Stuti Gokhale
‘The Lucky One’ is a 2012 romantic drama movie directed by Scott Hicks. The touching story revolves around former Marine Logan Thibault, who is haunted by the trauma of war in Iraq. He sets out from Colorado on foot with his faithful dog Zeus to Louisiana to find the woman whose smiling photograph he found abandoned in the warzone debris. Logan believes that this very woman and her photograph saved his life several times during the war. The woman turns out to be Beth Green, who is struggling with the grief of her brother Drake’s death, who too was a Marine in Iraq.
Beth also raises her son Ben under the constant scrutiny of her possessive ex-husband Keith, while trying to find her inner peace. Logan’s arrival soon proves to be a blessing to her, and their shared pain and guilt make them bond. However, Keith’s insecurities as well as Logan’s unexpected connection to Drake threaten to destroy their relationship. ‘The Lucky One’ beautifully captures the essence of love that happens by destiny and also, second chances. The title aptly signifies the themes of the narrative, and here is the perfect answer to how. SPOILERS AHEAD.
What is the Significance of The Lucky One Title?
Logan considers Beth to be his lucky charm, who has saved him in the warzone in Iraq, and decides to look for her when he returns home. However, his survivor’s guilt makes him hesitate to tell her his true identity when they first meet. Gradually, he sees through her hard exterior while connecting to her grief and gradually begins helping her and Ben. On the other hand, Beth eventually feels that she is lucky to have found Logan to support her through her pain.
When the truth about Logan’s connection to Drake comes to light, Beth begins to blame him for having stolen her brother’s luck and caused him to die. But when Logan again proves to be lucky for her by saving Ben and telling her about the truth of Drake’s unfortunate demise, Beth realizes her mistake. She concludes that it was just Drake’s luck to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and Logan has nothing to do with it. Logan also gets absolved of his guilt and accepts that it was his own luck that brought him to Hamden.
Logan states in the movie that everyone has their own destiny, though not everyone chooses to follow it. He feels lucky that he did follow his, which leads him to find a family in Beth and Ben, as well as the redemption he was looking for from his burdens. Furthermore, Beth feels that Logan and his love turn around her and Ben’s previous bad luck into happiness. She considers herself fortunate to have found an anchor in him and finally realizes that it is luck that he comes bearing the truth about Drake’s death.
Thus, the entire movie revolves around the concept of destinies that often get intertwined due to shared grief, and the title ‘The Lucky One’ justifies it well. Beth and Logan’s lives indeed cross paths due to the bad luck of Drake, but as their love blossoms and survives all obstacles regardless of past connections, they are lucky for each other.
Read More: Who Dies at the End of The Lucky One: Keith or Logan?
