessed. Cabs stop for her, weather lets up, guys ask her out, she gets promotions with a bat of an eye, and she even accidentally gets a famous person's dry cleaning instead of her own. She can't even play a scratch off game without winning. Meanwhile, Jake Hardin (Chris Pine, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement) can't catch a break. He's accident prone, and can't walk in to a room without falling. At a big party Ashley gives for a record company, the two end up dancing and kissing. Their luck switches, and Ashley gets fired. Jake saves a record mogul's life, and soon the band he manages gets signed. Ashley ends up with his old job, and all of his bad circumstances. Jake ends up in a penthouse with a successful rock band. Somehow they end up dating, and Ashley has to decide what's more important—the guy she loves, or the luck she craves.

The Evidence

Lindsay Lohan is in a strange stage of her career and development as an actress. She's a Britney Spears song come to life: "Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." In Just My Luck she looks far too young to be sporting the Sex and the City look of a Manhattan sophisticate. It's too much too soon, and I longed for her fresh innocence of the previous movies. She's certainly got the figure, but not the charisma yet to carry off the clothes and the heavy make-up. What's up with all of this?

Lindsay wants to grow up into the adult world of acting. That's why she's in this silly romantic comedy trying to look like a lady, but unfortunately the plot is too juvenile to pass as a bona fide chick flick. It dances right on the edge of being for teens, but it's a little dark for the under thirteen set. I'd say the demographic is 18-21 year old women, but they aren't going to find it smart enough to keep them enthralled even during a shopping break at the mall multiplex. It's a poor man's sequel to Freaky Friday without the charm of Jamie Lee Curtis along for the ride. It wants to be a sophisticated, single-gal comedy like Sex and the City, but comes off like a bad episode of That's so Raven. Nothing rings true in this messy affair. Missi Pyle (Galaxy Quest), who is usually a scream, looks lost in the mist of incoherence. Even British boy rock band McFly don't do a great job of playing themselves. Luck is not with anyone really.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

The DVD looks and sounds fine, as a movie made this recent should. The anamorphic widescreen delivers a crisp, accurate picture, and the surround sound plays well with the McFly soundtrack. Not a lot of extras though. Three deleted scenes, a featurette on the band, and a feature on the look of the movie. All in all, nothing that will support the movie or provide any enlightenment. Still, without commentary you're lucky you won't have to watch the feature one more time. Thanks for small miracles.

You know who'd like this one? Teenage girls may find it a sweet fluffy diversion, and parents won't mind since the most sexual thing that happens is some luck affecting lip locks. And I guess there is some sadistic glee from watching Lindsay getting knocked around at every turn. Although, something tells me that watching her all messy at an LA night club would be way more fun. She is still cute though even if this isn't the right vehicle for her. Forgiving fans may find themselves glad to get this one to complete their Lohan library.

Closing Statement

I love Lindsay, and I hope she kisses the right guy to bring her luck back soon. Maybe it was Robert Altman who cast her in Prairie Home Companion, but probably not given her recent brushes with bad luck in the tabloids and on the set of her latest project. But in the end, we make our own luck. And something tells me Lindsay has enough pluck to find it on her own. And if she's truly lucky, we'll all forget about this one quickly.

The Verdict

Guilty of being a painful ride, Just My Luck is bad mojo for everyone involved. Someone herd up all the black cats, and fold the ladders—their work is done here.

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