Mr. Destiny

The basic ideas in "Mr. Destiny" shouldn't surprise anyone watching. After all, similar plots have appeared on many television shows and movies, such as "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Family Man". So there are no surprises here. Now this isn't really a huge complaint...the film is still enjoyable and it's a nice turn off your brain and enjoy sort of story.

The story begins long ago. Larry (Jim Belushi) is playing the championship game and strikes out....and years later, he STILL blames the direction of his life on this one incident. And, his secret wish is granted when a mysterious and magical guy (Michael Caine) appears and tells him that the past has been changed....he DID hit that ball and won the championship. Now, however, his life is so very different, as he lives in a huge mansion, married the boss' daughter, has a great classic car collection and much more. But what he doesn't have are his old friends and wife....and he misses that more than he possibly could have imagined.

The film is pleasant but also has one problem which impacted how much I enjoyed it.... Jim Belushi's character is simply too dumb at times. While he knows his life is completely different, he often thinks and acts as if it's his same old life....and ends up alienating a lot of people in the process. It really defies common sense when Larry acts this way...as if he really hasn't any concept of change. Why would he trust the man who he knew in his previous life if a devious Satan? Why would he cheat on his new wife when she adores him and treats him like a king? Why would he not try to explain away how oddly he's acting?! It's still enjoyable...but it doesn't make a lot of sense at times.

Entertaining Jim Belushi vehicle, a modern cockeyed version of It's A Wonderful Life. Michael Caine plays a sort-of angel who lets Belush see what life would have been like if he had "made it big". Jim is at his best with a good story and supporting cast; seems like real chemistry between him and Hamilton. Not an Oscar contender but good warm-hearted fun.

The stage curtains open ...

"Mr. Destiny" is a modern day fairytale that arguably catches James Belushi at the height of his popularity in cinema. He had just finished "Taking Care of Business" and was about to be in "Curly Sue", both of which are great movies. In this film, however, he stars alongside other notable actors such as Michael Caine, Linda Hamilton, and Jon Lovitz in a fun, "feel good", comedy that still holds up well today.

It is Larry Burrows's 35th birthday, and as he explains it, it was the strangest day of his life. Things are off to a rough start - he isn't able to have his Wheaties for breakfast, there is no coffee when he gets to work, he gets into trouble with his boss which leads to him losing his job, and then his car breaks down ... again. All of this is going on while he is feeling melancholy about a championship baseball game he could've won when he was a youth ... the outcome of which he is convinced, would've changed his life for the better. But, when he meets Mike the bartender, he is given a chance to see what that life would've been like.

It's obvious to see that this movie drew its inspiration from the 1946 classic, "It's A Wonderful Life" - only in that film, our main character got to see what life would've been like if he hadn't been born at all. Whereas, this 1990 film explores the ever persistent question of "What if?". A question that the Nicolas Cage movie, "The Family Man", would address later on in 2000 (another fine movie). We learn that with each outcome, there is always the bad with the good.

I loved this movie. There is an undeniable warmth and charm to it's underlying story as Larry goes through a series of mishaps and sometimes dramatic events to realize that what he had wasn't so bad. In fact, it was a great life. It gave us a nice "Wizard of Oz" ending ("I missed you all so much!) that will leave you smiling and satisfied. "Mr. Destiny" is time well spent and a film I would recommend without hesitation at 8 stars out of 10.

Belushi plays an average Joe whose bored with the simple life and his uneventful existence. Convinced that his life would have turned out better had he made a home run instead of a miss in a ball game in his high school years, he gets the chance to see how his life would have turned out had he hit that ball. And what a difference it did make.

A simple and charming little sleeper, Mr. Destiny plays it's It's a Wonderful Life scenario in good fashion. James Belushi gives an endearing performance and manages to keep his cool throughout. Linda Hamilton and Michael Caine give good support and an array of familiar faces (Rene Russo, Jon Lovitz, Courtney Cox, Hart Bochner) add to the pleasure. Film is overall free of slapstick humor and plays it straight and it does have some very humorous moments. And a good message as well.

On the whole Mr. Destiny delights undemanding viewers who could do a lot worse than this film.

Ok, so it borrows a little from "It's a Wonderful Life", but that was 44 years prior to this film, so why not a new attempt. Belushi is having a rotten 35th birthday. He didn't get his Wheaties, his coffee, and has lost his job. The capper is when his self described "big blue piece of sh**" car breaks down at the end of the day. He heads into an empty bar to call for a tow. While waiting, he's recognized by the bartender (Caine) as the kid who lost the town's championship baseball game 20 years earlier. This gets him to thinking how life would've been if he had won the game. He finds out when, unbeknownst to him, Caine serves up a motion potion in a glass that gives him a mansion, the prom queen (Russo) as his wife, and makes him president of the sporting goods company he's been canned from. Caine later reveals himself as the one who's responsible for this change, but Belushi is not entirely on board. He never fully adjusts, and in a plot development that doesn't kill the movie but is still odd, he tries to court his wife (Hamilton) from his real life, who is now married to someone else. The good move is that they don't spend too much time on it, as basically they rip of "Ghost", with Belushi constantly telling Hamilton things only she could know. It also brings in a hokey dramatic element, as two of his lovers kevetch in the shadows, new wife Russo, and his unbalanced lover Cox. But the keys to the film are the somewhat lengthy beginning, and cheery end. Also good work from the big and recognizable cast, as Belushi is very likable, VERY attractive ladies chosen, and Caine is perfectly easy going as the title guy. Strange that this was Belushi's second film of 1990 dealing with him getting an alternative lifestyle of riches, which was found in "Taking Care of Business". Though similar, both films are on the same level of laughs provided. So check this out for a fun exploration of "what if?"