IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU
US, 1994, 101 minutes, Colour.
Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, Rosie Pérez, Wendell Pierce, Isaac Hayes, Seymour Cassel, Stanley Tucci, Red Buttons, Richard Jenkins.
Directed by Andrew Bergman.
Well, it could happen but it is most likely not going to happen: winning the top money in the lottery.
This is a fairly nice story – although there are some barbs at avaricious and unscrupulous people.
Nicolas Cage, before winning his Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas, and his devoting self almost entirely to action shows, has a nice touch for the pathos of a decent man, a cop on the beat with his partner, Wendell Pierce, but married to a school days sweetheart, Muriel, played with incessant nagging and claws out by Rosie Pérez. On the beat, the police encounter a young waitress, Yvonne, Bridget Fonda, who cannot afford a divorce from her no-good actor husband, Stanley Tucci, and has been declared bankrupt because of his payments on her credit card. Muriel has asked her husband to buy a lottery ticket but he has unwittingly changed one of the numbers from her plan – but it wins. Because he has not had money for a tip for the waitress, he has promised her half his winnings in the lottery. He is a decent man and intends to fulfil his promise.
Needless to say, Muriel goes berserk, goes on a spending spree – but protesters throw red paint over her newly bought fur. Yvonne is surprised, to say the least, and buys the cafe where she works from a supercilious and demanding boss.
Muriel decides to go to court, with Richard Jenkins as her lawyer, while the cop, with Red Buttons as his lawyer, does not contest her decision but wants Yvonne to have the money.
We know that somehow or other the cop and the waitress will get some money but in a surprise plot-twist, Isaac Hayes who has been commenting on the action becomes the instrument of some good fortune. And in the meantime, Muriel has flirted with a financier whom she marries – and who then cleans out her bank account and she has to go to live with her mother!
1. A nice story with some barbs? A variation on romantic comedy?
2. New York City, Queens, the police on the street, helping people, the kids playing on the streets? Apartments, cafes? Wealthy yachts, Plaza Hotel? The courts? The musical score?
3. Angel Dupree and his symbolic name? His appearances, commentary, disguise, journalist, helping Charlie and Yvonne out in their difficulty?
4. The title, winning the lottery? The odds of anybody winning the lottery? Buying the ticket, the wrong numbers? The group of winners – the sports team?
5. Nicholas Cage as Charlie, a nice and decent man, married to Muriel, her continued nagging, expectations? Knowing each other from school? Sweethearts? No children, on the beat, partnership with Bo, the bond between them, helping each other? Going to eat, Yvonne and her bad day, not having enough money for the tip, being called to duty, the promise to share the lottery winnings? A point of honour for Charlie?
6. The argument with Muriel about the numbers, winning, telling her the truth, the bad reaction? Going to see evil, Bo and his advice, the chain for her glasses, giving her the option of choice, her reaction, Muriel’s reaction?
7. Going to the function for the winners, persuading Muriel to say she had a heart of gold? Charlie pleasant, shy, with the others? The photo of all the winners? Muriel repeating her slogan, Yvonne present, the newspapers and the headlines?
8. Muriel going on a spree, the expensive shops, the paint thrown on her for? The contrast with Yvonne, her work at the Cafe, the boss and his demands, coffee? Her roommate and their friendship? Buying the cafe?
9. Yvonne, her character, friends with her flatmate, meagre living? Eddie, the marriage, smug? Yvonne in court, pleadings and judge, bankrupt? No divorce? Eddie turning up, eating the macadamia nuts, asking for the money for his acting group?
10. Going on the yacht, Muriel and her meeting Jack, currying his favour, his flirting with her, his holding court about financial plans, her listening, her plans and notes? Yvonne late, Charlie of the yacht, the two talking, the meal, sharing, the bond, rollerblading and his going into the lake, sharing activities? Happy?
11. Yvonne leaving Eddie and going to the Plaza? Charlie being ousted by Muriel, to the Plaza? The rooms? Overawed? The photos, the papers?
12. The financial discussions, the two lawyers, Muriel and her breast enhancement? Charlie, no contest? The reaction of his lawyer, the touch of despair? Muriel’s lawyer and his smugness?
13. In court, the lawyers, cross questioning, Yvonne humiliated, the role of the judge, the jury? Charlie losing? Yvonne running away, Charlie chasing her?
14. Dupree, his disguise, a bigger, wanting food, his comment about the basil in the soup, Charlie and Yvonne giving him something to eat – and his praising article, everybody reading in the streets of the subway?
15. The two seen as Good Samaritans, the donations coming in?
16. The irony of Muriel marrying Jack and his cleaning out her account and having to live with her mother?
17. The moral of the story – better to be nice and kind?
