"Jerry & Marge Go Large" is a comedy drama film based on the HuffPost article of the same name by Jason Fagone. Directed by David Frankel ("The Devil Wears Prada", "Marley & Me") and starring Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening, it tells a good-natured tale of a husband and wife having some fun during their golden years.
In Evart, Michigan, Jerry (Bryan Cranston) and Marge Selbee (Annette Bening) are an ageing married couple who believe the excitement in their marriage is dwindling. Shortly after retiring from his managerial job at a factory, Jerry uses his mathematical skills to discover a flaw in their state's lottery and decides to exploit this loophole to his advantage. Later, Jerry recruits Marge in on the scheme, and the two eventually accumulate a sizable amount of cash from the large number of lottery tickets they have purchased. With little use for the money themselves, the couple instead decide to use their winnings to restore their dilapidated town back from economic ruin.
If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you'd do with your prize money? I'm sure many people would spend it on things like a lavish holiday around the world or an expensive car or two (or three?). Personally, I'd buy myself a nice house to live in, not necessarily a great big mansion but at least somewhere I'd be happy to call a good home. One thing's for sure, there wouldn't be too many people willing to spend their entire jackpot on helping out an entire town, but in "Jerry & Marge Go Large", we see the unlikely true story of an altruistic couple who did just that.
There's not really a whole lot that can be said about a movie with such a simple concept so don't go in expecting to be blown away. This is a relatively straightforward story that uses its source material to an extent that just barely works for it to be told as a feature film. With that in mind, it still manages to deliver in terms of wholesomeness and a general sense of doing a good deed, which is more than what most other forms of entertainment can pull off these days. I must say it's quite comforting to watch a film that sends the positive message that there are still some good people out there willing to help others, as opposed to those who just want to watch the world burn. This is enhanced by the fact that Jerry and Marge are in fact real people who have actually made a difference in the world, and I like the fact their kindness is now immortalised in film form.
Of course, as is the case with any film based on true events, there are likely to be some details exaggerated for dramatic effect. It is shown during the couple's manipulating escapades that they are not the only ones with this ingenious idea. We soon learn that a pair of students from Harvard University are using similar tactics to take advantage of the lottery's broken system, which throws a spanner in the works of the couple's grand scheme. This sets off something of a battle of the generations between the Baby Boomer Selbees and the Millennial/Gen Z college students. Though something like this really did happen according to the original article, it mostly felt like it was inserted into the film simply to pad out the runtime and add an obligatory obstacle for the couple to deal with. It's pretty obvious how things will turn out in the end for both the Selbees and the students, so it all felt like a somewhat unnecessary addition to the story.
The real selling point for this film, in my view, was the likable performances of both Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening in the lead roles. Cranston obviously has prior experience playing a character known for money laundering so it seems like a no-brainer that he emulate some of that here, albeit, in a more light-hearted manner. Jerry is a man who, like Walter White, believes he has done nothing particularly exciting in his life up until now and wants to do something to fix that. We can't help but want Jerry to succeed through his unconventional yet perfectly logical reasoning, especially since he's doing it all for selfless purposes. I did get kind of lost trying to figure out some of the complex calculations he was making when trying to deduce what strategy to use, but it didn't really matter in the long run since it was only really there to enhance the film's entertainment value and nothing else.
As Jerry's supportive wife, Annette Bening does a nice enough job filling the role of the cheerful Marge. Unlike her husband, Marge is shown to be more open to taking risks, almost immediately agreeing to join in when he inadvertently reveals his master plan to her. The film plays up the fun dynamic between the two characters so well that I can't really picture any other actors portraying them. I liked watching how they grow closer doing what would otherwise be considered painstakingly dull, such as counting through all of their winnings and driving interstate to find a different place that sells the lottery tickets. It gives the sense that these two are a real couple, capable of finding enjoyment in just each other's company, especially if that company involves a clever way of making thousands of dollars worth of lottery money.
For those in need of a break from all the toxic, selfish people out there, a film like "Jerry & Marge Go Large" should help remind you that not everyone is as awful as you may think. Although it's highly unlikely the film will be winning any major awards due to some of its artistic decisions, it nonetheless provides a decent way to pass the time on a lazy afternoon with its good intentions and humour sprinkled in for good measure. With all of that said, I think the world could certainly do with a lot more people like Jerry and Marge Selbee.
