Happy Accidents (2000)

Ruby Weaver, a woman from New York, believes she has found the man of her dreams. And Sam Deed is really such, except for he assures that he came from the future.

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writer:

Brad Anderson

Stars:

Marisa Tomei, Vincent D'Onofrio, Holland Taylor

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marisa Tomei	...	Ruby Weaver
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Sam Deed
Holland Taylor	...	Therapist
Mick Weber	...	Floor Supervisor
Nadia Dajani	...	Gretchen
Tamara Jenkins	...	Robin
Cara Buono	...	Bette
Lianna Pai	...	Claire
Neal Huff	...	Artist
Sam Seder	...	Ned
Robert Stanton	...	Fetishist
Stephen Gevedon	...	Frenchman (as Steve Gevodan)
Larry Fessenden	...	Junkie
Sean Gullette	...	Mark
Bronson Dudley	...	Victor

Storyline

Ruby Weaver has man trouble: she tries to fix them, so she's stuck herself with a string of losers. Her current lover, Sam Deed, seems different: he's sweet, tender, just in from Dubuque. But, as Ruby tells her therapist about Sam, in flashbacks we see someone not quite of this world. In fact, Sam informs Ruby that he's from the future, 2470 to be exact. Ruby's sure he's delusional, but most of the time she wants to keep him - and maybe fix him. Although he seems sane, maybe Sam hasn't told her the real story: what's he up to, and who is Chrystie Delancey?

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Plot Keywords:

time travel romance | therapist | eccentric | time travel | flashback | 

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Taglines:

Sam says he's from the 25th century... he's the most normal guy Ruby has dated.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 September 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

Feliz Acidente

Filming Locations:

Connecticut, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,840, 26 August 2001, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$688,510, 23 December 2001

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent Film Channel (IFC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

On the UK DVD cover released in 2007, the blurb on the back features a review quote which reads, "Wow! Outstanding! Completely blew me away". The credit given for the quote is "IMDb".

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Goofs

In the shot of Sam shown just as Ruby starts the record playing during their first date in Ruby's apartment, a boom microphone is visible in the top center of the shot for approximately six frames.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ruby: Murder? Oh God, Sam, murder?
Sam Deed: It wasn't me.
Ruby: Nobody could understand this, Sam, it's too much. It's too much.
Sam Deed: I think it would be easier if I told you a little at a time. It would sink in a little at a time.
Ruby: Sink in a little at a time? You... you just dropped an emotional anvil on my head. Look at me, I'm flat as a pancake.

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Connections

References Weird Science (1985)

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Soundtracks

Cookie Bay
Written by Sean O'Hagan
Performed by High Llamas
Courtesy of V2 Records

User Reviews

Well worth watching

We happened across "Happy Accidents" by happy accident: there was nothing worth watching on any other channel and the description of the movie on IFC was enough for us to give it a go.

We made the right choice.

This is a sweet little romantic comedy. I had never heard of it before through the mass media; perhaps that's because nothing gets blown up in the movie, no guns are drawn, and only a few punches are thrown. Instead, Marisa Tomei and Vincent D'Onofrio mostly interact with each other (as aided and abetted by Tomei's therapist and girl-friends). (Nowadays, does that make it a "chick-flick"?)

One cautionary note: If you've seen "K-Pax", you may feel "Happy Accidents" is a bit derivative, almost like a trip back into the past, but hang in there. If you're a fan of either Tomei or D'Onofrio (probably most famous for his role as "the bug" from "Men in Black"), or even if you're just looking for a pleasant way to pass an hour and fifty minutes, catch this the next time it comes around on cable/satellite -- you won't be disappointed.