It Could Happen to You

...as a cynic.

I, through whatever reason, am absurdly cynical. A cynic, lest we forget, is somebody who puts very little faith in the good nature of humanity. Somebody who considers all good deeds to be selfishly motivated.

Somebody who should absolutely hate this film.

But I can't. I love this to pieces. No film has ever done as much to give me some faith in people. If Charlie can do the decent thing and split his ticket with Yvonne to fulfil a promise, despite the demands of a furious Muriel; if despite reaching a financial and emotional low they can still invite Angel in to put some food in his belly; and if the New York public can show their appreciation by doing whatever little they can to help out; then maybe, just maybe, there might be hope for the rest of us.

This. Is. Beautiful.

It Could Happen to You (1994)

*** (out of 4)

Nicolas Cage plays a poor cop who doesn't have enough money to leave a tip for a poor waitress (Bridget Fonda) but he promises to split his lottery winnings if he should happen to win. Sure enough he does win and he keeps his word to the waitress but before long his wife (Rosie Perez) leaves him and wants all the money.

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU was based on an actual case and when the movie was first released it got a lot of press because of this. The film was a moderate box office success and it helped build that ladder, which would make Cage a star over the next couple of years. There's no question that the film is rather light entertainment but at the same time there's no denying that all three leads are wonderfully good in their roles.

The point of this movie was to be romantic and there's no question that happens very easily. I think the Perez character is such a dirty and mean person that it really makes the Cage and Fonda characters seem all the more charming and that credit has to go to the stars. Cage and Fonda have some wonderful chemistry together and there's no doubt that they really do light up the screen. When they smile at each other you really do feel as if there's a spark there. As for Perez, she's simply perfect in that way that only she can be.

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU is certainly very predictable and there's no doubt that it's not a hard-hitting drama that takes a look at greed. The film wasn't meant to be that as it simple wanted to tell a cute story and it does that very well.

It Could Happen to You certainly meets any criteria for a good romantic comedy. It's got a handsome male lead (Nicolas Cage), a sweet damsel in distress (Bridget Fonda) and a villian (Rosie Perez). Add a plot that swivels between wonderful scenes of the interested parties falling in love and the chaos erupting from the bad woman with an attitude and you have a story that captures and holds the interest of the viewer. Isaac Hayes does a wonderful job narrating the story as it unfolds. This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to curl up in an easy chair and watch an adorable romantic comedy with some touching dramatic scenes.

I've read that,among other people,critic Roger Ebert liked the afore-mentioned title for this movie as opposed to the name it actually got. Am I alone in the only one who thinks that the original title was NOT a good idea? Think about it:how easily would the title of above roll of the tongue when discussing movies or going to the ticket window? Titles that have indirect subjects in their sentences to me,seem like they're trying to test the memory of the viewer wanting to see the film as much as they are trying to get his or her attention.

OK,'nuff said about that.

As for the movie: Unapologetically sweet,this is one part fairy-tale,one part morality lesson(like those two elements COULDN'T be one and the same thing!),using none other than the Big Apple as its backdrop.

Honest beat cop Charlie Lang(Nicolas Cage in possibly one of the least conflicted and cleanest character portrayals he's given)is short of change one day and,while stopping for coffee at a street diner,uses in lieu of a tip,part of his lottery ticket to the harried but pretty and good-natured waitress(Bridget Fonda,in a word:likable). When that ticket wins a large,metro-area jackpot,Charlie does the right thing and splits his portion of the winnings with the waitress,who needs that money desperately: she's in debt to her ears and has a mooch of an ex-husband(Stanley Tucci)who won't leave her alone. This act of generosity does not sit well at all with Charlie's vain wife Muriel(a screechy,believable Rosie Perez),who eventually acts to have Charlie--and in the process Yvonne the waitress--cut from the winnings entirely.

People who like to complain that movies these days have no sense of either morality or sentimentality would be wisely steered in the direction of this flick. Even though it's over a decade old,it's story is easily transferable and,while I am usually loathe to suggest remakes,would actually be receptive to a remake of this film(provided the screenwriter and director were willing to change some elements of the story,like location,circumstances or even genders). A film that seems to have been made by the ghost of Frank Capra,who would've been possessing Andrew Bergman(who successfully directed Mr.CAge in "HOneymoon in Vegas" a few years before). A good rent for anyone who likes a little sentimentality in their comedy.

The question that probably everybody once asked to himself / herself and many others is: what would you do if you won the lottery? Well, I know what I would do with it. I wouldn't change much to my lifestyle, but for those who don't know what to expect, this movie gives a good idea of how gaining a lot of money in a short period of time can influence your entire life... But I don't watch movies to know what to do with my life and neither should other people. Movies are entertainment and this one certainly offers plenty of that.

When Charlie Lang, a New York cop with a heart of gold, can't give a tip to Yvonne, a waitress at a small diner, he promises her that he will come back the next day to give her the double of her money or, in case he wins anything, half of his share of the state lottery. Of course she doesn't believe him, but when he comes back the next day and offers her the chance to chose between the two options, she goes for the lottery option. Only than he tells her that he has won 4 million dollars and that she will get half of that. But there is only one problem: his wife Muriel. She gets greedy, certainly doesn't want to share her money with a waitress she doesn't know, but doesn't even want to share it with her own husband. As Charlie and Muriel grow apart, Charlie and Yvonne grow together and it doesn't take long before Muriel files for divorce, grabs all the money and leaves with a rich man by her side...

There are plenty of romantic comedies nowadays and it is very hard to find a really good one. Well, this might be one of the few. I really liked it and there are many reasons for that. One certainly is that, despite the fact that we live in a world full of greed and egoism, some writers still try to give us hope by showing that not everything in the world is bad. OK, that may sound incredibly naive, but I really am not that stupid as you might think. I'm a business man in heart and soul, but sometimes I can really enjoy this type of positive escapism.

The fact that Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda play an important role in this movie also helps of course. And it has to be said, they really played their roles well and very convincingly. But they weren't the only ones, because the same can be said about Rosie Perez. She's incredibly good as the money-hungry bitch and despite what many people might think, she doesn't exaggerate. I've known people to change into someone just like her character once they had a bit of money in their hands... Overall this is a nice, perhaps a bit naive movie with some good acting and an interesting story. I really liked what I saw and find this one of the better romantic comedies I've ever seen. I give it a score of at least 7.5/10, although I think that even an 8/10 isn't exaggerated.