Just My Luck (2006 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Just My Luck

| image = justmyluck.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Donald Petrie

| screenplay = {{ubl|I. Marlene King|Amy B. Harris}}

| story = {{ubl|Jonathan Bernstein|Mark Blackwell|James Greer|I. Marlene King}}

| producer = {{ubl|Arnon Milchan|Arnold Rifkin|Donald Petrie}}

| starring = {{ubl|Lindsay Lohan|Chris Pine|Faizon Love|Missi Pyle|McFly}}

| cinematography = Dean Semler

| editing = Debra Neil-Fisher

| music = Teddy Castellucci

| studio = {{ubl|Regency Enterprises|New Regency|Cheyenne Enterprises}}

| distributor = 20th Century Fox

| released = {{Film date|2006|5|12|United States}}

| runtime = 103 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $28 million

| gross = $38.2 million{{Cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=justmyluck.htm|title=Just My Luck}}

}}

Just My Luck is a 2006 American romantic comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, based on a screenplay by I. Marlene King and Amy B. Harris.[http://www.celebritywonder.com/movie/2006_Just_My_Luck.html 2006 Just My Luck - Movie reviews, trailers, clips and stills] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516193926/http://www.celebritywonder.com/movie/2006_Just_My_Luck.html|date=2008-05-16}} The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Chris Pine, Faizon Love, Missi Pyle, and McFly. The story follows Ashley Albright, a successful and extraordinarily lucky public relations executive in Manhattan, whose fortunes are mysteriously swapped with those of Jake Hardin, a struggling music producer plagued by constant misfortune, after a kiss at a masquerade ball.

Just My Luck was released in the United States on May 12, 2006, by 20th Century Fox. It received generally negative reviews from critics and grossed approximately $38 million worldwide against a production budget of $28 million. The 2019 Thai television series One Night Steal was based on the film.

Plot

In New York City, Ashley Albright is a public relations executive at Braden & Co. who has experienced remarkable good fortune since childhood. In contrast, Jake Hardin, an aspiring music producer working as a janitor, faces daily misfortunes. Jake manages the British band McFly and has been trying unsuccessfully to get their demo to record executive Damon Phillips.

Ashley hosts a masquerade ball for her firm, which Jake sneaks into hoping to meet Phillips. A fortune teller at the event tells Ashley her luck will change. During the ball, Jake and Ashley share a dance and kiss, unknowingly switching their luck.

After the kiss, Jake saves Phillips from an oncoming car. Phillips listens to the demo and agrees to work with McFly. Meanwhile, Ashley is arrested along with her boss, Peggy, when an invited guest turns out to be a prostitute. She loses her job, and her apartment is condemned due to flooding and mold. She moves in with her friends Maggie and Dana.

Ashley contacts the fortune teller, who tells her someone else needed her luck. She realizes the masked stranger she kissed must have it. Jake’s life improves while Ashley tries to reverse the exchange by kissing every male dancer from the ball, without success. At a diner, she has a breakdown, and Jake—who does not recognize her—offers her a job at the bowling alley he has just left.

They become friends, and Ashley introduces Jake to Maggie, a singer-songwriter. He decides to use her song in an upcoming McFly concert at the Hard Rock Cafe. Ashley overhears Jake saying his luck changed after the masquerade. Realizing he was the masked dancer, she kisses him again and regains her luck.

Peggy offers to rehire Ashley if she helps with a client meeting. Ashley learns that Maggie’s song has been removed from the concert. Jake and McFly begin experiencing bad luck again. Ashley skips the meeting and goes to the concert venue, where she kisses Jake and returns the luck to him. The concert proceeds successfully, and Maggie’s song is performed.

