Rating: 
Summary: Mind Tweaker
Review: "Happy Accidents" gives a different twist on the romantic comedy. Part of Sundance's 2000 festival, the film took a while to find distribution. This is because, as much as I like it, it doesn't entirely work. What DOES work is Marisa Tomei. Wow! Is she wonderful, or what! She has one of those rare personas that makes everything she does seem totally believable. After the incredible "In the Bedroom," I'd go to any film lucky enough to sign her. As Ruby Weaver, she gives an edgy gutsy performance that prods, pushes and pulls, giving the character a tremendous sense of depth. Vincent D'Onofrio who is SO GOOD on TV's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" gives a quirky performance as Sam Deed. Given the demands of the role, I don't understand how one professional reviewer calls him "too weird." For me, it fit; and he did it well. We rented this DVD with "Sidewalks of New York" and so had our own Nadia Dajani film festival. As Gretchen, she plays Ruby's #1 girlfriend who has ups and downs with her own love life and keeps a shoe box full of pictures of ex-boyfriends. I didn't get her name, but I also really enjoyed the actress who played Ruby's mother. Director Brad Anderson had done "Next Stop Wonderland." If the film had left you wondering whether Sam Deed was indeed from Dubuque, Iowa 400 years in the future, it might have worked better. But when therapist Holland Taylor, who is excellent as usual, turns up to be time looped, then you have to buy the premise that time warp continuum's are real. That's where the picture bogs down a bit for me, trying to make all the pieces fit rather than just enjoying the romance of it all. As a romance time traveler picture, "Kate & Leopold" is probably a bit more polished and consistent with pacing. However, Marisa Tomei makes you love it all! A great evening's fun. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Is Sam crazy or did he really come back in time for Ruby?
Review: "Happy Accidents" is a film that creates a delicate balance between one of two alternative explanations for the character of Sam Deed (Vincent D'Onofrio). He has turned what appears to be a chance encounter with Ruby Weaver (Marisa Tomei) into a relationship. Sam says he comes from Dubuque, Iowa, and he sticks to that claim throughout the movie, except eventually he reveals that the Dubuque he is from is a coastal city on the Atlantic Ocean because of a couple of ice ages in between now and 2436, which is when Sam traveled back in time. Now, of course, this guy is crazy. But Sam is as charming as he is crazy, in a quirky sort of way, and every time Ruby is read to cut bait and run, he finds a way of pulling her back in to his bizarre version of the truth.
Most of the story is told in flashback as Ruby describes this strange relationship to her therapist (Holland Taylor), who can tell her exactly what is wrong with Sam. Clearly a crisis point has been reached and a final, fateful decision needs to be made. Ruby does not need her therapist to remind her that she has a history of being an enabler. After all, her mother, Lillian (Tovah Feldshuh) was a co-dependent who endured a marriage to an alcoholic for years before finding the strength to make him go sober, so there is a clearly a pattern to break here. Then there is Ruby's best friend, Gretchen (Nadia Dajani), who dismisses Sam's actions as just a "game" no different from her boyfriend pretending to be someone else in the bedroom.
Clearly there are pressures pulling Ruby is different directions, but the strongest of those come from Sam himself as he offers explanations for what the future is like and the rules for time travel every time Ruby pokes a hole in his story. Supposedly Sam had a sister who drowned and no photographs of her; but there is a photograph of a young girl and a dog in Sam's wallet. Then there is Sam's notebook with the name of another woman written prominently in it several times. But Sam offers an incredibly romantic explanation for why he has come back in time and an explanation of the principle of time travel that he demonstrates on Ruby's leg that is quite compelling.
"Happy Accidents" works so well because of the believability of D'Onofrio and Tomei. His quirkiness bothered me, but despite that I find myself liking the guy; which is exactly the point. Tomei's character is caught in a web of conflicting thoughts and desires and every time the pendulum swings the arc is getting bigger and bigger. But every single time we make up our mind as to what is really going on, another substantive seed of doubt is thrown into the mix. The credit for this goes to writer-director Brad Anderson ("Next Stop, Wonderland") who constructs the story so that Sam keeps getting the benefit of the doubt. Eventually we get to the point where we want to believe, even if it is not true. Sam makes us want to believe even when logic and the holes in his story tells us that we should not.
Ultimately the mixture of romantic comedy and science fiction, or at least pseudo-science fiction, may or may not appeal to some viewers, but it does provide pretty good prospects for a date flick. But I think there will be others who were surprised to find out how much they liked this movie about the power of love. That might all be changed by the way this one plays out in the end and I can easily see three or four places where you might decide that "Happy Accidents" jumps the track and the magic ends for you. The ending was not totally satisfying to me, but parts of if were and whatever problems the end game might have do not detract away from the stellar performances of D'Onofrio and Tomei.
