Jerry and Marge Go Large

Writer Brad Copeland and director David Frankel simply don't trust Jerry and Marge.

Cranston and Bening add believability to the first act of “Jerry & Marge Go Large,” finding truth in the set-up of people forced into new life patterns. I wanted to just hang out with the Jerry and Marge of the first act, two people trying to figure out what’s next in life, before the movie gave up on subtlety for TV movie plotting. However, writer Brad Copeland and director David Frankel simply don’t trust Jerry and Marge. They clutter their sweet tale with unnecessary enemies in the form of a clan of Harvard rich kids who discover the same loophole, and the film ends up getting less interesting as it lopes to a rather bland finale.

Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening bring sentimentality to the otherwise plain Jerry & Marge Go Large, a story about a lottery scheme and a new lease on ...

Despite the resemblance of this premise to right-wing reactionary fearmongering, Jerry & Marge maintains a sense of kindness and compassion, kept afloat by the prowess of its incredible lead performers. Not only is it a capitalism backdoor that gives them the chance to pour money into their flailing township, but it grants them a sense of purpose, in defiance of their worth being dictated by a corporate age of retirement. In a wholesome mirror to Cranston’s ruthless role on Breaking Bad, the lottery scheme gives Jerry a renewed sense of purpose, just when it felt like control was slipping from his grasp; at one point, he hides his initial winnings from Marge as if he were a secret agent. Based on the true story of Jerry and Marge Selbee — the retirees who gamed the Michigan Lottery system in the early-mid 2000s — Jerry & Marge Go Large is the kind of decent, inoffensive film that’s hard to dislike, even if it leaves you with little to love. He hides his little gamble from Marge at first (though he would be sure to remind you that it isn’t a gamble at all!), but Jerry is a simple, small-town Midwesterner, and lying isn’t his forte. Jerry and Marge aren’t the only ones who’ve figured out the loophole, and a snotty Harvard student, Tyler (Uly Schlesinger), is about to make things personal.

A broad, fact-based comedy about a couple who game the lottery has flashes of vicarious fun but relies too heavily on sitcom beats.

Jerry and Marge are cashing in and, ultimately, so are they. The couple end up facing off against a bratty Harvard student who also figures out the lottery’s blind spot and while it’s satisfying to rag on an entitled rich kid, the conflict is far too minor to register. There’s a whiff of the plane movie emanating from ho-hum Paramount+ comedy Jerry and Marge Go Large, an acceptable half-awake diversion when one has run out of other, better options in the sky but something that’s a little harder to justify on the ground.

Even Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening can't save this superficial take on a far more interesting true story.

He brought to life a gripping story that revealed so much about the people at the center of it as well as the world they were living in. It is the first of many ways that the film offers an easy enemy, including a borderline dishonest portrayal of a different reporter, to point at rather than the more complicated reality. This remains paramount as, at the end of the day, specificity is what gives life to a story. It is a film that conveys its story via expositional dialogue as opposed to creating a rich visual narrative. In Jerry & Marge Go Large, the truth is but a light suggestion as it takes a revealing story that had a lot of teeth only to turn it into a feel-good film that strips away all the nuances that made it so fascinating. Editor's Note: The following contains Jerry & Marge Go Large spoilers.Whenever a film proclaims to be based on a true story, it is always an open question about how genuine of a statement that will actually turn out to be.

Plans for Paramount+ start at $4.99 — and you can stream all your favorite shows, sports, movies, and more. Is Jerry & Marge Go Large Streaming anywhere else ...

With an active Paramount+ account, you may stream Jerry & Marge Go Large starting on June 17. Is Jerry & Marge Go Large on YouTube? The quirky film was featured in the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival — and is set to premiere on Paramount+ today, Friday, June 17, for you and your family to enjoy!