Ashley prepares to leave New York. Jake finds her at Grand Central Terminal and realizes she was the woman from the ball. He says he is willing to give up his luck to be with her. They kiss again, and their luck continues to switch. Their friend Katy arrives, and they simultaneously kiss her on the cheeks, transferring the luck to her. She wins a $25 lottery ticket. As Jake and Ashley walk outside, a burst water pipe sprays them.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Lindsay Lohan as Ashley Albright
Chris Pine as Jake Hardin
McFly as themselves
Faizon Love as Damon Phillips
Samaire Armstrong as Maggie Smith
Bree Turner as Dana Adams
Missi Pyle as Peggy Braden
Makenzie Vega as Katy Hardin
Tovah Feldshuh as Madame Z
Jaqueline Fleming as Tiffany Richards
Chris Carmack as David Pennington
Carlos Ponce as Antonio Cordova
Dane Rhodes as Mac
J.C. Sealy as Aunt Marta Hardin

}}

Production

=Filming=

Principal photography for Just My Luck began in New Orleans, Louisiana, where interior scenes such as Ashley’s and Jake’s apartments were filmed prior to Hurricane Katrina. In March 2005, production moved to New York City for exterior sequences.{{cite web |title=Just My Luck Full Production Notes (2006) |url=http://madeinatlant.powweb.com/movies_central/2006/just_my_luck_production_details.htm |access-date=August 17, 2013 |publisher=Madeinatlant.powweb.com}} Notable filming locations in New York included 43 Fifth Avenue—an apartment building designed in 1905 by architect Henry Andersen—Christopher Park in Greenwich Village, the Lotte New York Palace Hotel (455 Madison Avenue), Central Park, Rivera Café (225 West 4th Street), the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, and Grand Central Terminal, where the film's final scene was shot.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397078/locations "Just My Luck" (2006) - Filming Locations. IMDB.com].[http://onthesetofnewyork.com/justmyluck.html "Just My Luck" - On the Set of New York, 2006]. During production, Lindsay Lohan sustained a sprained ankle, which temporarily hindered her ability to walk and prevented her from wearing heels.[https://movieweb.com/lindsay-lohan-and-the-cast-of-just-my-luck-talk-about-getting-lucky/ "Lindsay Lohan and the cast of Just My Luck talk about getting lucky!"] - MovieWeb.com. May 8, 2006.

Reception

=Box office=

Just My Luck opened at number four at the North American box office, earning $5.7 million during its opening weekend of May 12–14, 2006.{{cite web |title=Just My Luck |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397078/ |publisher=imdb |access-date=22 April 2025 |date=12 May 2006}} The film went on to gross $17.3 million in the United States and Canada. Internationally, it performed moderately, contributing to a worldwide total of approximately $38 million.

= Critical response =

Just My Luck received predominantly negative reviews from critics.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 14% of 111 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.9/10. The site's consensus reads: "Just My Luck asks little of its leads and less of its audience, adding up to a middling teen rom-com that sorely lacks sparks."{{Cite web |title=Just My Luck {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/just_my_luck |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}} On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 29 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews."{{Cite web |title=Just My Luck Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/just-my-luck/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.metacritic.com |language=en}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web |title=Cinemascore |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date=2018-12-20}}

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded Just My Luck 2 stars out of 4, describing it as "safe, competent, and bland," and wrote that while it was not particularly bad, it lacked any notable charm or energy.{{Cite web |title=A hard day’s plight movie review (2006) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/just-my-luck-2006 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.rogerebert.com |language=en-US}} A. O. Scott of The New York Times criticized the film's premise as underdeveloped and its execution as uninspired, stating that it "lacks the timing, charm, and wit to pull off its screwball ambitions."{{Cite news |last=Scott |first=A. O. |date=2006-05-12 |title=In 'Just My Luck,' Lindsay Lohan Is a Career Girl Hunting Love |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/12/movies/12luck.html |access-date=2025-04-21 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} James Berardinelli of ReelViews described the film as "a forgettable rom-com" that benefits from its brisk pacing and agreeable performances but suffers from a lack of originality or substance.{{Cite web |last=Berardinelli |first=James |title=Just My Luck |url=https://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/just-my-luck |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Reelviews Movie Reviews |language=en}}

