''Good Luck'' is a 1996

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

film directed by

Richard LaBrie Richard LaBrie is an American clinical psychologist and Emmy-nominated editor, director, producer, and writer. Early life and education LaBrie received his doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) from The California School of Professional Psychol ...

starring Gregory Hines and Vincent D'Onofrio as two physically disabled men who come together to challenge themselves out of their unsatisfactory lives.

Plot

Hines plays a former dental student, Bern Lemley, who had to quit school just before finals because of a car accident that left him in a wheelchair. D'Onofrio plays a former pro football player, Ole Olezniak, who was blinded in a freak accident on the field. Before their accidents, Bern had been a tutor for Ole, and, after quitting his post-accident job as a denture technician, he approaches Ole about teaming up to enter a white-water rafting race on Oregon's Rogue River.

Production

The film was shot in Georgetown, California Coos Bay, Winchester Bay, and Portland, Oregon.

Release

The movie had its world premiere at the 1996

Seattle Film Festival Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of ...

under the title ''The Ox and the Eye'', presumably because of D'Onofrio's brute strength and Hines's ability to see. It has also been known as ''Guys Like Us'' and ''Gimps'', a term Hines uses in the movie to refer to his and D'Onofrio's characters. It was shown as a sneak preview during the

1996 Summer Paralympics The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, were held from August 16 to 25. It was the first Paralympic Games, Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million. It was the first Paralympic Games ...

in Atlanta. It was released in theaters under its present title on March 7, 1997.

Reception

Emanuel Levy of '' Variety'' found the film to be "only a notch above the inspirational earnestness of a routine telepic", but praised it for the "strong rapport" between Hines and D'Onofrio. '' New York Times'' reviewer Lawrence Van Gelder called it a "sweet, modest clone" of other inspirational movies that surpassed expectations due to its excellent acting. Similarly, John Anderson of the '' Los Angeles Times'' noted the potentially melodramatic concept, but found it to be elevated by its performances. Leah Rozen of '' People'' gave the film a positive notice, calling it "a small picture with a huge heart." '' Entertainment Weekly'' gave it a "B+" grade and said it was a "quietly quirky movie" that "turns genuinely uplifting".Review of ''Good Luck''
'' Entertainment Weekly'', August 22, 1997.

References

External links

* *{{Rotten Tomatoes, good_luck 1996 films Films shot in Oregon 1990s English-language films