I rate it 7/10.
In Evart, Michigan, Jerry (Bryan Cranston) and Marge Selbee (Annette Bening) are an ageing married couple who believe the excitement in their marriage is dwindling. Shortly after retiring from his managerial job at a factory, Jerry uses his mathematical skills to discover a flaw in their state's lottery and decides to exploit this loophole to his advantage. Later, Jerry recruits Marge in on the scheme, and the two eventually accumulate a sizable amount of cash from the large number of lottery tickets they have purchased. With little use for the money themselves, the couple instead decide to use their winnings to restore their dilapidated town back from economic ruin.
If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you'd do with your prize money? I'm sure many people would spend it on things like a lavish holiday around the world or an expensive car or two (or three?). Personally, I'd buy myself a nice house to live in, not necessarily a great big mansion but at least somewhere I'd be happy to call a good home. One thing's for sure, there wouldn't be too many people willing to spend their entire jackpot on helping out an entire town, but in "Jerry & Marge Go Large", we see the unlikely true story of an altruistic couple who did just that.
There's not really a whole lot that can be said about a movie with such a simple concept so don't go in expecting to be blown away. This is a relatively straightforward story that uses its source material to an extent that just barely works for it to be told as a feature film. With that in mind, it still manages to deliver in terms of wholesomeness and a general sense of doing a good deed, which is more than what most other forms of entertainment can pull off these days. I must say it's quite comforting to watch a film that sends the positive message that there are still some good people out there willing to help others, as opposed to those who just want to watch the world burn. This is enhanced by the fact that Jerry and Marge are in fact real people who have actually made a difference in the world, and I like the fact their kindness is now immortalised in film form.
Of course, as is the case with any film based on true events, there are likely to be some details exaggerated for dramatic effect. It is shown during the couple's manipulating escapades that they are not the only ones with this ingenious idea. We soon learn that a pair of students from Harvard University are using similar tactics to take advantage of the lottery's broken system, which throws a spanner in the works of the couple's grand scheme. This sets off something of a battle of the generations between the Baby Boomer Selbees and the Millennial/Gen Z college students. Though something like this really did happen according to the original article, it mostly felt like it was inserted into the film simply to pad out the runtime and add an obligatory obstacle for the couple to deal with. It's pretty obvious how things will turn out in the end for both the Selbees and the students, so it all felt like a somewhat unnecessary addition to the story.
The real selling point for this film, in my view, was the likable performances of both Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening in the lead roles. Cranston obviously has prior experience playing a character known for money laundering so it seems like a no-brainer that he emulate some of that here, albeit, in a more light-hearted manner. Jerry is a man who, like Walter White, believes he has done nothing particularly exciting in his life up until now and wants to do something to fix that. We can't help but want Jerry to succeed through his unconventional yet perfectly logical reasoning, especially since he's doing it all for selfless purposes. I did get kind of lost trying to figure out some of the complex calculations he was making when trying to deduce what strategy to use, but it didn't really matter in the long run since it was only really there to enhance the film's entertainment value and nothing else.
As Jerry's supportive wife, Annette Bening does a nice enough job filling the role of the cheerful Marge. Unlike her husband, Marge is shown to be more open to taking risks, almost immediately agreeing to join in when he inadvertently reveals his master plan to her. The film plays up the fun dynamic between the two characters so well that I can't really picture any other actors portraying them. I liked watching how they grow closer doing what would otherwise be considered painstakingly dull, such as counting through all of their winnings and driving interstate to find a different place that sells the lottery tickets. It gives the sense that these two are a real couple, capable of finding enjoyment in just each other's company, especially if that company involves a clever way of making thousands of dollars worth of lottery money.
For those in need of a break from all the toxic, selfish people out there, a film like "Jerry & Marge Go Large" should help remind you that not everyone is as awful as you may think. Although it's highly unlikely the film will be winning any major awards due to some of its artistic decisions, it nonetheless provides a decent way to pass the time on a lazy afternoon with its good intentions and humour sprinkled in for good measure. With all of that said, I think the world could certainly do with a lot more people like Jerry and Marge Selbee.
I rate it 7/10.