‘The Luckiest Man in America' Review: Taking a Game Show for a Spin
In the movie's version of events, Michael (Paul Walter Hauser) earns his spot on the program by crashing an audition, claiming to be someone he's not. Bill Carruthers (David Strathairn), one of the show's creators, nevertheless sees star potential in his Everyman persona.
Is Michael a loose cannon? The screenplay, by Maggie Briggs and the film's director, Samir Oliveros, paints him as, at minimum, maladroit. He wears shorts with his tie and jacket. A woolly hairdo and beard look more freakish on Hauser than the real Michael's did on him. The character also seems fine with bending the show's rules, like the one that forbids phone calls during breaks.
Then Michael starts winning tens of thousands of dollars. And he keeps taking turns, even though each time he stands to lose it all. From here, the movie shifts into procedural mode, as the team in the control booth tries to sort out whether Michael is crazy or crafty. Shamier Anderson plays an employee who sleuths out Michael's background during the taping. Oliveros is more selective in providing access to the protagonist's thoughts.
The events, and the mind games, appear to have been goosed for dramatic interest. (One preposterous, surely invented interlude finds Michael wandering onto a talk show set and baring his soul to the host, played by Johnny Knoxville.) But it is still fun to watch Michael and CBS compete for the upper hand.
The Luckiest Man in America
Rated R. Language unfit for daytime TV. Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes. In theaters.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
40 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
‘Madam Secretary' co-stars Téa Leoni and Tim Daly are now real-life spouses
LOS ANGELES - Téa Leoni and Tim Daly, I now pronounce you Mr. & Mrs. "Madam Secretary." The pair of actors, who shared the screen on the CBS political drama, will now share a life together as husband and wife, making their TV romance a reality. Leoni, 59, and Daly, 69, tied the knot Sunday in a private ceremony, The Times confirmed Tuesday. Leoni and Daly began dating in the summer of 2014 and starred in "Madam Secretary" as United States Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord and her scholar husband Henry McCord. The series aired on CBS from September 2014 to December 2019. A representative for Leoni did not confirm additional details about the newlyweds' ceremony, but People reported that the actors' intimate nuptials took place in New York with only immediate family as attendees. Leoni and Daly began their romance just before the former finalized her divorce with "X Files" star David Duchovny. Leoni and Duchovny wed in 1997 after meeting on "The Tonight Show" and share two adult children, actor West Duchovny and Kyd Miller Duchovny. Before David Duchovny, Leoni was married to TV producer Neil Joseph Tardio Jr. from 1991 to 1995. Daly's marriage to Leoni marks his second: He was previously married to theater actor Amy Van Nostrand. The exes share children Sam and Emelyn. Before crossing paths on "Madam Secretary," both Leoni and Daly had established their screen careers with a variety of TV and film credits. Leoni came to the CBS series with films including "Bad Boys," "Spanglish" and "Jurassic Park III" under her belt. She also appeared in the series "The Naked Truth" and "Flying Blind." Daly's resume includes the series "Wings" and "Private Practice," and he voiced Superman in several animated projects. In a March 2024 interview with the "Really Famous With Kara Mayer Robinson" podcast, Daly spoke to its host about finding love on "Madam Secretary." He said his views about starting a committed relationship later in his life changed once he met Leoni. "It's the deepest, most fun, most truly intimate relationship I've ever had," he said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Miami Herald
41 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Q&A: ‘Love Island's' Iain Stirling reflects on the hit reality TV show that's taking over the country
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Iain Stirling, the comedian cracking jokes as contestants on "Love Island" battle it out for love and cash, is wrapping up the latest season of the reality TV megahit and hitting the road on a stand-up tour that's slated for shows in New York and Los Angeles this fall- and yes, his set will include "Love Island" material. Stirling has been the narrator of the reality TV dating competition for more than a decade, and even he couldn't believe how many people are gathering at local bars across the United States for " Love Island" watch parties. "I genuinely thought people were photoshopping them and sending them to me," Stirling shared during a recent video call from his home studio in London. "Love Island" has been popular in the U.K. for quite some time, with many fans in agreement that Season 5 was when it really hit is stride with contestants who are now household names such as Molly-Mae Hague, Tommy Fury and Maura Higgins, the last of which now hosts "Love Island: Aftersun" in the U.S. For Stirling, it's interesting to witness the rise in popularity of " Love Island USA" over the past year, and how it