Good Luck Chuck
Encyclopedia
Good Luck Chuck is a 2007 romantic comedy film
starring Dane Cook
and Jessica Alba
. In the film, women find their "one true love" after having sex
with a dentist named Chuck (Cook
). Chuck meets a girl named Cam (Alba
) and tries to become her true love.
The film opened in theaters on September 21, 2007 and was heavily panned by critics.
at a party in 1985, 10-year-old Charles "Chuck" Logan (Connor Price
) refuses to have sex with a goth
girl named Anisha (Sasha Pieterse
). In retaliation, Anisha places a curse
on Chuck, so that every single woman
he sleeps with will break up with him and marry the next man who asks her out.
In the present, Chuck (Dane Cook
) is in his thirties, and runs a dental practice in the same building as his best friend Stu's (Dan Fogler
) plastic surgery business. Chuck finds himself unable to tell his girlfriend, Carol (Chelan Simmons
), that he loves her, and she breaks up with him while having sex on the beach. At a wedding, Chuck becomes enamored with Cam Wexler (Jessica Alba
), a sometimes clumsy, but friendly marine biologist. Chuck asks Cam for a date, but she gently refuses him. While working at a penguin habitat, Cam accidentally slips and chips her tooth. When she visits Chuck to have it fixed, he asks her to go out with him instead of paying him. Though initially reluctant, Cam agrees. Meanwhile, Stu notices the pattern of girls getting married as soon as Chuck has sex with them. Stu eventually convinces Chuck to embrace the influx of women who have learned of his pattern and visit his practice, arguing that there's nothing better than having lots of guilt-free sex. However, after having this so called "guilt-free sex" with numerous women, Chuck decides he wants a serious relationship with Cam. However, just before he has sex with her, Stu informs him that each of the women Chuck has slept with have got married, including Carol. Worried that the same thing will happen to Cam, Chuck begins to avoid her.
Stu convinces Chuck to test the curse by having sex with an obese woman, and see if she marries afterward. Chuck asks Stu to ask the woman out to see if this results in marriage, and when it does not, Chuck concludes that the curse is fake, and has sex with Cam. Afterward, however, Stu confesses that he only pretended to ask the woman, and Chuck discovers that she indeed got married to another man. Chuck believes Cam wants to go out with Howard, who authored a book about penguins. Chuck attempts to track down Anisha. Now married with a child, Anisha tells Chuck that the curse wasn't meant to be real. Still convinced that Cam will date and eventually marry Howard, Chuck tries desperately to get Cam's attention and asks her to marry him. His attempts, though, cause Cam to become convinced he's stalking
her and she breaks up with him.
Now deciding to let fate take its course, Chuck puts Cam in touch with Howard, and the two seem to connect instantly. Stu convinces Chuck to chase after Cam, who is now headed to Antarctica with Howard. After Chuck finds her, Cam reveals that Howard is already married to someone else, and that she's only leaving for a week. Chuck hands Cam a ring box containing a pebble, a reference to the penguin mating ritual in which a male penguin finds a stone and brings it to the female penguin he wants to be with. Anisha is shown pulling a pin out of a voodoo doll, and the curse is finally broken. A year later, Chuck and Cam are in Antarctica together surrounded by penguins.
, only 5% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 110 reviews. On Metacritic
, the film had an average score of 19 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, indicating "extreme dislike or disgust".
Roger Ebert
awarded the film 1 out of 4 stars, branding it "potty-mouthed and brain-damaged" and "It looks like Dane Cook's face is literally melting off", whilst his reviewing partner, Richard Roeper
, gave an equally damning review, saying that "There is a scene in this movie where a penguin bites Dane Cook in the crotch. I'd like to find that penguin and buy it a drink."
The film earned two Razzie Award nominations including Worst Actress (Jessica Alba
) and Worst Screen Couple (Alba and Dane Cook
).
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
starring Dane Cook
Dane Cook
Dane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
and Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
. In the film, women find their "one true love" after having sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
with a dentist named Chuck (Cook
Dane Cook
Dane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
). Chuck meets a girl named Cam (Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
) and tries to become her true love.