Rating: 
Summary: Imaginative & Engaging
Review: "Happy Accidents" is remarkable in the way that it ingeniously blends science-fiction & romantic comedy into a deeply moving and enjoyably believable story.The acting is superb, as well as the dialogue and storytelling. You are kept totally engaged and entertained throughout the entire film, eventhough its length reaches close to two hours; I found that by the end, I had barely touched the beverage next to me. There are many unraveling twists and mysteries, and the ending is great in its surprise and confirmation of what was building up during the movie. But, the ending is not so unexpected that a second viewing of the movie would be spoiled or uninteresting, as was the case for me with "Sixth Sense." The first thing I said after the conclusion of "Happy Accidents" was, "WOW. That was one great ...movie!" My wife and I both agree to owning this movie because it is so well done and thought out, and we could easily watch it over and over, as we do with "12 Monkeys" and "Contact." I highly recommend "Happy Accidents" as a great imaginative and engaging romantic comedy/science-fiction movie.
Rating:
Summary: Mind Tweaker
Review: "Happy Accidents" gives a different twist on the romantic comedy. Part of Sundance's 2000 festival, the film took a while to find distribution. This is because, as much as I like it, it doesn't entirely work. What DOES work is Marisa Tomei. Wow! Is she wonderful, or what! She has one of those rare personas that makes everything she does seem totally believable. After the incredible "In the Bedroom," I'd go to any film lucky enough to sign her. As Ruby Weaver, she gives an edgy gutsy performance that prods, pushes and pulls, giving the character a tremendous sense of depth. Vincent D'Onofrio who is SO GOOD on TV's "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" gives a quirky performance as Sam Deed. Given the demands of the role, I don't understand how one professional reviewer calls him "too weird." For me, it fit; and he did it well. We rented this DVD with "Sidewalks of New York" and so had our own Nadia Dajani film festival. As Gretchen, she plays Ruby's #1 girlfriend who has ups and downs with her own love life and keeps a shoe box full of pictures of ex-boyfriends. I didn't get her name, but I also really enjoyed the actress who played Ruby's mother. Director Brad Anderson had done "Next Stop Wonderland." If the film had left you wondering whether Sam Deed was indeed from Dubuque, Iowa 400 years in the future, it might have worked better. But when therapist Holland Taylor, who is excellent as usual, turns up to be time looped, then you have to buy the premise that time warp continuum's are real. That's where the picture bogs down a bit for me, trying to make all the pieces fit rather than just enjoying the romance of it all. As a romance time traveler picture, "Kate & Leopold" is probably a bit more polished and consistent with pacing. However, Marisa Tomei makes you love it all! A great evening's fun. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: An Off Centre Romantic Comedy
Review: (First, let me apologise for spelling 'centre' that way - I'm from Australia.) This took me a while to get into - the neurotisisms of a lot of characters in film and tv when it comes to relationships gets me irritated. And what's with the constant therapy in these things??? Those two issues aside (which I'll deal with in time, I promise), this was a way better romantic/comedy/drama than I have seen in a long time. It's formulatic to a point of course, but other than that it is so much better and more entertaining than any of those Roberts/Witherspoon/Ryan escapades. The idea of lovers meeting via 'supposed' time travel sets an interesting scene, and creates much more interesting obstacles for the two main characters to overcome. I did enjoy the banter of the peripheral characters as well. Certainly a must for D'Onofrio fans - even with material that seems relatively light on for what he usually does, he excels in it. Okay yes, I'm a huge D'Onofrio fan and this is why I bought the film! He shines in everything he does. Okay, okay, I'll shut up now. But beyond that, it is a very touching film and a nice change to the usual romantic stories that clog the video store shelves.
Rating:
Summary: terrific romantic comedy/time travel story
Review: Happy Accidents is a charming romantic comedy starring Vincent D'Onofrio as Sam and Marisa Tomei as Ruby, who is tired of dating losers. When she meets Sam she dares to hope that her string of bad luck has run its course -- until Sam tells her that he is actually from the year 2470 and has come back to the past to find her. Should Ruby go along with his fantasy/delusion, as her friend advises, or dump him? This is a fun comedy. The leads are terrific and the supporting cast is flawless. DVD features are minimal, but the commentary with writer-director Anderson and star D'Onofrio is entertaining. Subtitles are also available in Spanish, and that's about it. Great date film.
