Movie review: The Lucky Ones

The Neil Burger-directed “The Lucky Ones” follows three soldiers on a cross-country trip, each searching for something in their lives. It’s a little flip to call it a “Wizard of Oz” in the real world, but there are some similarities — including an over-the-top tornado.

Burger directed “The Illusionist,” and was the writer-director of “Interview with the Assassin.” He’s a writer-director here as well; he shares writing credit with Dirk Wittenborn.

After suffering an injury while on patrol, Sgt. T.K. Poole (Michael Peña, “Lions for Lambs”) is granted a one-month leave. When a blackout shuts down flights out of New York, T.K. shares a ride with two other stranded soldiers: Colee (Rachel McAdams, “The Notebook”), a private who is returning a guitar for a fallen friend; and Cheever (Tim Robbins), an older serviceman who’s finished his stint.

Stopping in St. Louis, Cheever is hit with a double whammy — things at home aren’t what they seem, and his son needs $20,000 in a matter of days to keep his scholarship to Stanford.