parallels the achievement of the U.K. version. He's been narrating the series since the show first aired on ITV2 in 2015, and joined the U.S. version of the show in 2022 when it made the move from CBS to NBC's streaming service Peacock. The success of the franchise has catapulted him to iconic U.K. theaters, such as the Apollo Theatre in London, and now he's bringing his stand-up to the States. In an interview edited for length and clarity, Stirling chats about "Love Island," the early stages of his stand-up career in Edinburgh, and other career highlights that have come, in part, thanks to his wildly popular narration of the TV show. Q. You've been the narrator of "Love Island" for 10 years. What's been the biggest change you've noticed with the series? A: The biggest change is how well the Islanders prime and prep themselves. In earlier series, it was more like a "Survivor" vibe. Everyone just got a bit disheveled, but now obviously they're very primed. Q. Are there any major differences you've noticed between narrating the U.K. version of the show compared to the U.S. version? A: You know what the biggest one is? I don't know if it's just a "Love Island" thing or if it's an American thing, but in the U.K., we joke about people's jobs all the time. In the U.K., it'll be like "my name's this and I do this for a living." Whereas in America, it's like "my name's this and I'm from here." Like what state or area in America you are is a bigger blueprint for what you're like as a person. We've got loads of jokes [on "Love Island" U.K.] about jobs. In the U.K., we're very straight when we say what we do for a living. I feel like in America, they have all this fancy language to make their jobs seem a bit fancier than what they actually are. In the U.K., we've got like dog walkers and farmers and stuff like that, whereas apart from "pool boy Austin," there wasn't really anyone who had a job that we could joke about. Q. What is the recording process like for both "Love Island USA" and U.K? A: It's a lot more fluid in the American one. But, fundamentally, it's the exact same process. The U.K. one, I write with Mark Busk-Cowley, who actually came up with the format of "Love Island" way back in the day. In America, there are three of us: Me, Steve Bugeja, and an amazing New York comic, Caroline Hanes. It feels more writer-roomy. We all chuck ideas around like a Saturday Night Live writer's room. Whereas me and Mark have been working together for so long, it's like joke, next one, joke, next one. Q. I don't know if you've seen, but "Love Island USA" watch parties have taken over across the country. A: I genuinely thought people were photoshopping them and sending them to me. And then I'm lucky because Caroline's from New York and she's of the right age and demographic that her friends watch it. And I'm online a little bit, but I'm also like a dad with two jobs, so I'm not really an online person. I've only now realized that it's not a joke. I genuinely thought someone was watching the Super Bowl and they'd green screen that, but it's legit. Q. I've been writing about "Love Island USA," and my editors were like, "Can we send you to a watch party and have you cover it?" A: Did you go? Q. I did. It was crazy. I went to one in West Hollywood. I got there two hours early, and 10 minutes later, all the seats were taken. Thirty minutes later, everyone is packed like sardines and it's standing room only. I think it was the best episode I could have seen live because it was one with the plot twist at the end that Nic and Olandria were safe. A: That's honestly so cool. I can't remember the year, but when "Love Island" U.K. really took off, and obviously it's still massive here, but when it was the same [height of popularity as what is in the U.S. now], it was when the World Cup was on, and England had a really deep run in the World Cup. So, there were loads of images of all the sports bars' screens, all showing England in the World Cup semifinals, but then there was another section of the bar that was "Love Island." And obviously, for a sports bar to not show the national team in the semifinals of a World Cup and show something else is nuts. Q. This season of "Love Island USA" has been a roller coaster for a lot of things, but there have also been quite a few iconic moments aside from the drama. What's been the most memorable moment for you in the U.S. this season? A: There's obviously Nic and Huda's "Mommy, Mamacita?" That's gone so viral, but even my voice over into it, I did a joke about Nic not knowing what a mother is. I think those little fun moments are incredible. Also, there's a really lovely, vindicating moment when everyone clocked how popular Amaya was, and she had about four guys fighting for her. It felt really full circle because to be yourself unapologetically, when you keep getting it thrown back in your face, must be so, so difficult. Especially when she's not got her phone to have that positive feedback from the American public. I found that really beautiful and empowering for her, and also hilarious that all these guys were shamefully being like, "You know what? I just realized I think you're great." And she got to go, "Piss off." Q. People who know you best from hearing your playful, cheeky