Happy Accidents [DVD]

Love will find a way in Time.

At the time that I discovered this gem of a movie in my local video store I had actually never even heard of it. Now being a Vincent D'Onofrio fan I figured that at the very least I would enjoy watching him on screen (well, on my television) even if the film didn't turn out to be that great. And with Marisa Tomei as the other lead I thought, how bad can it be? It had a couple of positive reviews on the cover as well as a basic idea about the plot. Other than that I knew nothing about "Happy Accidents" until I sat down to watch it for the first time.In a nutshell, and without giving too much away, I guess I would have to describe this movie as a very quirky and unusual love story. Marisa plays the part of Ruby, a young woman with a history of being attracted to men with lots of problems (mostly psychological problems). We get the idea from very early on that Ruby has had more than her fair share of past boyfriends with these so-called problems, as we see her and her two close girlfriends maintaining and updating a shoebox full of past relationship photos. Ruby just wants to meet the right guy. Is that really asking for too much? So she continues to try and try and try.O.K., so in comes Vincent's character Sam, a sweet and sensitive young man who seems to be instantly drawn towards Ruby from the first time they meet. Before long they are falling in love and Sam has moved into Ruby's apartment. They're very cute together - a real chemistry. Initially, and probably because of Ruby's past history with so many strange men, she becomes a bit suspicious about some of Sam's quirks. Almost like a child who is just discovering the world for the first time, Sam seems to be curious and fascinated with almost everything. His wide-eyed amazement over every day things that most people take for granted is unusual, I suppose, but other than that he just seems to be a really sweet guy who is just a bit different. As Ruby begins to notice more and more of these quirks though she becomes a bit more suspicious. We see her consulting with her best friend as well as her therapist on a regular basis, but nothing seems to be too strange so she happily continues her relationship with her new live-in boyfriend.So what about this relationship is so quirky? Is it the fact that Sam is always so evasive whenever Ruby asks him about his life, his family, his past, etc? Or is it the fact that there seems to be so much discrepancy in what he tells her versus what she discovers? Sam tells Ruby for example that he doesn't keep photos of his family because he doesn't like to live in the past. At first that seems to suffice until Ruby discovers family photos in Sam's wallet. Then there is the discovery of Sam's sea sickness pills, the glassy-eyed staring spells that overcome him from time to time and his obsessive drawings of someone named Chrystie Delancey. Eventually Ruby demands an explanation for what she refers to as Sam's idiosyncrasies and Sam reluctantly tells her that he is a back traveller from the year 2470.So is Sam just someone who tells ridiculous stories in an attempt to impress or amuse his girlfriend? Is he just trying to maintain a sort of mystique about himself? Or, is Sam actually crazy? The only other option would be that Sam is telling the truth about being from the future. So what should Ruby believe? These are the questions that she finds herself facing as she struggles to either maintain or end her relationship with Sam. The challenge for the viewer of this unusual film is to decide for herself or himself what the real story behind Sam's story is. You wont find any spoilers in this review though. You have to decide for yourself.I would highly recommend "Happy Accidents" for anyone who is looking for a very unusual love story. There are moments of drama, moments of comedy and an ongoing mystery that may still puzzle you even after the film ends. If you still aren't able to figure out what the deal with Sam really is you can always check out the DVD's audio commentary. Before returning this movie to the store I watched it a 2nd time. Then I decided to buy a copy and I never seem to grow tired of watching it. If you're a fan of Vincent or Marisa (or both) then you'll probably love this film. But even if you aren't a huge Vincent/Marisa fan you'll probably still love it. Its just a great film and one I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun, quirky, and very unusual love story.

I never post movie reviews. But I was almost dissuaded from watching this very moving and engrossing film by some really shallow negative reviews on this site. Some people are just not satisfied unless they are tearing something down. (Ironically, the worst was from a user who calls himself "a big movie fan". Really. If you don't love this, I don't think you can really call yourself an all-around movie fan; just a fan of certain genres/types/etc.)If what you ask for in a movie is to be engaged and not quite sure what's going to happen right up until the very end, and aren't so A.D.D. that you need a car crash, gunfight or beatdown every ten seconds, this is one you will not want to miss.Don't get me wrong, it's not a thriller, it's not that "sci-fi"-y, you won't be grabbing the edge of your seat, but unless you're a robot, you *will* care.I really liked this movie... enough to write my first review on this site just to offset those petty little haters who have to drag all their obnoxious prejudices about the movie THEY would have made into every discussion. If you like Vincent D'Onofrio and can handle a romantic storyline, you'll like this film.As an added bonus, see if you can spot the actor who now serves as Geico's Rod-Serling-like pitchman , looking very little like he does now, in a small role (I had a good ten-minute "where the HELL do I KNOW that guy from?" experience over it)... not to mention H. Jon Benjamin before his voice developed into the comedic rusty honk he's known for today (e.g., as Archer).Don't let the very few crappy reviews of this film even register with you; it's a romantic little indie film that holds up very well, keeps you interested and caring right to the end.

What do you watch when the newest Thor movie is completely sold out and you need to get people from ages 16 to 80 engage in your home theater? You look to a list of movies you haven’t seen that you should have and find something from the year 2000. The description had us all with romcom Time travel. And, clearly, it was new to everybody since this independent film didn’t even break $700,000 at the box office when it came out. The actors did a great job, the story was extremely internally consistent which is awesome for a time travel film but it was rated R and we thought some of the relationship themes were a little mature for 16 year old. I could end up being educational… Overall we were glad we spent the time to watch it.

A smart romantic comedy with great performances and teasing sci-fi elements. May not be for everyone, but well worth a try.

One of my very favorite romantic movies! Perhaps my favorite:) If you're considering buying it without having watched it before, just get past the first bit where it appears it may just be yet another whiney chick flick. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But this movie is whimsical and very funny.

quand il s'agit de Vincent d'Onofrio trop peut vu au cinéma; il nous entraîne ici dans un histoire d'amour étrange- Il est adorable, drôle gentil, elle Marisa Tomei -impeccable- est conquise puis quelque peu effrayée devant ce grand bougre qui lui paraît étrange. A découvrir. Perso j'adore, mais ... c'est vrai, je ne suis pas objective, mais quand même un petit bijou!

Très romantique aussi et un peu déjanté. Intéressant la relation entre Ruby, l'héroîne et sa psy et ses copines. Le combat de Sam pour faire comprendre à sa belle qu'il vient du futur, qu'il est venu la sauver. Comme quoi l'amour triomphe toujours..... Très beau rôle pour V. D'onofrio dommage qu'il ne passe pas plus souvent en France en dehors de New York Section Criminelle

A film that's out of this world in more ways than one. To say how would be to give too much away. All you need to know is that Marisa Tomei and Vincent D'Onofrio both give extraordinary performances as usual, and play off each other to mesmerising effect.Unique, imaginative and kind of surprisingly magical.