(WYN News Now) – Game show genius or media mythbuster? A small-town cinema invites big questions with this true story thriller.
FREDONIA – The Cinema Series continues at the 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center with screenings of the true story-inspired “The Luckiest Man in America” on Sat., May 10, and Tues., May 13, at 7:30 p.m.
It’s May 1984. An unemployed ice cream truck driver steps onto the game show Press Your Luck harboring a secret: the key to endless money. But his winning streak is threatened when the bewildered executives uncover his real motivations.
Film Inquiry calls the film “quite delightful, and showcases the endless versatility of Paul Walter Hauser as a performer.” Substack calls it “an interesting story that offers something different from everything else currently in theaters.” The Los Angeles Times says “the film is so much more than just an exploration of this anomalous oddball story and character who
managed to outsmart the media. The focus on the control-room panic illustrates how these corporate narratives shape the myth of the American Dream, effectively deconstructing the fantasy that any of this was ever about luck at all.” Rated R for language, “The Luckiest Man in America” runs one hour, 30 minutes.
Tickets are available at the door for $7 (adults), $6.50 (seniors & Opera House members) and $5 (students) the night of each screening. The Opera House is equipped with assistive listening headsets for the hearing-impaired. Simply request one from any usher or staff member. The Opera House Cinema Series is generously sponsored by Lake Shore Savings.
The 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center is a member-supported not-for-profit performing arts center with a mission to “present the performing arts for the benefit of our community and region … providing access to artistic diversity … and high-quality programming at an affordable price.” It is located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.
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