Jerry & Marge Go Large (2022)
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A retired factory worker discovers a mathematical loophole in a lottery system and embarks on a high-stakes journey with his wife to turn their small town's fortunes around.
The story
Jerry Selbee, a man recently retired from a factory in the declining town of Evart, Michigan, possesses a talent for mathematics. While searching for a new purpose, he discovers a statistical loophole in a lottery known as WinFall. He realizes that by purchasing a specific number of tickets, he can guarantee a profit. Initially keeping his discovery a secret, Jerry eventually shares the news with his wife, Marge. Together, they begin to navigate the complexities of the lottery system, eventually forming a corporation to involve their community and attempt to revitalize their struggling hometown through their growing winnings.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After discovering a loophole in the WinFall lottery, Jerry Selbee and his wife Marge begin winning significant amounts of money. They form a corporation, GS Investment Strategies, and involve their neighbors in the scheme, using the profits to revitalize their town's economy and music festival. Their success draws the attention of a Harvard student named Tyler, who also identifies the loophole. A conflict ensues when Tyler tries to manipulate the system to block the Selbees. After a confrontation where Tyler's tactics are exposed, Jerry works with the lottery commission to ensure transparency. Although a reporter's investigation leads to the official shutdown of the specific machines they used, the local investors win a final large sum. The film ends with the couple being hailed as heroes of their town, having amassed $27 million.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- David Frankel
- Writers
- Brad Copeland · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Bryan Cranston · Jerry Selbee; Annette Bening · Marge; Larry Wilmore; Rainn Wilson
- Genres
- comedy-drama; comedy
- Themes
- Community; Opportunity; Risk
- Tone and mood
- Inspirational; Lighthearted
- Premise and plot tags
- Based on a true story; Lottery; Small town
- Source material / true-story basis
- Jason Fagone's 2018 HuffPost article 'Jerry and Marge Go Large'
- Reception
- The film received mixed or average reviews from critics.
- Production trivia
- The film is based on a true story.; The film was inspired by a HuffPost article.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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