Jerry and Marge Go Large
Annette Bening and Bryan Cranston star in JERRY AND MARGE GO LARGE. (Photo: Paramount)
Even better than watching the titular protagonists score big in Jerry and Marge Go Large would be living their post-retirement lives of unexpected luxury.
This amusing and heartwarming caper comedy about an unassuming senior couple gaming the system benefits from sterling performances even as it falls victim to some third-act contrivances.
For them, taking advantage of a lottery loophole is a simple matter of mathematical know-how requiring the sort of patience and persistence that most people lack. And with a focus on philanthropy over greed, it’s enough to make anyone envious.
Jerry (Bryan Cranston) isn’t ready for retirement after four decades at a Michigan cereal plant. Financially he’s set, thanks to years of responsible financial decisions, but emotionally, he’s unsure about the transition.
His wife, Marge (Annette Bening), tries to be reassuring, while also realizing that their golden years could use a spark. “As long as you and I have each other, we’re not afraid to be stupid,” she explains.
Failing at traditional hobbies, statistics whiz Jerry begins fascinated with the state lottery, particularly a game that’s less lucrative but yields a higher percentage chance of winning. Jerry crunches the numbers to realize that he’s virtually guaranteed a modest jackpot by purchasing a high volume of tickets. Best of all, it’s completely legal.
Clean-cut and hard-working, Jerry is the last person you’d suspect of perpetrating such an impulsive plan. Yet before long, the success becomes addictive, and the couple forms a syndicate of friends and neighbors, hand-buying and hand-counting thousands of entries per week.
Various complications ensue, but as they eventually amass a small fortune in winnings, it becomes apparent that money wasn’t the primary motivator, after all.
The screenplay, based on a true-life story chronicled in a 2018 Huffington Post article, touches without dwelling on issues like aging, commitment, and socioeconomic challenges facing middle-class seniors.
Without inherently cinematic subject matter or charismatic heroes, the film struggles to find a deeper emotional resonance beneath the logistics and execution of their ruse. Plus, it lacks development in the periphery roles.
Still, as directed by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada), the pace is lively and the laughs are plentiful. Between its small-town charm and winning characters, the success of Jerry and Marge Go Large is more about skill than luck.
Rated PG-13, 96 minutes.