Lottery Ticket
2010, 99 minutes
Over a long weekend, a young man living in the projects tries to outwit his neighbors after they learn he has a winning lottery ticket in his possession.
The film takes place over the Fourth of July weekend as Kevin Carson (Bow Wow), tries to avoid losing his lottery ticket worth $370 million. Kevin lives in the Fillmore Projects with his best friend Benny (Brandon T. Jackson), a small-time unemployed hood, his religious grandmother (Loretta Devine), and college-bound Stacie (Naturi Naughton). On his way to Foot-Locker, they come across the neighborhood bully Lorenzo (Gbenga Akinnagbe) who tells Kevin to hook him and his boys up with three pairs of new Jordans each. When Lorenzo comes for the shoes later, he is arrested. Kevin refuses to cover for Lorenzo, but is fired anyway. On a whim, Kevin plays numbers he found in a fortune cookie in the $370 million lottery jackpot at Junior's (T-Pain) convenience store, despite the fact he does not believe in the lottery. Kevin does not see the lottery announced until the next day, as he is preoccupied with losing his job and being labeled a snitch by the rest of the neighborhood. When Kevin discovers the winning ticket, he swears his grandmother to secrecy. He and Benny go to the lottery office, but finds it is closed until after the Fourth of July weekend. Meanwhile, his grandmother spills the secret to the neighborhood gossip, Semaj (Charlie Murphy), and Kevin returns home to find the entire neighborhood waiting in his living room. Chased by his neighbors into hiding, Kevin wants to tell them the ticket is a fake, but changes his mind at the last second when he sees the respect he has regained. Much to Stacie's chagrin, local hottie Nikki Swayze (Teairra Marí) who before showed no interest in Kevin, asks him out. Kevin is still broke until he can cash the ticket, so he goes to see local mobster Sweet Tea (Keith David) who gives him a $100,000 loan and the services of a driver/bodyguard, Jimmy (Terry Crews). Kevin and his friends burn through the money in one day of shopping. His date with Nikki ends in the revelation that she is only trying to get pregnant by him after she refuses to have sex with a condom. On his way home, Kevin speaks with Mr. Washington (Ice Cube) , a reclusive ex-boxer who tells him how the neighborhood killed his career when he was robbed after he got some money. At church the next day, the pastor's (Mike Epps) service, a thinly veiled plea for part of Kevin's winnings, is interrupted by Lorenzo. Kevin escapes after being chased by Lorenzo, although Jimmy is beaten up. Later on the roof Benny offers to hold on to the ticket, but Kevin misinterprets this as another person trying to get his money and the two fight. Kevin goes to Stacie's house. After he realizes he needs to use the money to change people's lives, the two kiss and almost have sex, but are interrupted by her mother. Chased out of the bedroom window, Kevin tells Stacie that he loves her and they kiss again and Kevin gets down from Stacie's window, then Kevin is ambushed by Lorenzo and the ticket is stolen. Without having signed the ticket, Kevin has no proof he purchased it. Kevin is found unconscious by Mr. Washington, who tells him the way out of his mess is the same way he got into it. Kevin and Benny reunite and then Benny, Stacie, and a furious Kevin go looking for Lorenzo. Meanwhile, Sweet Tea arrives and Kevin learns that Sweet Tea will kill him if he cannot repay the money. Realizing that his predicament was caused after Semaj told everyone he had the ticket, Kevin prints out a new ticket and tells Semaj he tricked Lorenzo by carrying a fake. A furious Lorenzo comes looking for Kevin, but is interrupted by Sweet Tea, who gut-checks him and chucks him into a table, but is knocked out after Lorenzo grabs him by the testicles. Lorenzo is about to take the ticket when Mr. Washington appears, having heard everything through his air vents, and knocks him out. Kevin signs the ticket and later receives the money. After a few months Kevin has his own shoe company and has started to make his community a better place by cleaning up the park and starting a foundation. Benny is his CEO, Stacie his girlfriend and future lawyer, and Mr. Washington the new head of security of "Carson Park." And in the end they fly off in Kevin's helicopter. [<a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_Ticket_(film)'>Plot summary provided by WikiPedia</a>]
Connected mandy members:
Edward Scanlan Backus
Special Effects Artist
