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

Ruby's Mom talks about the day her Husband quit drinking - October the 15th, 1988. She says she remembers it well, "it was a Tuesday" That date was actually a Saturday.

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Goofs

When Sam knocks on the patient's door, the sound does not match the movements of his hand.

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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

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

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Soundtracks

Cheap Plastic Inserts
Written by Vivian Trimble & Josephine Wiggs
Performed by Dusty Trails

User Reviews

Watch this movie again...and again..and again...

I'm always intrigued by small titles, because sometimes they're better than the big moneymakers. This one failed to disappoint, especially because of the superb acting and camera shots. Vincent D'Onofrio(still "the bug" from "Men in Black" in my mind) did a wonderful job of stepping out of that role and into one that's believable, despite Sam's odd story. The first time I watched this, I was intrigued by the possibility that Sam may be telling the truth. Fortunately, K-Pax hadn't managed to ruin that scenario completely for me. The ending was a complete surprise and there were some nice twists.

I picked this up again to see if it was still as intriguing and to my surprise, it was. Even knowing Sam's true identity takes none of the emotion out of the film. I saw that this movie is not just the audience deciding whether or not to believe Sam, but Ruby deciding as well. It's a terrific inner conflict for her, as she struggles in the face of love and honesty after a string of horrible men. Haven't we all met someone that we loved and wanted to trust, but we didn't know we could? The time travel aspect makes this movie impossible but the characters are so real and deep, then the movie feels real and you find yourself thinking if only for a moment that it is perfectly possible. That's why I say that even if you know the ending, watch this movie for the quality that it is.