The film opened in theaters on September 21, 2007 and was heavily panned by critics.
Plot
While playing a game seven minutes in heavenSeven minutes in heaven
Seven minutes in heaven is a teenager's party game first recorded as being played in Cincinnati in the early 1950s. Two people are selected to go into a closet or other dark enclosed space and do whatever they like for seven minutes. Sexual activities are allowed; however kissing and making out are...
at a party in 1985, 10-year-old Charles "Chuck" Logan (Connor Price
Connor Price
Connor Price is a Canadian actor.An early role was Young Bobby Jr in the television drama Sins of the Father . Other works include BB. Jammies, Harvey and Bud in the Save-Ums , and Jay Braddock in Cinderella Man...
) refuses to have sex with a goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
girl named Anisha (Sasha Pieterse
Sasha Pieterse
Sasha Pieterse is a South African-born American actress.-Career:She began acting in 2002, when she was given the role of Buffy Davis on the Warner Brothers remake of the popular show Family Affair. In 2004, she appeared in Stargate SG-1 and House...
). In retaliation, Anisha places a curse
Curse
A curse is any expressed wish that some form of adversity or misfortune will befall or attach to some other entity—one or more persons, a place, or an object...
on Chuck, so that every single woman
Woman
A woman , pl: women is a female human. The term woman is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent...
he sleeps with will break up with him and marry the next man who asks her out.
In the present, Chuck (Dane Cook
Dane Cook
Dane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
) is in his thirties, and runs a dental practice in the same building as his best friend Stu's (Dan Fogler
Dan Fogler
Daniel Kevin "Dan" Fogler is an American actor, playwright, and filmmaker.-Personal life:Fogler was born in Brooklyn, New York, the second child of Shari, an English teacher, and Richard Fogler, a surgeon. Fogler is Jewish...
) plastic surgery business. Chuck finds himself unable to tell his girlfriend, Carol (Chelan Simmons
Chelan Simmons
Chelan Simmons is a Canadian actress, professional model and performer.-Early life:Simmons was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the middle child of three .-Career:...
), that he loves her, and she breaks up with him while having sex on the beach. At a wedding, Chuck becomes enamored with Cam Wexler (Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
), a sometimes clumsy, but friendly marine biologist. Chuck asks Cam for a date, but she gently refuses him. While working at a penguin habitat, Cam accidentally slips and chips her tooth. When she visits Chuck to have it fixed, he asks her to go out with him instead of paying him. Though initially reluctant, Cam agrees. Meanwhile, Stu notices the pattern of girls getting married as soon as Chuck has sex with them. Stu eventually convinces Chuck to embrace the influx of women who have learned of his pattern and visit his practice, arguing that there's nothing better than having lots of guilt-free sex. However, after having this so called "guilt-free sex" with numerous women, Chuck decides he wants a serious relationship with Cam. However, just before he has sex with her, Stu informs him that each of the women Chuck has slept with have got married, including Carol. Worried that the same thing will happen to Cam, Chuck begins to avoid her.
Stu convinces Chuck to test the curse by having sex with an obese woman, and see if she marries afterward. Chuck asks Stu to ask the woman out to see if this results in marriage, and when it does not, Chuck concludes that the curse is fake, and has sex with Cam. Afterward, however, Stu confesses that he only pretended to ask the woman, and Chuck discovers that she indeed got married to another man. Chuck believes Cam wants to go out with Howard, who authored a book about penguins. Chuck attempts to track down Anisha. Now married with a child, Anisha tells Chuck that the curse wasn't meant to be real. Still convinced that Cam will date and eventually marry Howard, Chuck tries desperately to get Cam's attention and asks her to marry him. His attempts, though, cause Cam to become convinced he's stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
her and she breaks up with him.
