Happy Accidents (2000) | agoodmovietowatch

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Happy Accidents 7.5 2000 Movie

Happy Accidents

Dir. Brad Anderson · United States of America · English

An endearing romantic comedy with a sci-fi twist

Our take by Renee Cuisia

You won’t commonly find the genres “romantic comedy” and “sci-fi” in one film, but when you do, the result is often spectacular. Happy Accidents is one example. The film is an indie, so everything takes place in one city – we only hear about the alternate universe that our leading man Sam is from. But the script is so airtight, and the performances so convincing, you never question the veracity of it. Above all else, Happy Accidents is about trust: trust in your partner, the future you build, a bigger world, and the possibility of change. Those sound like big vague ideas, but Tomei and D’Onofrio make every inch of them feel real.

What happens

A comedy that pays tribute to the science fiction genre -- specifically, the sub-genre of time travel. But here the alternate reality is contemporary New York City where past and future experiences of trust, commitment and denial are cleverly put to the test. Just as Ruby is beginning to relish her first-ever healthy relationship, Sam begins muttering about being a time traveler from the year 2470.

More about it

What happens

Just as Ruby (Marisa Tomei) thinks she’s finally dating someone normal, her boyfriend Sam (Vincent D'Onofrio) makes a startling confession: he is from the future. Ruby pursues the truth as Sam’s stories become increasingly complex.

What sets it apart

That ending scene. How it culminates into that one moment, where everything finally makes sense? Absolutely worth it.

TL;DR

It’s like Somewhere in Time meets Back to the Future.

Awards

Sundance

1 nom

Nominated: Official Selection

Nat. Board of Review

1 win

Won: Special Recognition

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About the author

Renee Cuisia

Renee Cuisia

Renee Cuisia is the lead curator at A Good Movie to Watch. In her spare time, she likes to watch K-dramas and analyze them to death. She's also seen You've Got Mail one too many times but is still convinced it's one of the greatest films out there.