In a way, the WWII film Lucky Strike continues the evolution of director Rod Lurie and star Scott Eastwood. Lurie has been around longer than most realize, first delivering sobering political dramas such as The Contender (an incredible film, by the way), to his 2011 remake of Straw Dogs. Now he’s tackling unsung war heroes, as he did with 2019’s Afghanistan War drama The Outpost, which made my best movies of the year list.
As for Eastwood, he’s worked tirelessly to escape the shadow of his legendary father, Clint Eastwood. He’s done that with a diverse array of roles in different types of films, some that tug at the heartstrings such as Regretting You, and others that show him as a rugged action star, as in Lucky Strike.
In Lucky Strike, Eastwood plays Castle, an injured soldier trapped behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge in WWII. There’s considerably more going on here than just one man’s fight for survival; there’s a larger story that Lurie is telling about the heroes who helped turn the tide of war and haven’t been recognized for their contribution.
I was fortunate to spend a few minutes talking with Lurie and Eastwood about Lucky Strike. We talked about the origins of the story, Lurie’s focus on unsung heroes, and Eastwood’s initial reluctance to do another action movie.
It’s a fantastic interview, and I hope you’ll check it out! Lucky Strike is in theaters now.
