Redwarmin
This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place
Nayan Gough
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
Jonah Abbott
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
clarehurd-98295
So Muriel is a beautician. Her husband flirts with a waitress because he can't pay his coffee bill (he is a cop) and offers her half of his lottery ticket if he wins.Poor Muriel, her luck is in and they win 4 million, her husband gives the waitress half without telling her. He continues to make expensive financial decisions without speaking to his wife thus ruining their marriage. It's OK though because he has the waitress as a back up.Muriel grows a pair and demands her portion of the money, he refuses and she has to take him to court. She gets her money but that's OK because her ex isn't interested in money, or so we thought. The second the waitress finds out Nick cage is poor again she runs away for a few days. It takes him 3 days to track her down (at her own cafe).The town takes pity on him and send him money via post so the waitress gets to own the cafe.Finally Nick Cage and the waitress decide to fritter the money away that the city gave them by hiring an expensive hot air balloon and littering the city with pink paper hearts (probably incuring a fine in the process).
SimonJack
This movie was a box office hit when it came out in 1994. And for good reason. Everything gels perfectly in "It Could Happen to You." Start with a very good story, create an excellent script, choose the right cast members, and voilà! Of course, it's never that easy or automatic. To start with, for all its expertise in film-making, Hollywood often can't tell how a film will go over with the public. I wonder if the industry isn't so engrossed in its professional business (all aspects, from acting, directing, writing, stories, marketing, etc.), that it can't accurately read the public pulse. Many times, films that were supposed to be big hits have been big flops; while many more times, second string films score big with audiences. While a film like "It Could Happen to You" may seem to be a safe bet, it doesn't fit solidly in a category that usually scores. It's not quite a "chick flick," and it's not a full fledged romantic comedy. It has some drama with a small amount of action. And, it is packed with morality and morals, however subdued they may seem. So, with all that, I'm betting that the producers smiled and breathed a sigh of relief when this one broke out of the gates and captured large audiences and a hefty box office take. I won't give away any of the plot here. This is one that people should watch without knowing the key plot points. As I said, the story was excellent. It's about decency, kindness and generosity on one side, and greed, selfishness, and dishonesty on the other side. It's also among Nicolas Cage's best performances. This was before he developed a character person that pauses and looks confused. The rest of the cast excel as well. It's a very fun and fulfilling movie about a nice love story, made all the more so because it's encased in proper behavior. While this story is totally fictional, it might have been inspired by a real incident. In the 1980s, a New York cop and a waitress won $6 million on a lottery ticket that they split – each picking half the numbers.
namashi_1
'It Could Happen to You' is the sort of film, that touches the core of your heart. Its a cute film, with wonderful performances. 'It Could Happen to You' Synopsis: A police officer promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress in lieu of a tip.'It Could Happen to You', which is inspired by a real-life incident, is a feel-good romantic-comedy, about people who are in need of money & love. Its entirely & unabashedly a human-story, that displays romance & life's usual hiccups with earnestness.Jane Anderson's Screenplay is well-balanced. It has its share of humor & romance. Andrew Bergman's Direction is excellent. Cinematography, Editing & Art Design are fair.Performance-Wise: Nicolas Cage is wonderful, as always. Bridget Fonda is beautifully restrained, offering a performance of pure emotion. Rosie Perez is extra-ordinary. She slips into her character effortlessly. Wendell Pierce is first-rate. Stanley Tucci & Richard Jenkins are decent. The Late/Great Isaac Hayes leaves a mark. On the whole, 'It Could Happen to You' works. Thumbs Up!
Steve Pulaski
Sometimes, a film comes subtly by and sweeps you off your feet. That's exactly the case with It Could Happen to You, a sweet, serene comedy that avoids emotional manipulation and gooey sentimentality currently plagued by many romantic comedies. This is a wholesome exercise involving great characters, a charming cast, a funny, kind-hearted script, and a delightful ode to human nature.I'm starting to loosen my grip around Nicolas Cage. Perhaps I have been relying too much on his current films to judge him as a whole. The last three films I've seen by him, this, Leaving Las Vegas, and Vampire's Kiss, were surprisingly well done, and he played a big reason why. Cage plays a New York cop named Charlie Lang, a soft-spoken, everyman with a big heart and a good moral upbringing. His wife is the ditzy, controlling diva from hell, Muriel, played efficiently by Rosie Perez. They live a humble life in the Queens, which Charlie likes, but Muriel despises.One day, Charlie and his cop partner go into a small diner where they meet Yvonne Biasi (Fonda), a hard-luck waitress who is enduring a hell day after she has been informed her credit card debt is $12,000 thanks to her unruly husband. Unable to grant her a tip, Charlie, whom bought a lottery ticket for his greedy wife earlier, says that if he wins the lottery he'll give half his earnings to her.It turns out Charlie and Muriel win $4 million dollars. It would've been a greater amount, but a bowling team gets an extra percentage since they chose the same numbers. Conflict emerges when Muriel believes that Yvonne is unworthy of the $2 million, or any amount. Charlie does the right thing, keeping his promise and awarding Yvonne $2 million. Inevitably, we can see what will happen, but the film does a great job of getting us to the expected conclusion.And sometimes, with a capable cast, a worthy script, and a nice sense of direction, a cliché story can be told like a surprising one. Not to mention, It Could Happen to You goes beyond its rom-com nature to tell a fascinating story about great characters, who are morally strong, yet are brought down in value by materialistic louses who want everything handed to them. Charlie seems like the man who deserves a good life, but instead, is always controlled and one-upped by his wife who expects him to bring home a hefty paycheck and be supportive of everything she brings up (case in point, a breast augmentation). Yvonne is beautiful, yet is leached off of by her lackadaisical husband who, again, expects her to put up with everything he puts down.These are characters we can truly side with. Some of them may be us and some of the villains may be people we know, and the film does a great job of illustrating that. The film doesn't over-exaggerate certain points just to do so. Although the story occupies a slight inkling of contrivance, the whole concept isn't entirely implausible. I've been told that this was a true story, and it bares a resemblance to those "random acts of kindness" stories you read in the tabloids. The film, itself, cracked my inner-cynic and made me feel warmer than any other romantic comedy in a long time. How many films could you truly say that about? Starring: Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, Rosie Perez, Wendell Pierce, Isaac Hayes, and Stanley Tucci. Directed by: Andrew Bergman.
