A kindhearted police officer promises to split
his lottery winnings with a waitress in lieu of a tip. COMEDY
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It Could Happen to You (1994)Directed by Andrew Bergman
Written by Jane Anderson Starring Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, Rosie Perez, Wendell Pierce, Isaac Hayes, Stanley Tucci, Red Buttons, Richard Jenkins |
Winning the lottery is something we've all thought about at least a dozen times a day. Life-changing money is an international rarity, so when it happens to someone, we're immediately interested in who they are and how they got it. At their core, human interest stories resonate with us because we'd like to believe the world is far more magical than it really is. Take for instance the real-life time that a cop agreed to split his lottery ticket winnings (if he won) with his waitress when he couldn't afford to leave her a tip, and then he won. He lived up to his word and split it with her, changing both their lives forever. This movie is based on that story, though the film takes a lot of liberties with the characters and the choices they made because of the money.
Cage plays Charlie Lang, the nicest cop in the history of the United States. He's an all-around nice guy who is married to the most evil sadistic bitch in the world (Perez, who gave a good performance, but as a seriously contemptible character). One day, he goes to a diner for lunch and can't provide a tip. He agrees to split his lottery winnings with his waitress, Yvonne (Fonda), and can't believe his luck when he wins $4 million. He decides to do the right thing and gives Yvonne half the money. Charlie's wife Muriel is incensed and spends the entire movie chastising and punishing Charlie for doing good deeds with the money, ultimately divorcing him and taking the money away from Yvonne in court. But this being a rom-com, Charlie and Yvonne fall in love and live happily ever after while Muriel gets taken advantage of by a con artist. All is right in the universe. It Could Happen to You is one of Nic Cage's lesser known 90's works, but it's a delightful little movie that has some of the DNA of good-hearted classics like It's a Wonderful Life. It feels good to do good, and it's sweet when two kindhearted souls find each other. Plus, with its turn of events in court and sappy but sweet finale, this is one rom-com that doesn't feel forced upon you. |