Paul Walter Hauser Is ‘The Luckiest Man in America’ in Game Show Biopic

Sandra Miska

Paul Walter Hauser, one of the more interesting actors working today, plays another real-life person in “The Luckiest Man in America,” a drama about a game show with some thriller elements. Hauser stars as Michael Larson, a man from Ohio who drives his ice cream truck to Los Angeles in 1984 in the hope of getting on “Press Your Luck.” He initially charms the producers, although they are upset to learn that he impersonated another potential contestant in order to get into the room. However, TV executive Bill Carruthers (David Strathairn), is so taken with Michael, a man who might as well have “underdog” written on his forehead, that he picks him as a contestant anyway, unprepared for the rollercoaster ride ahead.

Michael comes across as the kind of homespun guy people want to root for, as he speaks fondly of “the most beautiful girl in the world”, his wife Patricia (Haley Bennett), and their young daughter, with whom he says he loves to watch “Press Your Luck” over breakfast. Knowing what is to come, the viewer listens to his backstory with a grain of salt. But as we come to find out, Patricia and the little girl are real, although Michael paints a distorted picture of his current home life. Before the tapping, he buys a blazer from a thrift store that he pairs with a pair of khaki shorts, waltzing into the studio like the figurative little guy.

Michael easily builds rapport with Peter Tomarken (Walton Goggins), the show’s corny host, but almost immediately sets off the spidey-senses of producer Chuck (Shamier Anderson) and production assistant Sylvia (Maisie Williams). After a trivia round, Michael gets to spin on the flashing light board for a chance to win vacations and cash prizes. After a tough start, he has an impressive run, avoiding landing on Whammies, which would wipe out his total earnings. However, it becomes apparent to those backstage that Michael may have more than luck on his side. Chuck goes on a little reconnaissance mission (i.e. breaking into the ice cream truck), while Bill deals with some major blowback.

“The Luckiest Man in America” is the most interesting when it leans into being a thriller, such as when Chuck uses his newfound knowledge of Michael to mess with him on camera and to put him on edge. The film also explores an interesting ethical question. As it turns out, the reason for Michael’s winning streak is that he memorized the patterns on the flashing light board. There are five in total, all designed by Bill, which, evidently, are not enough. Michael’s actions are compared to those of card counters in Vegas, except for he is no math whiz and definitely does not have a degree from MIT. Hauser is so perfect and earnest here when he says he never thought of what he is doing as cheating. At the end of the day, is he really hurting anyone? This is the question the executives ponder before deciding whether to burn him at the stake or make him a folk hero.

Although it is only 90 minutes in length, the film is not as tight as it could be, as it loses focus in the third act when it becomes a bit feverish. At one point, Michael sneaks away from Sylvia, his handler, and ends up on a talk show being interviewed by a host played by Johnny Knoxville. Although Knoxville is great, the scene is obviously made up and does not make sense. It serves to provide some insight into Michael, but we never learn enough about him and his demons. The film also ends without giving any information on his post-show life. We do, however, see a clip of the actual “Press Your Luck” episode during the end credits, and it is impressive to see how much Hauser resembles the real Larson.

“The Luckiest Man in America” releases April 4 in theaters nationwide.