comments as the narrator of "Love Island," what can they expect from your stand-up show? A: We do the Edinburgh Fringe Festival every year, where you have to come up with these narrative shows. There's a story at the heart of the show, and a theme and narrative. The closest thing I can compare it to is a Mike Birbiglia, if anyone's familiar with his stuff. I've never done stand-up about "Love Island," but I'm only doing a handful of dates, a couple of New York, and a couple of L.A., so I feel like with the way "Love Island" is going, I want to do some stuff on "Love Island." There's a really funny comparison: There's a male contestant in "Love Island" U.K. who's got a 4-year-old kid, just like Huda, and I find it really interesting how underplayed the male being on "Love Island" is compared to the mother being on "Love Island," I think that's really interesting, and just sort of bad, but also a funny area as a father to talk about. Q. You studied law at the University of Edinburgh. What led to the career pivot to comedy? A: I'm from Edinburgh and I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the reason I went to Edinburgh University is that they've got a group called the Edinburgh Improverts. It didn't quite work out there; improv wasn't my thing, so I started doing stand-up, and once I did stand-up, I fell in love. Q. Since your 2022 special "Failing Upwards," you and your wife have welcomed your first child together. Has fatherhood had a role in your comedy style? A: I like to keep my private life as private as I can. I've made an unwritten rule that I talk about being a father, but I don't talk about my daughter. I feel like that's her story to tell when she's old enough to tell it. The main change on stand-up is two things, and they sound like they counteract each other, but they totally don't. One, I've got a much bigger appreciation for people who spend money and take time to come and see my show. Now that I'm a parent, I'm the one that's got to book child care and find parking and do all that when I go to an event. So I really appreciate people that come to see me. And second, I think I'm a better stand-up because I'm a lot more relaxed. Before marriage and children, my whole self-worth was how good my stand-up was and how well it was received. Q. My final question: What's been your biggest career highlight? A: Probably putting on these American [tour] dates and them selling so well. It feels like such a massive achievement to do a voice-over in a reality television program. When you're doing voice over for two minutes in an hour-long show, and for anyone to leave that show going "that voice over was good," feels like such a massive achievement. When I first started doing it 10 years ago, I wasn't hired to write. My friend Mark [Busk-Cowley] was going to write it, but I went in the room every day and wrote it with him because, like, I'm in Spain. What else am I going to do? And then between us, we came up with this really fun way of doing it that no one else had done. And then when I did these big theaters in the U.K., the Hammersmith, Apollo in London, and all these mad theaters, because I do voice over on a reality television program, it's sort of wild. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Miami Herald
42 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Relive Historic JCSU Turnaround with Brick x Brick Marathon
They built it brick by brick. Now it's time to binge it. HBCU Gameday is giving fans a front-row seat to the grind, the glory, and the growth of HBCU football. The network is running a Media Day Marathon of its hit original series, Brick x Brickwith JCSU Football. The binge-worthy broadcast streams live on the HBCU Gameday YouTube page at 11 a.m., following the CIAA Media Day broadcast. Whether you're a die-hard alum, a current student, or just here for the vibes, this is almost five hours of must-watch HBCU content. The series begins in 2022 with the first win under head coach Maurice Flowers. That game marked the start of a new chapter. The journey unfolds through every rep, rally, and setback, building to the final spring practice of 2025. This isn't your average highlight package. Brick x Brick dives deeper. It shows the early mornings, the long road trips, the heartbreak, and the hustle. It celebrates the coaches and student-athletes who are building more than just a football program - they're building a legacy. With HBCU Media Days taking place across the country, now is the perfect time to revisit the whole story. Each episode brings something new. From tense game weeks to quiet locker room moments, it tells the story of what it means to fight for greatness. It shows how HBCUs continue to shape elite athletes, powerful leaders, and unforgettable moments. The energy is raw. The storytelling is real. And the culture is front and center. Brick x Brick wth JCSU Football is more than a series. It's a reminder of what makes HBCU football special. The Media Day Marathon gives fans a rare chance to see the entire journey in one sitting. So grab your hoodie, fire up the group chat, and tune in-it's as fire as ever. The post Relive Historic JCSU Turnaround with Brick x Brick Marathon appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
