I was disappointed by “Don’t Say Good Luck”

My immediate thought after watching “Don’t Say Good Luck” was that it, ironically, needed all the luck it could get. It was simply underwhelming in a “I will never get those ninety-five minutes back” kind of way.

The film takes place in a suburban New Jersey community where 17-year-old Sophie Birenbaum, played by Sunny Sandler, earns the lead role in her school’s theater production, “Waitress.” Unfortunately, Birenbaum’s mom is soon diagnosed with cancer, and the movie follows Birenbaum juggling what feels like two separate identities: regular high school girl and despairing daughter. 

A particularly powerful scene was when Sophie and her father, Ted Birenbaum, vulnerably discussed Sophie’s mom’s terminal illness in the car after she asked for the truth about the severity of her mother’s illness. Both characters get emotional when discussing the sensitive subject, but sharing the situation lightened their burdens slightly, and with it, the unavoidable pain. For Sophie, the moment was pivotal because her father helped her face reality.

Adam Sandler recently produced “Roommates,” which his eldest daughter, Sadie Sandler, starred in. The film focused on navigating friendships during freshman year of college, similar to “Don’t Say Good Luck,” which focused on managing high school and relationships amid personal difficulties at home. Adam Sandler seems to be kickstarting his daughter’s acting career with dramatic coming-of-age movies; however, after watching Don’t Say Good Luck, I think Sunny Sandler is better suited to comedic roles, not heavy, dramatic ones. 

On the topic of comedy, I thought the casting was particularly comical–because it was so weak. None of the Birenbaum family members looked anything alike, and from the get-go I had trouble believing they were intended to be related. Yet, despite the unremarkable theme and little character, I did enjoy the film’s rapid pace, as it moved quickly in its allotted hour and a half.

In the end, I thought the film succeeded in its endeavor to deliver bittersweet emotions with its somber theme that highlighted the dual nature of experiencing grief and trying to keep face. However, nowhere in the film was I surprised or did I experience an emotion beyond detached sadness, and for that I would rate it a 2.5 out of 5 stars. If anything made the film worth watching, it was Sunny Sandler’s exploration of a largely different role. It was interesting to see her grow as an actress in this vastly different film, despite my aforementioned preference for her participation in comedic roles.