Harry Dean Stanton’s final film is a worthy end to a great career.
Nothing’s certain in life except death, taxes, and Harry Dean Stanton standing out in a movie. With Lucky (now out on Blu-ray and DVD), the iconic actor faces his own mortality with vigor, tenacity, and not a little cursing.
Set in a dusty desert town, Lucky follows Stanton’s eponymous character through his day to day, as age catches up with him, his impending end hiding behind every corner. He’s not sick. In fact, his doctor (Ed Begley Jr.) says at this point he may as well keep smoking because quitting might do more harm than good.
He lives alone, and his self-sufficiency is obviously very important. A morning constitutional is followed by getting dressed and heading into town. Stops at the diner, the convenience store, and the local bar make for his rounds day after day.
Lucky is surrounded by people that love him. Joe (Barry Shabaka Henley) from the diner loves to see him come through the door. Howard (David Lynch) at the bar confides in his long-time friend. Even the store clerk (Bertila Damas) invites this man she only knows from selling milk to her son’s birthday party.
It’s not all roses in Lucky’s world. He butts heads with bar owner Elaine (Beth Grant) in a struggle of wills over a single cigarette. She eventually succumbs to his charms, but his reputation as an old cuss is solidified. A well-meaning lawyer (Ron Livingston) does nothing to earn Lucky’s wrath but be a talking reminder of how close he is to shuffling off this mortal coil.
The most affecting scene of the film is probably the meeting between Lucky and newcomer Fred (Tom Skerritt), two old military men talking life and love. The wrinkles and leathery skin are front and center, but these two have such a love for life that their introduction and quick friendship is a sight to behold.
One of the only things that lives longer than a human is a tortoise, and it’s no surprise Lynch’s character owns one, a feisty specimen that has recently escaped. It’s decided that he needed a new lease on life and just couldn’t be contained any longer. The will to live is more than the will to stay alive. Lucky and its main character exude this same spirit to the final frame.
RIP HDS
The DVD includes special features such as ‘A Few Words from Harry Dean Stanton,’ ‘Behind the Scenes: Harry Dean Stanton’s Final Film Take,’ as well as interviews and the trailer.