Lucky

As the curtain opens on Lucky, we find ourselves in the quiet, sun-kissed desert town of Piru, California, where 90-year-old Harry Dean Stanton embarks on a poignant exploration of his own mortality. Our protagonist begins each day with a deliberate routine: yoga poses by the window, a cigarette lit, and a glass of cold milk savored - a ritual that's both comforting and bittersweet.

Lucky inhabits a small, modest home, surrounded by the sparse furnishings of a life well-lived. His social circle is limited to Joe (Barry Shabaka Henley), the warm-hearted owner of the local diner, and his staff, with whom Lucky enjoys a deep camaraderie. Over cups of coffee, they engage in lively banter, as Joe gently urges Lucky to quit smoking, citing its potentially lethal consequences. Lucky's response is characteristically defiant: "If it could kill me, I'd be dead already." This fleeting moment of levity belies the undertone of mortality that permeates every aspect of his existence.

As the days pass, Lucky becomes a familiar fixture at the diner, where he devotes himself to solving crossword puzzles and sipping coffee. His daily routine is punctuated by trips to the local market, where he purchases another pack of cigarettes and carton of milk, eliciting amused remarks from Bibi (the proprietor) about her son Juan's impending tenth birthday. Lucky's playful jab at the youngster - "Juan Wayne" - underscores his connection with the community.

Night falls, and Lucky finds himself among the regulars at a local watering hole, where he shares Bloody Marys with Howard (David Lynch), a man still reeling from the loss of his beloved pet tortoise. The evening wears on, filled with stories and laughter, yet beneath the surface lies an unspoken awareness of life's fragility.

The following morning, Lucky stumbles into his doctor's office, only to be given a clean bill of health by Dr. Christian Kneedler (Ed Begley Jr.). The physician's words are laced with amazement: "You're a wonder of medical science." This unexpected turn is tempered by the doctor's revelation that he has known Lucky since childhood, sparking a subtle introspection about the passing of time.

As the diner's morning bustle returns, Lucky's usual jests and jabs at his friends are met with concern rather than laughter. His vulnerability seeps into their collective psyche, as they begin to confront their own mortality. In a poignant moment of candor, Lucky utters those telling words: "What's the fucking point?" The screen fades to black, leaving the audience with an unshakeable sense that life's fleeting nature has finally caught up with our protagonist.

As the evening unwinds, Lucky finds himself lost in thought, his mind wandering back to a childhood trauma as he confides in a friend over the phone. The painful memory of accidentally shooting a mockingbird with his BB gun still lingers, leaving him haunted by the oppressive silence that followed. After sharing this tale of woe, Lucky hangs up the phone and heads to the local watering hole, where he encounters Paulie (James Darren) spinning yarns about his own life experiences.

As they swap stories, Lucky can't help but ponder his own existence, marred as it is by a lack of meaningful relationships. His thoughts are interrupted by Howard's eccentricities, which reach new heights as the old man discusses his peculiar desire to leave all his worldly possessions to his beloved pet tortoise, President Roosevelt. Lucky's ire is piqued by Howard's perceived foolishness, and he takes it upon himself to shake the old man out of his complacency, reminding him that everyone in this world is ultimately alone.

Days later, Loretta (Yvonne Huff) from the diner pays Lucky a visit, bearing gifts of nostalgia in the form of VHS tapes featuring the flamboyant Liberace. As they indulge in a haze of marijuana-fueled reminiscence, Lucky regales her with tales of his time in the US Navy, where he served as a cook on an LST during the war in the Pacific.

Meanwhile, a chance encounter with lawyer Bobby Lawrence (Ron Livingston) at the diner sparks a conversation about the unpredictability of life. Bobby shares a harrowing tale of narrowly avoiding a fatal car accident, leaving Lucky to ponder the fragility of existence.

In a bizarre turn of events, Lucky's quest for companionship leads him to a pet store, where he ultimately decides against adopting a small animal and instead settles on a packet of live crickets. The next morning at the diner, Lucky strikes up a conversation with Fred (Tom Skerritt), a grizzled Marines veteran of World War II. As they swap war stories, Lucky finds himself opening up about his own experiences in the Pacific Theater, where he earned his nickname as a result of his relatively safe job as a cook on an LST.

As Fred shares a poignant tale from his Pacific war experience, the gravity of his words hangs in the air like a heavy mist. He recounts how, after the Marines secured the beach, the locals, desperate and despairing, began to take their own lives by leaping from the cliffs. The Japanese had spread a toxic lie, Fred explains, telling them that the Americans would bring only destruction and brutality upon their arrival. Amidst the chaos of battle, Fred came across a young girl who stood out amidst the devastation - her smile was radiant, as if it had been born from the very core of her being. Her expression seemed to defy the bleak surroundings, leaving Fred to ponder how she could find joy in the face of such unrelenting hardship and death.

For Fred, this encounter was a powerful reminder that there are no medals for bravery like hers - no honor or recognition can truly capture the essence of her selfless courage. As he finishes his story, the somber atmosphere is palpable, the weight of his words still resonating in the minds of those around him.

Later, Lucky finds himself enveloped by warmth and camaraderie as he attends Bibi's son Juan's birthday celebration. The joy and laughter of the party are infectious, drawing even the stoic Lucky into its orbit. As the festivities conclude, he surprises the guests with a heartfelt rendition of a traditional Spanish song, his voice blending harmoniously with the atmosphere.

As night falls, Lucky returns to his usual haunt, the bar, seeking solace in his beloved Bloody Mary drinks. He engages in lively banter with Howard, Paulie, and others, sharing stories about his life and experiences. Despite Howard's claims that everything has its purpose, including the eventual departure of companions, and that all things must come to an end, Lucky can't help but feel a sense of existential dread wash over him.

As he lights up a cigarette at the bar, much to the dismay of the owner, Elaine, Lucky broaches the subject of public smoking, which once landed him in hot water at Eve's. He muses aloud about how everything that exists will eventually disappear, leaving only Nothingness behind. Elaine asks pointedly what one is supposed to do with Nothing, and Lucky responds with a wry smile - you smile.

His words have an unexpected effect, transforming the mood of the bar from melancholy to mirthful. As the atmosphere lightens, Lucky takes a deep drag on his cigarette, then steps outside into the night air, leaving the shadows of his thoughts behind.

As the morning sun casts its warm glow over the desolate landscape, Lucky emerges from his humble abode, his senses stirring from a nocturnal slumber. He begins his daily ritual, a soothing sequence of hot black coffee, gentle yoga stretches, and a glass of chilled milk, sipped with deliberate intent. With his caffeine fix in hand, he tends to his clockwork routine, setting the timer on his coffee machine with precision and tidying up the domestic chaos that has accumulated over the months.

As he steps out into the crisp morning air, Lucky embarks on his habitual stroll through town, passing by the picturesque Eve's Botanic Garden, a once-familiar haunt now shrouded in nostalgia. The memory of being banned for public smoking still lingers, a minor transgression that has not dimmed his affinity for the tranquil surroundings.

As he ventures further into the desert wilderness, Lucky pauses to light up a cigarette, his gaze drifting upwards to a majestic cactus standing sentinel over its smaller, more fragile companions. In a subtle yet deliberate breach of the fourth wall, he turns his attention directly to the camera lens, flashing a warm smile before resuming his solitary journey.

As the sun begins to dip towards the horizon, Lucky reenters the desert trail path, his footsteps echoing through the stillness. It is then that a slow-moving tortoise, its shell weathered and worn, makes its way across the path, its deliberate pace belied by the sudden disappearance into the desert underbrush as if swallowed whole by the arid landscape.