The Lookout

"I have the money, I have the power!"

The Lookout (2007) is a crime drama about a brain-damaged man trying to lead a normal life and getting caught up in a heist of the bank at which he's the night janitor.


 * Bank Robbery
 * Big Fancy House: Chris's parents' house is huge and denotes their sizable wealth.
 * Blind Seer: Jeff Daniels' character, Lewis, is probably the smartest character in the movie and has seemed to have learned a lot from becoming blind after a meth accident.
 * Chekhov's Gun:
 * The card in Chris's wallet that explains his condition allows him to get away from a cop pulling him over while Chris has the money from the robbery in his trunk.
 * Also the literal shotgun from his parents' house.
 * "Just start at the end and work backwards."
 * Chekhov's Hobby: Chris used to go hunting with his family.
 * Covers Always Lie: The DVD case promises "a twist you can't believe.".
 * Crapsack World: To try to convince Chris to join him, Spargo points out how much of Chris's life is this trope now-- His rich family have given up on him. He cannot get a good job. His boss treats him like crap. He cannot get a girlfriend..
 * Earn Your Happy Ending
 * Honey Trap: Luvlee.
 * Hostage for McGuffin: Trading Lewis for the money at the end.
 * I Surrender, Suckers: Chris using his gun he had hidden in the bag.
 * Key Under the Doormat: Actually it's in his shoe, but close enough.
 * Memory Gambit: Chris may or may not have forgotten where he hid the money.
 * Note to Self:: Chris takes his little notebook everywhere with him.
 * Obfuscating Insanity: Well, sort of invoked. Because while Spargo and gang were correct about Chris being brain damaged, they were wrong to think that he was unable or unwilling to fight back because of it. Chris may or may not be using this to his advantage.
 * Rich in Dollars, Poor In Sense: Before the events of the movie, Chris was this, driving with the lights off in a unlit highway.
 * Sliding Scale of Law Enforcement: The sheriff's deputy is on the very positive end of this scale, delivering donuts to Chris and being a badass when the situation turns grim.