The Ticket (1997) (TV)

Director:

Stuart Cooper

Writer (WGA):

David Alexander (written by)

Release Date:

6 August 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Cee Cee Reicker is a woman whose love must be earned, not bought. However, even when her husband Keith wins a prize of 23 million dollars...

Plot Keywords:

Lottery

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Shannen Doherty	...	CeeCee Reicker
James Marshall	...	Keith Reicker
Phillip Van Dyke	...	Eric Riecker
Heidi Swedberg	...	Rita
Al Mancini
John Tench	...	Chuck
Scott Ditty	...	Gerald Stone
Eric Robertson	...	Leon
Peter Morse	...	Matt
Michael Ruud	...	Monte
Kim Landry	...	Nancy Walker (as Kim McNulty)
Steve O'Neill	...	Tow Truck Driver

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some violence.

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:12 (video premiere) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Utah, USA

Company:

C.N.M. Entertainment Ltd.

Enjoyable film

I've actually been waiting a long time to see this movie, as strange as that sounds. I was going to watch it a few years ago on TV, but wasn't able to and I've been keeping an eye out for it in the listings ever since. The story sounded good and Shannen Doherty has made some good TV movies. This is one of them. I thought the story was solid. It was simple and easy to follow.

At the beginning of the movie, we really get a sense of the struggles this family is going through. The husband, Keith, is doing his best to find work, but there's not much out there for him. Money problems are only one reason the marriage is falling apart and CeeCee, the wife, decides to leave Keith, and move away in order to start a new life with a stable job. I liked the way they developed her character. She wasn't selfish and shallow by staying with the husband just because he won the lottery. He convinced her that their marriage deserved another chance and that having money would just give them options for the future.

The couple and their son Eric travel to Denver to claim the prize money. Keith is a pilot and he borrows a plane from the charter company he works for. He makes the mistake of showing his boss the ticket before leaving, giving her just enough time to sabotage the plane - draining the fuel tank, cutting off the radio and removing most of the survival pack. The plane crashes miles away from civilization on a snowy mountain and the family has to do whatever it takes to survive and elude the people who are hot on their trail after the ticket.

I enjoyed this movie immensely. I felt it was very well-written and executed. There were no parts I felt were unbelievable or implausible. One of the comments on this movie talk about a plot hole. There was no such plot hole. The family didn't make false tracks because they had to get someplace where they'd be found. Misleading Rita and Chuck, the ones who rigged the plane to crash, would only waste time and energy. The family did exactly what anyone in the same situation would do. The many obstacles they had to overcome showed their ingenuity and strong will to survive. This is a great flick for a late night. You'll be rooting for the good guys and you won't be able to guess what's coming next.