History Film / TheCooler

* TrappedByGamblingDebts: The reason why Bernie Lootz works for the casino as a "Cooler" is because he owes the casino over a hundred thousand dollars in gambling debts.

-->'''Shelly:''' You mean that Disneyland mook-fest out there? Huh? C'mon, you know what that is? [[VerbalTic Huh?]] That's a fucking ''violation'' is what that is. It's something that used to be beautiful. Used to have class, like a gorgeous, high-priced hooker with an exclusive clientele. Then along comes that Steve Wincock sucker and knocks her up and puts her in a fucking family way. Now she's nothing but a cheap, fat [[{{Joisey|| whooah]] hiding behind too much fucking make-up. I look at her, I see all her stretch marks, it makes me wanna cry. But I remember the way she used to be. Am I right?

* TheJinx: Bernie is put to work in the casino as a harnessed version of this character trope.

* CrossesTheLineTwice: During the below mentioned aftermath of the cheating at craps, Shelly has [[spoiler: Mikey]] beaten up and punches his pregnant girlfriend. Subverted in that [[spoiler: the pregnancy was fake and Shelly actually hit the pillow posing as her belly]].

* HideYourPregnancy: Inverted with [[spoiler: Charlene]], who is trying to hide the fact that she's NOT pregnant.

* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: As Bernie pulls into a convenience store parking lot, the car's reflection shows the store's sign "EZ Market" with the last two letters burned out, reading "EZ Mark". We later learn that [[spoiler: Natalie was paid by Shelly to be with Bernie.]]

* MaleFrontalNudity: Subverted. We see both Bernie and Natalie lying on the bed complmenting each other about the sex they just had, but when the camera moves downward, Natalie has her hands on his penis.

Unlucky Bernie Lootz (Macy) has little going for him: He lives in a dreary studio apartment in a rundown motel on the UsefulNotes/LasVegas Strip, he's [[TrappedByGamblingDebts indebted to Shangri-La casino boss]] Shelly Kaplow (Baldwin), who years earlier cured him of a gambling habit by destroying his kneecap, and he can't recall the last time he had physical contact with a woman. His success as a "cooler" (he is so unlucky that he breaks other people's winning streaks just by standing close to them) is jeopardized when cocktail waitress Natalie Belisario (Bello) seemingly takes an interest in him, and his luck -- and that of those around him -- takes a turn for the better. What Bernie doesn't know is that Shelly has paid the woman to seduce him into staying in town. What Shelly doesn't know is that Natalie actually has fallen in love with Bernie, and vice versa.

[[quoteright:250:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coolerposter_7133.jpg]]

->'' When your life depends on losing... the last thing you need is lady luck.''
-->-- '''Tagline'''

Directed by Wayne Kramer, ''The Cooler'' is a 2003 film starring Creator/WilliamHMacy, Creator/AlecBaldwin, and Creator/MariaBello.

* TrappedByGamblingDebts: The reason why Bernie Lootz works for the casino as a "Cooler" is because he owes the casino over a hundred thousand dollars in gambling debts.

Unlucky Bernie Lootz (Macy) has little going for him: He lives in a dreary studio apartment in a rundown motel on the [[VivaLasVegas Las Vegas Strip]], he's [[TrappedByGamblingDebts indebted to Shangri-La casino boss]] Shelly Kaplow (Baldwin), who years earlier cured him of a gambling habit by destroying his kneecap, and he can't recall the last time he had physical contact with a woman. His success as a "cooler" (he is so unlucky that he breaks other people's winning streaks just by standing close to them) is jeopardized when cocktail waitress Natalie Belisario (Bello) seemingly takes an interest in him, and his luck -- and that of those around him -- takes a turn for the better. What Bernie doesn't know is that Shelly has paid the woman to seduce him into staying in town. What Shelly doesn't know is that Natalie actually has fallen in love with Bernie, and vice versa.

* VivaLasVegas

Unlucky Bernie Lootz (Macy) has little going for him: He lives in a dreary studio apartment in a rundown motel on the [[VivaLasVegas Las Vegas Strip]], he's [[TrappedByGamblingDebts indebted to Shangri-La casino boss]] Shelly Kaplow (Baldwin), who years earlier cured him of a gambling habit by destroying his kneecap, and he can't recall the last time he had physical contact with a woman. His success as a "cooler" (he is so unlucky that he breaks other people's winning streaks just by standing close to them) is jeopardized when cocktail waitress Natalie Belisario (Bello) seemingly takes an interest in him, and his luck -— and that of those around him -— takes a turn for the better. What Bernie doesn't know is that Shelly has paid the woman to seduce him into staying in town. What Shelly doesn't know is that Natalie actually has fallen in love with Bernie, and vice versa.

Directed by Wayne Kramer, ''The Cooler'' is a 2003 film starring WilliamHMacy, AlecBaldwin, and Maria Bello.

Unlucky Bernie Lootz (WilliamHMacy) has little going for him: He lives in a dreary studio apartment in a rundown motel on the [[VivaLasVegas Las Vegas Strip]], he's [[TrappedByGamblingDebts indebted to Shangri-La casino boss]] Shelly Kaplow (AlecBaldwin), who years earlier cured him of a gambling habit by destroying his kneecap, and he can't recall the last time he had physical contact with a woman. His success as a "cooler" (he is so unlucky that he breaks other people's winning streaks just by standing close to them) is jeopardized when cocktail waitress Natalie Belisario (Maria Bello) seemingly takes an interest in him, and his luck -— and that of those around him -— takes a turn for the better. What Bernie doesn't know is that Shelly has paid the woman to seduce him into staying in town. What Shelly doesn't know is that Natalie actually has fallen in love with Bernie, and vice versa.

Directed by Wayne Kramer, ''The Cooler'' is a 2003 film starring William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, and Maria Bello.