It Could Happen to You (1994)

The actual story behind the highly fictionalized movie script could have made a really good movie. According to the urban legend website "Snopes", the real events involved a not-so-young waitress and a not-so-young police detective who together select the winning numbers to a $6 million jackpot. There was no hint of romance between the two. But that would be too open-ended for the cookie cutter mentalities behind this movie. They must have went into a conference room or a lunch room or a diner and derived this formulaic romance between two unhappily married people.

Their result was this plot bringing together a Prince Charming, a Cinderella, a the Wicked Witch of New York. But they forget to include a nice dramatic flow of events. I just didn't experience any peaks and very little emotional depth. In the end, I wasn't satisfied.

At least Nicholas Cage makes the most of the opportunity to be normal and charming rather than quirky and charming (one of his first such efforts). He gives the movie whatever depth it attains. Pretty Bridge Fonda gives her usual quiet, unexciting performance. They're responsible for most of the positive rating I give this movie.

Rosie Perez, unfortunately, overwhelms the entire proceedings with nasally witchiness. And that's not the memory I want to take away from a movie.

Overall, it is a decent movie, a nice romantic comedy that ends "happily ever after." This is a story to watch to put someone in a good mood.... it's just basically a very good movie... and it's worth watching.

Overall rating: 6 out of 10.

Fmovies: Heart-warming little comedy that uses old Hollywood tactics to tell a fairy tale story that works really well on the big screen. New York cop Nicolas Cage does not have a tip for diner waitress Bridget Fonda so promises to split his earnings if he wins the state's lottery. Amazingly he does win. His share is $4 million and true to his word he gives half to Fonda to wife's Rosie Perez's dismay. Perez is the boss in a loveless marriage. Cage and Fonda then start to fall in love with each other and Perez decides to divorce Cage just out of spite and try to get the entire $4 million for herself. A really beautiful romantic film that works due to quiet, but highly effective performances by Cage and Fonda. Perez steals every scene here and the film's good screenplay makes it a nice success. 4 stars out of 5.

I have seen this movie some time ago, and I really enjoyed it. It`s simple, nice, romantic, at times sad, and isn't that what life's about? Things and circumstances change, but the personality should remain, and the hope also. It shows a straightforward cop, a nice waitress and a posesive and nasty wife. I liked the story, I liked the acting of Cage and the lovely Bridget Fonda. She's cute. Good movie, I recommend it. See ya around.

It Could Happen to You fmovies. If you haven't seen the film, just grab a Pepsi out of the 'fridge, pop up some Jolly Time with a little real butter (the kind that lets you hear your arteries harden – you'll live), and take a good look at Andy Bergman and Jane Anderson's little masterpiece. You'll find the Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda you've always been looking for and never thought you'd see – together. Way beyond that, but amazingly from the get-go – and right in front of your very eyes – you'll begin to discover a good part of your heart in the process. You know, that part that guys don't like to talk about and women always do? This cynical man certainly did…

'Feel good' movie? – you better believe it. But don't shy away or you'll miss being human. All the 'good stuff' you ever imagined yet knew ahead-of-time is in this little caper: great plot, great story line, great acting – great film. And just the right amount of the right musical score. The trick is (and believe me, it's no trick at all) to put yourself in their shoes: as others have said, what would 'you' do with 2 million dollars that fell into your lap? You'll be thinking so hard you can miss the magic. Don't let that happen …

Years ago, as my flight instructor used to say after GUMP (gear, undercarriage, mixture, prop) and right before landing, 'Â…just fly the plane, Bob.'

Just watch the movie. Your own three-point landing will work itself out – and, your arteries will soften…

8/10

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.