Jackpot, Nevada is a town one hundred miles south of Twin Falls, Idaho. But “Jackpot” also means the payout of a slot machine – wealth without effort.
For Sunny Holiday (Jon Gries), the pathway to success is to become a country-western singer. Abandoning his beautiful wife Bobbi (Daryl Hannah) and their young baby, he sets off with his manager Lester “Les” Irving (Garrett Morris) on a nine-month, forty-three-city tour through a series of bleak western towns.
The two hit the road in a 1983 pink Chrysler in search of their Anerican dream, with the rhythn of George Jones’ “Grand Tour” perpetually leading them on. They hit one bar after another in one city after another, living on the big payday at the end of each night. They are scraping by (some clubs only pay them with home appliances), but that doesn’t stop Sunny from sending Bobbi lottery tickets every so often -- the ultimate jackpot if one ticket hits, but the most desperate form of child support when they don’t.
Sunny dreams of going to the City of Angels, but Les reminds him, “there is a journey to the pot of gold.” Sunny must pay his dues first. Les guides Sunny – grooming him, choosing his songs, scooping out the judges, negotiating with the competition like Sammy Bones (Mac Davis) to get just the right song, preparing him for an interview with journalist Mel James (Adam Baldwin) and praying before each performance -- always earning his fifteen percent.
On the road, Sunny finds himself a stable of willing but glamourless females, with each encounter less romantic than the last. Janice (Peggy Lipton), a waitress in a club, takes him to her trailer home where his excitement proves too much for him. The next morning he sells her a jug of E-Z Solution extra-strength soap. Sunny Takes Chryle (Crystal Bernard) home after she passes out in the next bathroom stall. There he meets her underage daughter, Tangerine (Camellia Clouse). She seems to have been waiting to have a man in her bed, but Sunny ultimately avoids Tangy’s tempting ways. Sunny and Les seen to be back on track when the police stop them on the highway.
Bobbi has reported the car stolen. Sunny is in jail and his brother Roland (Rich Overton) comes to his aid. He sets up a meeting with Bobbi, who wants him to quit his life on the road. Les bails Sunny out and the two are broke again. Sunny fires Les for mismanaging their money and takes off with two jugs of E-Z Solution – all they have left in the world. When Sunny takes refuge with his brother Tracy (Anthony Edwards), Les tracks him down. -- © 2001 Sony Pictures Classics
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