UNEASY MONEY

Mike Bronti, 18, wins $2,500,000 in the New Jersey lottery. The money brings both fun--buying a red sports car, throwing a gigantic party--and problems. When Mike tries to help friends make a down payment on a condominium, he doesn't consult a lawyer about the contract, and the builder turns out to be a crook; Mike announces the Bronti Fund on television, but has no plan to deal with the thousands of requests he receives; Mike then wants to be a cartoonist but forgets, in the tumultuous aftermath of his win, to hold his place at the Cummings Institute by mailing back his acceptance card. His father says Mike's not responsible--""That was his problem before he won the money, and it's his problem now."" Eventually, though, Mike learns to accept the burdens of his new situation and decides that ""Happiness is found in work."" Most will enjoy this fantasy come true, yet what is most convincing are Mike's thoughts about turning his experiences into cartoons, and his discovering compassion for people who are suffering. The lottery seems a gimmick in comparison.