The Lucky Ones (Rachel McAdams, Tim Robbins, Michael Pena) — The title of the movie is meant to be ironic. They are lucky, and they’re not. Three soldiers, two home on 30-day leave from Iraq, the other finally getting out, ship home together. But a power failure cancels hundreds of flights and these three strangers get together to rent a car and drive across the country rather than wait for days to get re-routed. Thus, the “road trip” begins. Not a new premise, but this is a well-acted character study that won’t do much box office.
Rachel McAdams abandons the cutesy roles to play young private, Colee Dunn; Tim Robbins is the aging veteran sergeant, Cheever, who is glad to be getting out and heading home to the wife he adores; and Michael Pena is Sergeant T.K. Poole, the prototypical conservative soldier who was wounded in his “private parts” returning to his girlfriend. These are all well-meaning, but damaged, people. On the road trip, we learn their stories, their delusions, and their realities. The trip and its twists are improbable, of course, but they have to be in order to meet the characters.
Robbins has taken to these wonderful roles in small films, comfortable I suppose to churn out artistic work over box office magic. Since Mystic River, he has been specializing in these damaged characters and does it splendidly. McAdams plays this part “down home Southern” and innocent, perhaps a stereotype for young women who enlist. Pena, who was wonderful in Crash and World Trade Center, provides the strength and vulnerability to pull off the most complex of the three characters.
The pace here is slow, and this film is only for those who like character studies and buddy films. I recommend it for movie buffs but not for those wanting just to escape and be entertained.