Now deciding to let fate take its course, Chuck puts Cam in touch with Howard, and the two seem to connect instantly. Stu convinces Chuck to chase after Cam, who is now headed to Antarctica with Howard. After Chuck finds her, Cam reveals that Howard is already married to someone else, and that she's only leaving for a week. Chuck hands Cam a ring box containing a pebble, a reference to the penguin mating ritual in which a male penguin finds a stone and brings it to the female penguin he wants to be with. Anisha is shown pulling a pin out of a voodoo doll, and the curse is finally broken. A year later, Chuck and Cam are in Antarctica together surrounded by penguins.
Cast
- Dane CookDane CookDane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
(Connor PriceConnor PriceConnor Price is a Canadian actor.An early role was Young Bobby Jr in the television drama Sins of the Father . Other works include BB. Jammies, Harvey and Bud in the Save-Ums , and Jay Braddock in Cinderella Man...
, young) as Dr. Charles Logan - Jessica AlbaJessica AlbaJessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
as Cam Wexler - Dan FoglerDan FoglerDaniel Kevin "Dan" Fogler is an American actor, playwright, and filmmaker.-Personal life:Fogler was born in Brooklyn, New York, the second child of Shari, an English teacher, and Richard Fogler, a surgeon. Fogler is Jewish...
(Troy GentileTroy GentileTroy Gentile is an American teen actor.Gentile was born in Boca Raton, Florida, the son of Debbie Gentile, who once worked at the advertising department of the Boca Raton News, and Albert Farshi, from Iran...
, young) as Dr. Stuart Klaminsky - Chelan SimmonsChelan SimmonsChelan Simmons is a Canadian actress, professional model and performer.-Early life:Simmons was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the middle child of three .-Career:...
as Carol - Lonny RossLonny RossLonny Ross is a comedy actor and writer. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his work as Josh Girard on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock...
as Joe Wexler - Ellia EnglishEllia EnglishEllia English is an American singer, stage and film actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Aunt Helen on The Jamie Foxx Show. English was featured in a central role in the show, and was paired onscreen with Garrett Morris, who plays her husband Junior King.-Background:English was born...
as Reba - Annie WoodAnnie WoodAnnie Wood is an American film, television and voice-over actress, host and writer.Wood was born in Los Angeles and is best known as the bubbly host of the nationally syndicated dating game show Bzzz!...
as Lara - Jodie Stewart as Eleanor Skepple
- Michelle HarrisonMichelle HarrisonMichelle Harrison is a British author, whose debut novel, The 13 Treasures won the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize and has been sold for translation in 16 countries...
(Sasha PieterseSasha PieterseSasha Pieterse is a South African-born American actress.-Career:She began acting in 2002, when she was given the role of Buffy Davis on the Warner Brothers remake of the popular show Family Affair. In 2004, she appeared in Stargate SG-1 and House...
, young) as Anisha Carpenter - Jodelle Micah FerlandJodelle FerlandJodelle Micah Ferland is a Canadian actress, best known for her portrayal of Sharon and Alessa in the 2006 horror film Silent Hill, Mary Jensen in the 2004 miniseries Kingdom Hospital and her portrayal of Bree Tanner in the The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.-Life and career:Ferland was born in Nanaimo,...
as Lila Carpenter - Lindsay MaxwellLindsay MaxwellLindsay Maxwell is a Canadian film and television actress.Maxwell was born in Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, her parents, Patrick "Pat" and Rena Maxwell, own a salon where she worked as a licensed hairdresser. Maxwell has mostly Irish lineage and also has Dutch lineage...
as McTitty
Reception
The film has received extremely negative reviews. According to Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, only 5% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 110 reviews. On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, the film had an average score of 19 out of 100, based on 21 reviews, indicating "extreme dislike or disgust".
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
awarded the film 1 out of 4 stars, branding it "potty-mouthed and brain-damaged" and "It looks like Dane Cook's face is literally melting off", whilst his reviewing partner, Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper is an American columnist and film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times and now a co-host on The Roe Conn Show on WLS-AM...
, gave an equally damning review, saying that "There is a scene in this movie where a penguin bites Dane Cook in the crotch. I'd like to find that penguin and buy it a drink."
