Over a prolific run of 22 seasons,NCIShas introduced us and said farewell to many characters, though some remain stalwart staples.Sean Murray’s familiar face as Timothy McGeehas been around since Season 1, making him the most-tenured main character in the franchise. Though he was only a recurring character in the first season, he quickly became a fan favorite, allowing McGee to climb up the ranks from a Probie to nearly snagging Deputy Director. But before Murray’s tireless commitment to the cop procedural,one of the works that stands out in his filmography isThe Lottery. His minor role in this adaptation ofShirley Jackson’s infamous short storyis far from the capable cop we love, but he plays a vital role in bringing the 1996 film to life, contributing to the goosebumps that crawl across our skin as we uncover more about its isolated little town.
‘The Lottery’ Is Adapted From Shirley Jackson’s Short Story
Adapted from Jackson’s notorious short story, 1996’sThe Lotteryrevolves around atown that is harboring a dark secret. However, the film only adapts the idea from Jackson’s story, and the narrative itself is completely original, withDan Cortese’sJason returning to his parent’s hometown to spread his father’s ashes and learn the truth about his mother’s death. Upon his father’s hospitalization, he discovers that there may be grisly details surrounding his mother’s death, but it is his father’s dying wish for his ashes to be spread on her grave that catalyzes Jason’s misadventures.
Jason is greeted by a frosty welcome when he arrives in town and immediately has to fight to get his father’s final wish fulfilled. At each step of his journey, he is contested, cast aside, and just generallytreated poorly by all the wary townsfolk, except for Felice (Keri Russell).Murray’s character is also one of the few who is less abrasive toward Jasonand briefly speaks against the town’s practices that are yet to be revealed. Though young Murray plays a small role as the gas station attendant and mechanic, he contributes to the eeriness and mystery surrounding the secluded place, making it no less critical than the town’s intimidating sheriff (M. Emmet Walsh).
‘The Lottery’ Follows the Same Tonal Shift as the Original
While the plot differs, the atmosphere and tonal progression of the film remain painfully the same as the source material. Like when you’re readingThe Lottery, initially,the town simply seems like an isolated placethat holds residents who are insulated from the wider world and thus have very little trust in strangers. For instance, Jason’s requests to spread his father’s ashes on his mother’s grave are outright rejected, but the Reverend seems like he is simply dealing with a lot of red tape that he cannot be bothered bypassing for someone he doesn’t know.Though their behavior is slightly bizarre and unnerving, it’s not necessarily out of the ordinary— they just prefer to keep to themselves.
However, as the film continues, the atmosphere curdles into heavier tension as the feeling of there being something dangerously off in this town increases. The hushed whispers and enigmatic stares that came with the standard small-town practice of ostracizing strangers were one thing. Butthey precipitate into overt shouts of “leave the town"and threats if Jason doesn’t do so.We are simultaneously baffled and frightenedby this collective escalation from the townsfolk, mimicking the drastic increase of urgency present in the source material.
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There Is an Element of Psychological Manipulation Added to ‘The Lottery’
In Jackson’sThe Lottery,the binary of good and evilis overturned as the dark ritual the town engages in seems to be driven by an external force, forcing us to question if the townsfolk are truly evil, especially with their reactions to the ceremony. With the added element of a stranger visiting town, the film engages with similar themes in a more chilling display.There is a level ofpsychological manipulation and tormentthat pervades the narrative, as the townspeople blow up Jason’s car or steal his mother’s ashes. These are all inherently nasty acts, but it is to simply deter Jason from staying in town longer and discovering their awful annual practice.
It is akin to a frightful display of mass paranoia, as though we perceive the town to be unequivocally wrong, especially since we are approaching it from Jason’s position, they truly believe it is essential for survival.They clearly don’t find pleasure in what they are doing but see it as a grave necessity, echoing the same undercurrents ofquestioning about who is in the wrong.The Lotteryhas always incited a rabbit hole of strained moral quandary, and this film captures this haunting sentiment, leaving us gasping at the contradictory brutality of it all.
The Lotteryis only available on YouTube in the U.S.
The Lottery
