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.
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.