The film earned two Razzie Award nominations including Worst Actress (Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba
Jessica Marie Alba is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack . Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel...
) and Worst Screen Couple (Alba and Dane Cook
Dane Cook
Dane Jeffrey Cook is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released five comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed; Retaliation; Vicious Circle; Rough Around The Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden; and Isolated Incident. In 2006, Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album...
).
Box office
The film was the second-highest grossing film at the U.S. box office in its opening weekend, grossing $13.6 million in 2,612 theaters. The film went on to have a total box office tally of approximately $35 million U.S. and $24 million foreign.Soundtrack
The soundtrack was released on 18 September 2007.- "I Was Zapped by the Lucky Super Rainbow" (Flaming Lips)
- "Accident Prone" (The Honorary TitleThe Honorary TitleThe Honorary Title was an indie rock band from Brooklyn, New York. The band released their first self titled Ep "The Honorary Title" in 2003 and then their first album in 2004, Anything Else But the Truth, which was later re-released with five additional songs and two bonus videos.In early 2007...
) - "Good Luck Chuck" (The Dandy WarholsThe Dandy WarholsThe Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. The band was founded by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström, with keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford later joining. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by...
) - "Love It When You CallLove It When You Call"Love It When You Call" was the fourth single from The Feeling taken from their debut album Twelve Stops and Home. It was released on November 20, 2006. The song peaked at #18 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming their fourth Top 20 single....
" - Cherrytree House Version (The FeelingThe FeelingThe Feeling are a BRIT award-nominated English pop band from West Sussex and London. The band categorise their music as "pop".Following a limited release of their first single "Fill My Little World" in late 2005, the band entered the UK Singles Chart at #7 with their first full release "Sewn" in...
) - "Good Weekend" (Art Brut)
- "Hurry Up Let's Go" (Shout Out LoudsShout Out LoudsShout Out Louds are an indie rock band from Stockholm, Sweden.The group has toured with bands such as The Strokes, Kings of Leon, The Magic Numbers, The Rosebuds, The Essex Green, and Johnossi...
) - "Shut Me Out" (Aidan HawkenAidan HawkenAidan Hawken is an American singer-songwriter and musician from San Francisco, CA.-Life and career:Aidan Alexander Hawken was born in San Anselmo, California to Anna and Paul Hawken, environmentalist, entrepreneur and author of such books as “The Ecology of Commerce. Harper Collins, 1993...
) - 2:49 - "You're Gonna Get It" (Sharon Jones & The Dap-KingsSharon Jones & The Dap-KingsSharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are a funk/soul band. They are signed to Daptone Records, where the Dap-Kings are the house band. They are spearheads of a revivalist movement that aims to capture the essence of funk/soul music as it was at its height in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s...
) - "The Whistle Song" (PepperPepper (band)Pepper is a rock band originally from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The band's music is often classified as a combination of reggae, dub and rock. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Kaleo Wassman, vocalist/bassist Bret Bollinger, and drummer Yesod Williams...
) - "You Might ThinkYou Might Think"You Might Think" is a single by The Cars from their fifth studio album, Heartbeat City, which came out in 1984. The track was written by Ric Ocasek, and produced by Mutt Lange and The Cars. Ocasek sang lead vocals....
" (The CarsThe CarsThe Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
) - "PhysicalPhysical (Olivia Newton-John song)"Physical" is a song by Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John, released in September 1981. The song was an immediate success, shipping 2 million copies in the United States, being certified Platinum, and spending 10 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, ultimately becoming Newton-John's...
" (Olivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
) - "Bela Lugosi's DeadBela Lugosi's Dead"Bela Lugosi's Dead" is a gothic rock song written by the band Bauhaus. The song was the band's first single, released in August 1979, and is often considered to be the first gothic rock record released. It did not enter the UK charts. The b-side features the song "Boys" and some versions also...
" (BauhausBauhaus', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
) - "Crazy in Love" (Antique Gold)