Words Kelly Finerty
The Gift of Connection & Community
Comedy Drama – Based on a True Story.
Feature Film (2022) – Netflix 1h 36m; PG-13
Picture this: you’ve been working for over 40 years in the production line at Kellogg’s cereal factory as its top efficiency expert. You understand relationships to numbers exponentially better than relationships to people, and your job is eliminated, forcing you into earlier retirement.
Now you have to find a way to fill the days living in a small, economically destitute town in rural Michigan – this is the new reality for Jerry Selbee (Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad), a genius math wiz and buttoned-up rigid husband. His wife, Marge Selbee (Annette Bening, Nyad), a quick-witted loving baddie, also struggles to reconnect with her bored husband in this new daily routine … that is, until the day Jerry picks up the “Winfall” State Lottery pamphlet. The odds of winning look off, and based on Jerry’s calculations, he discovers a flaw in the formula to win. He tests his theory with the family savings – all in. So begins the adventure of Jerry and Marge playing the lottery in a big way, with quirky townsfolk investors and a nefarious Harvard genius to sweeten the “plot.”
Based on a true story and a 2018 article by Jason Fagone in the HuffPost, the film’s screenplay was written by Brad Copeland (Arrested Development) and directed by David Frankel (Devil Wears Prada). The film has a warm country feel, with writing leaning into differentiating the generations through a comedy lens. The film is an easy watch, with a handful of moments that pull at the heartstrings.
Even though I am a few decades away from retirement, I found myself relating to Jerry in his struggle to understand the people around him. The character is kind and has a big heart locked away behind strict rules and structure with little room for nuance or variables (read: emotions), so it is uplifting to see Jerry use his genius to connect with an entire town and the people he loves most.
Jerry & Marge Go Large is more than an easy watch on a rainy summer day. I’d go as far as to say it’s a valuable lesson in the connections we can foster when we’re authentically bold and share our natural gifts. In the end, I think we all find where we belong in this unpredictable world when we are brave enough to be ourselves, and learn to open our hearts that much more to ultimately unlock quite a rich life indeed. So, which actor is going to play you in your true story?
If you liked Jerry & Marge Go Large, you may also like:
Ladies First (2026) – Netflix
Office Romance (2026) – Netflix
Ordinary Angels (2024) – Netflix
In Her Shoes (2005) – Netflix and Disney+