Rating:
Summary: Quirky story with great acting!
Review: Happy Accidents is a great film because it deviates from the norm. It successfully mixes a bit of science fiction with a bit of romantic comedy to produce a great off-beat film. Vincent D'onofrio once again does a smashing job portraying his character. The quirky guy from the future with his lovable and lamentable idiosyncrasies comes off perfectly. Marisa Tomei does a fine job as well, though I cringe everytime she screams.
The film is laced with laughs, but at the same time is very touching and convincing. I especially like the scene where d'onofrio's character explains how time travel works. "Do you know how a combustion engine works?"
I'll admit, the film probably isn't everyone's taste, but it's great for a few laughs, some touching moments and another magnificent performance by Vincent D'onofrio.
Rating:
Summary: Watching this film was a happy accident!!!
Review: I didn't know exactly what to expect from Brad Anderson's Happy Accidents. The premise sounded intriguing enough, but also like one that could be a pure misfire if not done right. I passed the DVD in the video store so often that I finally decided to give it a chance, and I am so glad I did. The film was a refreshing surprise, given the abundance of recent films completely devoid of originality and substance. It deals with a young woman who falls in love with a guy, who says he's from the future. To say anymore will ruin the film.
Happy Accidents is heartfelt, original, and inventive and has two captivating lead performances. The film could have easily been ludicrous or silly given the premise, but it manages to stay believable and sincere by concentrating on the reality of love and relationships, as well as the constantly inventive dialogue.
The story is a hard sell, but it works, mainly because of the inventive and intelligent dialogue, in reference to the future (described in great detail by Sam) and the chemistry of the two leads. Vincent D'Onofrio is terrific as always. He portrays Sam with such warmth and conviction that he makes you truly hope everything will work out for him. Marisa Tomei gives one of her best performances, matching her costar scene for scene. The small supporting cast is also quite good, most notable being Nadia Dajani. Brad Anderson, an emerging director in the independent scene, wonderfully directs the film. The "backwards-time" scenes are especially effective.
The film did unfold a bit slowly, but as soon as things started to come together, it managed to build suspense and led to an intriguing finale. Part romance, part comedy, and part mystery, Happy Accidents is well done, unique, and original. It is not a film everyone will enjoy, but it is definitely a wonderful experience.
Rating:
Summary: A Definite Picker Upper
Review: I first saw this movie on the Independent Film Channel, and once I began watching it for a while, I found myself unable to leave the room. The plot automatically caught my attention. Not seeing the beginning of the movie the first time watching it, I then rented it to watch it a second time all the way through. Vincent D' Onofrio (seen in the Cell) plays the terrific role of Sam, who seeks to find love among other things from co-start Ruby, played by Marisa Tomei (seen in My Cousin Vinni). The two create an awesome chemistry, which only lures the viewer deeper into their romance.
The movie features a young woman, Ruby (Tomei), dealing with her many issues of family, friends and love throughout therapy. She then meets the strangely irresistible Sam (D' Onofrio) who forces her to deal with her issues of love directly, avoiding nothing. Besides Sam's immediate attraction and love for her being hard to handle, Sam reveals to Ruby that he is from the future and that he is on a mission. Ruby is stunned like anyone would be, but instead of dumping Sam immediately, she decides to investigate the situation. Sam being from the future may seem a little far fetched, but the movie makes time travel actually seem believable.
The movie would be categorized as a mix of romance, comedy and mystery. Some might consider the movie a bit of a chick flick considering the main plot of Sam and Ruby's relationship, but I think the movie has a lot more plot and potential than just a love story because of its time travel subject involvement. The story may be hard to believe for some with it's from the future character stance, but necessary explanations of who, how and why are given. To say anything more about the plot of the movie would ruin it.
You will find yourself dieing to see whether things work out like they should between the two through the many twists and turns of arguments and disagreements. Overall, the movie is very well done with the acting and plot. I recommend it to any woman or man who doesn't doubt science or emotion. The movie gives hope to those who those who have lost all hope in love. Ruby herself felt hopeless in finding love, but Sam seemed to change that.
Rating:
Summary: One of the BEST! Wait, it IS the BEST!
Review: I rented this DVD just for kicks one day. The first time I watched it I was very confused of the plot, but the story is highly entertaining! It's a BRILLIANT with GREAT cast members. Throughout the entire movie you will be surprised by little twists and turns that are in no way predictable. If you like movies that are a little out of the ordinary, this is it! I LOVE this movie! I'd have to warn you, either you will love this movie or be bored out of your mind. It's different, you'll see!
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