In The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw called Just My Luck "undemanding and predictable" and noted that despite Lindsay Lohan's effort, the screenplay did not provide enough material to elevate the comedy.{{Cite news |last=MacNab |first=Geoffrey |date=2006-06-30 |title=Just My Luck |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2006/jun/30/7 |access-date=2025-04-21 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} Time Out referred to the film as a "cookie-cutter teen flick," suggesting it might appeal to Lohan's existing fanbase but offered little else of merit.{{Cite web |last=Rothkopf |first=Joshua |date=18 May 2006 |title=Just My Luck - Review |url=https://www.timeout.com/movies/just-my-luck |website=TimeOut}} Slant Magazine criticized the film for being formulaic and unengaging, calling it "an unmagical magical comedy" that squandered its central conceit.{{Cite web |last=Schrodt |first=Paul |date=2006-05-18 |title=Review: Just My Luck |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/just-my-luck/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}

Empire similarly found Just My Luck lacking in imagination, with a review stating that it was "as light as air and just as forgettable."{{Cite web |date=2006-06-25 |title=Just My Luck |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/just-luck-review/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Empire |language=en}} Common Sense Media gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, noting that it contains mild language and suggestive humor, and felt it reinforced stereotypical gender roles despite its light tone.{{Cite web |last=Movie & TV reviews for parents |title=Just My Luck Movie Review {{!}} Common Sense Media |url=https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/just-my-luck |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=www.commonsensemedia.org |language=en}}

Accolades

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

! scope="col" |Award

! scope="col" |Date of the ceremony

! scope="col" |Category

! scope="col" |Recipients

! scope="col" |Result

! class="unsortable" scope="col" |{{Refh}}

rowspan="3" scope="row" |Teen Choice Awards

| rowspan="3" |20 August 2006

|Choice Movie – Romance

|Just My Luck

| {{nom}}

| rowspan="3" |{{Cite web |date=2006-06-19 |title=Teen Choice Awards Spread the Love - 'Lost,' Depp, Black earn multiple nominations - Zap2it |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060619222755/http://www.zap2it.com/tv/news/zap-teenchoicenominees,0,5591494.story?coll=zap-tv-headlines |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=web.archive.org}}{{Cite web |date=2015-02-09 |title=Britney Introduces K-Fed, Nick Lachey Scores ‘Awkward’ Award At Teen Choice 2006 - MTV |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150209024018/http://www.mtv.com/news/1538972/britney-introduces-k-fed-nick-lachey-scores-awkward-award-at-teen-choice-2006/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=web.archive.org}}

Choice Movie Actress – Comedy

| rowspan="3" |Lindsay Lohan

| {{nom}}

Choice Hissy Fit

|{{nom}}

rowspan="2" |Golden Raspberry Awards

|24 February 2007

|Worst Actress

|{{nom}}

|{{Cite web |date=2009-02-25 |title=Golden Raspberry Award Foundation |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225020341/http://www.razzies.com/history/06winners.asp |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=web.archive.org}}

6 March 2010

|Worst Actress of the Decade

|Lindsay Lohan (also for Herbie: Fully Loaded & I Know Who Killed Me)

|{{nom}}

|{{Cite web |date=2010-03-24 |title=Razzie Award nominations: Can Sandra Bullock win worst AND best actress? {{!}} Gold Derby {{!}} Los Angeles Times |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100324130603/http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/01/razzie-awards-razzies-nominations-7594106284-news-story-article.html |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=web.archive.org}}

Soundtrack

{{Infobox album

| name = Just My Luck

| type = soundtrack

| artist = McFly

| cover =

| caption =

| alt =

| released = June 11, 2006

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Pop rock

| length = 42:53

| label = Island

| producer = Julian Emery, Hugh Padgham, Jason Perry, Steve Power

| prev_title = Motion in the Ocean

| prev_year = 2006

| next_title = All the Greatest Hits

| next_year = 2007

}}

The film's soundtrack primarily features songs by the British pop rock band McFly and consists largely of material from their first two studio albums, Room on the 3rd Floor (2004) and Wonderland (2005). The album includes reworked versions of "5 Colours in Her Hair," "I've Got You," and "Unsaid Things," along with a censored single version of "I Wanna Hold You," rather than the original album versions. It also features the new track "Just My Luck," which was recorded specifically for the film. Although marketed as the official soundtrack, not all songs included on the album appear in the film. The European edition of the album features a slightly altered track listing and includes the hidden track "Get Over You" in the pre-gap.